Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.
Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.
Scheduling
8.1
8.1
Scheduling
Ratings of 1 mean it was difficult to schedule appointments with this clinic.
Ratings of 10 mean it was easy to schedule appointments.
Billing Department
7.7
7.7
Billing Department
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.
Nursing Team
7.2
7.2
Nursing Team
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.
Attention to Detail
6.7
6.7
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is on a 1 - 10 scale, and is scored based on the rate, and severity, of errors committed by the clinic according to the patients.
For example, a severe error might be failing to inform a patient of critical information, while a small error might be failing to call a patient with results.
CDC Success Rates
This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
I give Dr. Barad my highest possible recommendation. He is kind, compassionate, supportive and comforting -- I wish all of my doctors could have his bedside manner. He spent a long time getting to know us (me and my spouse) in our initial consultation and I knew within 5 minutes that I definitely wanted to work with Dr. Barad...At each of my monitoring appointments, Dr. Barad spent a long time with me and thoughtfully answered all of my many questions and calmed my anxieties. Dr. Barad performed my egg retrieval and my transfer, which was a success. We are so grateful to Dr. Barad for everything!!!
Everyone at CHR, from Dr. Barad (who has such a lovely, warm bedside manner) to the fabulous nurses to the phlebotomists (who were all able to easily and masterfully draw my blood without causing discomfort, despite being told elsewhere that I have "difficult" veins!) made me feel like I was supported and being cheered on. I always felt like the staff all recognized and "knew" me -- I wasn't just a chart. It also helps that CHR is a smaller center, which made everything feel more personal. At CHR, you will never wait around in a massive waiting room with tons of other patients -- at most, at a super busy time, I might see 4 other patients waiting (but even that many was pretty unusual).
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
I give Dr. Barad my highest possible recommendation. He is kind, compassionate, supportive and comforting -- I wish all of my doctors could have his bedside manner. He spent a long time getting to know us (me and my spouse) in our initial consultation and I knew within 5 minutes that I definitely wanted to work with Dr. Barad (we had previously interviewed a few other top REs in NYC that I wasn't thrilled about after those initial consults). At each of my monitoring appointments, Dr. Barad spent a long time with me and thoughtfully answered all of my many questions and calmed my anxieties. Dr. Barad performed my egg retrieval and my transfer, which was a success. We are so grateful to Dr. Barad for everything!!!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Don't be shy about asking questions or raising any concerns -- Dr. Barad will be happy to discuss everything with you in great detail.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Everyone at CHR, from Dr. Barad (who has such a lovely, warm bedside manner) to the fabulous nurses to the phlebotomists (who were all able to easily and masterfully draw my blood without causing discomfort, despite being told elsewhere that I have "difficult" veins!) made me feel like I was supported and being cheered on. I always felt like the staff all recognized and "knew" me -- I wasn't just a chart. It also helps that CHR is a smaller center, which made everything feel more personal. At CHR, you will never wait around in a massive waiting room with tons of other patients -- at most, at a super busy time, I might see 4 other patients waiting (but even that many was pretty unusual).
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
It's been a little over a year since my treatment, so I apologize that I don't remember all of the specifics. I do remember that I used Gonal F (hard to forget that drug, since it was so much more expensive than the others!). I also remember that I did not use Menopur.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Huina)
The nurses at CHR are excellent communicators, super responsive, and wonderful people!
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Although I was a more "straightforward" IVF case (we had MFI), I appreciate that CHR is known for taking on very difficult cases, which is reflected in their much-older than average patient population.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
It was efficient and well-run. I tended to get there at the early end of the time window because I wanted to be as quick in and out as possible before work, and it always worked out smoothly for me!
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
I have Aetna insurance (which is accepted by CHR), and under the fertility coverage of my insurance plan there was one part of the process that wasn't covered and I think the cost was ~$2,500.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
CHR is one of the only centers in NYC (that I'm aware of after extensive research!) that is not militantly pro-eSET for all patients. CHR has published papers supporting patient autonomy on this issue, which I was aware of before selecting CHR and I really appreciate. Before my transfer, I expressed my very strong preference to transfer two embryos, and we had a long, thoughtful discussion about it (I was already very well informed on the issue but Dr. Barad also was very thoughtful about fully discussing it with me to make sure I was fully informed about the risks, etc.). We proceeded with a fresh (non-frozen) transfer of two blasts (day 5), which resulted in a healthy singleton pregnancy.
[Dr. Gleicher will] ask for a ton of pre-cycle tests. It was expensive and took a while to complete, but it was totally worth it. Tests picked up a bunch of issues that I didn't even know I had, and Dr. Gleicher was able to add treatments to address these issues...respected my desire to have a child with my own eggs--which was super-important to me as a single woman using donor sperm--unlike all the other doctors I'd spoken to, who recommended egg donation even before they had any of my test results, just based on age. (I
My nurse coordinator was my main point of contact [at Center for Human Reproduction]. Dr. Gleicher doesn't communicate directly with patients, so all your questions have to be directed to the nurse. She will get the doctor's answers when she can't answer questions herself. It was a bit frustrating at times when a quick back-and-forth with the doctor himself would have answered my question more fully and efficiently, but most of the time the system worked fine. I communicated with everyone through their patient portal and phone.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I think I already answered this question in the previous answer! :) He's the one to go to when you're older and want to use your own eggs--he will listen to you, give you all the information (a lot of it would be news to other fertility "experts") to help you make your own decision about your body and your future.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
He'll ask for a ton of pre-cycle tests. It was expensive and took a while to complete, but it was totally worth it. Tests picked up a bunch of issues that I didn't even know I had, and Dr. Gleicher was able to add treatments to address these issues. Yes, the tests add up fast, but when you are paying tens of thousands for IVF to begin with, it's better to identify all the problems to address before you waste a ton of money on a failed cycle or two (something that happened to a friend of mine)!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Gleicher respected my desire to have a child with my own eggs--which was super-important to me as a single woman using donor sperm--unlike all the other doctors I'd spoken to, who recommended egg donation even before they had any of my test results, just based on age. (I was 44-45 when I was seeking fertility help.) Once I made it clear to him that this was what I wanted, Dr. Gleicher's approach was all about getting to know my particular type of fertility issues and applying specific treatments for the particular issues. I didn't see him that often during my time at CHR (I saw Dr. Barad and Dr. Kushnir much more for monitoring and procedures, though all my consultations were with Dr. Gleicher), but I felt clearly that his philosophy was driving everything about my treatment plan that was specific to my condition and my desire.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I used estrogen priming, maximum ovarian stimulation with RAFs for all my cycles. Timing of trigger was adjusted earlier each time because my eggs were luteinizing faster and needed to be taken out faster. I also used viagra to thicken my lining.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction.
My nurse coordinator was my main point of contact. Dr. Gleicher doesn't communicate directly with patients, so all your questions have to be directed to the nurse. She will get the doctor's answers when she can't answer questions herself. It was a bit frustrating at times when a quick back-and-forth with the doctor himself would have answered my question more fully and efficiently, but most of the time the system worked fine. I communicated with everyone through their patient portal and phone. My nurse was always thorough--she'd always leave a voice mail on top of a message via the portal, so I always knew to check my portal. She was also super helpful when my pharmacy lost the prescription refill.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
CHR is known for providing IVF with their own eggs to women in their mid to late 40s. The reputation is well-deserved; I think they have the "oldest" patient on record who got pregnant with her own eggs.
Also: When I first went to CHR, I thought the treatment there would be really expensive, but it wasn't. I ended up qualifying for their discount program, which really helped, but even without the discount, the pricing list I received was comparable to other centers I went to in NYC. This was a pleasant surprise for a highly specialized center in the toney part of town.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
I qualified for their discount program, so it was a bit over $10K for a cycle. They have a few other income tiers above and below mine and the prices seem to adjust accordingly. I was also given an option of buying a 4-cycle package they created for women with low ovarian reserve, but I didn't use that.
Dr Gleicher prepared a flawed stimulation protocol which is the very basic of an IVF procedure...I was pushed into starting the meds before my period started (which at times are naturally delayed)...early scans showed that the stimulation was not working properly, they pushed us to complete the cycle
[Center for Human Reproduction] has a massive marketing in social media as the best place you can be... felt quite a lack of coordination and communication...No call was made and a confusing message was left on portal...call was returned by embryologist who very rudely ranted for 2 minutes why she does not prefer to call in the morning
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr Gleicher is an experienced doctor and conducts a battery of tests and evaluation to provide analysis, which as scientists appealed to us. However he and Dr Barad (doctor who conducted the procedure at CHR) are both past their prime and quite rusty in actual execution. The clinic does not consider the huge financial, physical and emotional cost a patient goes through. Even when early scans showed that the stimulation was not working properly, they pushed us to complete the cycle. For this we had to make international travel and stay in NY for a week. Also we were advised to take prophylactic IVIG for another 6K while the basic process of producing good number of eggs and fertilization was botched up.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Please consider the cost benefit ratio of the cycle for the patient and not treat them as data points for your research.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
We took the Second Opinion online and were quite impressed by the range of test and evaluation. However things started going downhill the moment we agreed to get the treatment done at CHR. Dr Gleicher prepared a flawed stimulation protocol which is the very basic of an IVF procedure. Not only that I was pushed into starting the meds before my period started (which at times are naturally delayed). This I believe was a cardinal mistake as the follicles were not in baseline to respond to stimulation.The cycle scans showed one follicle growing rapidly with only another growing somewhat in a slower manner. They were chasing 1 dominant follicle, which probably was old overmature egg from last cycle which disintegrated on fertilization. In this quest the doctors sacrificed 1-2 more eggs which might have matured if waited for proper stimulation window. CHR follows a research approach where you become guinea pigs for their data point at a very exorbitant cost.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
Gonal F (300 iu) and Menopur(150 iu) for 9 days. However medicine initiated before period and no antagonist added to prevent early ovulation.
Double trigger by HCG and Leuprolide Acetate. Prophylactic IVIG infusion 40 gram before transfer.
Post transfer prednisone, Baby aspirin, Progesterone oil injection plus capsules.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
The clinic has a massive marketing in social media as the best place you can be. However, once we were there, we felt quite a lack of coordination and communication.
On the egg retrieval day, my husband kept asking when he can provide semen sample but there was no coordination/information among the staff. After my procedure we were asked to leave. Only when we insisted that the semen sample should be provided that same day, he was called in for the procedure. If we were not aware of the process, this would have created problems. Furthermore we were told a call would be made the day after the egg retrieval for status update. No call was made and a confusing message was left on portal. It was Sunday, and we could not reach the clinic as it closed early. We were anxious throughout the day. The next day I called the nurse to urgently speak to the embryologist. The call was returned by embryologist who very rudely ranted for 2 minutes why she does not prefer to call in the morning. The explanation to my question hardly took 30 seconds.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
20000 USD plus another 5000 USD on Tests and 7000 on medications, IVIG etc. Adding our lodging and airfare it was close to 40000 USD
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
I have no complaints about working with nor the service I've received from Dr. Barad. Is more attentive and intelligent with me and my situation then my previous doctor so I appreciate that. It would be great if we were local to each other however I do not feel like I have missed out on any service being remote...The overall strategy was based on my desires of still trying to conceive with my own eggs and then utilizing donor eggs if needed. I appreciate that he allowed me to do that, as I am aware that some doctors would not given my age
Strengths [of Center for Human Reproduction]- Expertise, Compassionately staff, Pricing is better (even remotely), working with remote clients Weaknesses - Need better response time from finance staff, as this is a major concern for most...My only "complaint"would be after miscarriage that some of the communication could be more compassionate and not as matter-of-fact.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
I have no complaints about working with nor the service I've received from Dr. Barad. Is more attentive and intelligent with me and my situation then my previous doctor so I appreciate that. It would be great if we were local to each other however I do not feel like I have missed out on any service being remote.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
I suggest that any patients going through this journey to be prepared for be prepared for any consultation with questions but then also be prepared for the honest truth that is inherent in the answers.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr Barad does an awesome job of personalizing his attention and demonstrating that he is vested in the process as well.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
The overall strategy was based on my desires of still trying to conceive with my own eggs and then utilizing donor eggs if needed. I appreciate that he allowed me to do that, as I am aware that some doctors would not given my age. Protocols included several injectables and pills to stimulate my ovaries and egg production as well as it has medications to prepare my lining for transfer; and then after transfer, medications to help maintain the pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Huina)
I love how much this clinic communicates as it is much different than my previous experience. My only "complaint"would be after miscarriage that some of the communication could be more compassionate and not as matter-of-fact.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Strengths- Expertise, Compassionately staff, Pricing is better (even remotely), working with remote clients
Weaknesses - Need better response time from finance staff, as this is a major concern for most.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
Definitely not a cattle call. Very organized with an awareness of time on the patient's behalf.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
The clinic's pricing icing is significantly better than what I have found elsewhere as a fair comparison. They even offer discounts for certain income levels which is certainly appreciated.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
I was offered the opportunity to transfer more than one embryo, however, I did opt to transfer only one given that I only had two. I wanted another opportunity to transfer that one alone if the first was not successful.
My situation is unusual since I stopped having periods at 22 yo. I went to the clinic to see if I could participate in a clinical trial testing PRP in women with premature ovarian failure...Dr. Gleicher did not review any of these records before my appointment. He was actually reading my medical history for the first time (which I had provided when I scheduled the appointment) during our appointment. He explained the clinical trial well but diverted me to IVF without providing a clear rationale. During the IVF cycle, I was always seen by Dr. Barad. Dr. Gleicher only showed up once during a routine ultrasound and both doctors started arguing about my so called follicles...
Staff [at Center for Human Reproduction] seemed overwhelmed, clinic looked like an "assembly line"...During the IVF cycle I received little to no support. Instructions for administering the meds were often provided on the day by 9pm. No one answered the phone after 4pm although supposedly there is a nurse on call. I ended up going to YouTube to watch videos on how to inject myself. Communications were all through their portal but the response time was not optimal...
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I felt that everything was rushed and poorly planned. I made my first appointment about a month in advance, but the day before I received an automatic email saying that I had not uploaded my records to the patient portal and that my appointment could be cancelled. No one had provided me the info to access this website so after a phone call to the clinic I uploaded everything right away, but Dr. Gleicher did not review any of these records before my appointment. He was actually reading my medical history for the first time (which I had provided when I scheduled the appointment) during our appointment. He explained the clinical trial well but diverted me to IVF without providing a clear rationale. During the IVF cycle, I was always seen by Dr. Barad. Dr. Gleicher only showed up once during a routine ultrasound and both doctors started arguing about my so called follicles (Dr. Barad did not think it was an actual follicle, Dr. Gleicher wanted to proceed with the IVF injections). Dr. Barad was more empathetic and spent more time explaining things but it seems that he was just following the plan set by Dr. Gleicher.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I would not recommend a prospective patient to consult with Dr. Gleicher so I have no specific advice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
My situation is unusual since I stopped having periods at 22 yo. I went to the clinic to see if I could participate in a clinical trial testing PRP in women with premature ovarian failure. I was instead put on DHEA and regular IVF cycle (with sperm donor), which from my readings was not worth trying at all but I trusted that the doctors had seen a slight chance of using my own eggs. During the IVF cycle I received little to no support. Instructions for administering the meds were often provided on the day by 9pm. No one answered the phone after 4pm although supposedly there is a nurse on call. I ended up going to YouTube to watch videos on how to inject myself. Communications were all through their portal but the response time was not optimal. One time I asked the same question 3 times and got the same answer, which was a general answer and did not apply to me. This was right before the pandemic, so no excuse for the very poor organization and patient communications.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
Menopur 2 vials of 75 IU each daily followed by Follistim 450 IU daily, injected hCG 10,000 U 4 days later. No eggs retrieved. Rationale was not explained to me. I was provided with hormone levels but there was never explanation about the results. I received instructions to adjust dosage by email very late in the evening.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Do not know the name)
Staff seemed overwhelmed, clinic looked like an "assembly line". Nurse was the only one who explained me the several options on the consent forms for sperm donation, egg retrieval and potential embryo genetic testing and storage. I ended up spending a lot of money on things I did not need: Dr. Gleicher prescribed expensive DHEA and egg stimulant supplements (about 300 dollars per month) and prenatal vitamins (200 dollars per month without the premium insurance plan), and the nurse later told me these vitamins were not important and that I could just buy the CVS brand prenatal vitamins (12 dollars for 3 months). Also, I ended up buying all the meds for an entire cycle of IVF, and half went to waste since I had zero eggs on retrieval; no one explained the IVF process to me and which drugs I would need and when (some of them you can buy later, depending on previous steps). Regarding the transfer of sperm sample from the cryobank to the clinic, the nurse stressed how critical it was for them to have the sample at the clinic before the egg retrieval, and I ended up paying rush fee but this is not entirely true. The cryobank can deliver in 1 or 2 days and there is some time from egg retrieval until you actually do the fertilization. Since I had no eggs I lost money because once the sperm leaves the cryobank you cannot return it (and get half the money back). After I decided to leave this clinic for good, I requested a transfer of the sperm sample back to the cryobank for storage. I followed their instructions but 3 months later they had not done the transfer because embryologist never followed up with the cryobank. One year later I received a phone call from the clinic saying that I had to pay for storage since my sample was still at the clinic when I had received a confirmation of transfer to the cryobank.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Clinic looks nice, comfortable and easily accessible. There is a bit of lack of coordination between administrative staff and the clinical staff. Important forms and information were not provided in time. Financial part was clear, but they want everything to be paid in advance so I had to ask for a refund for a procedure that was not needed since I had no eggs.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
I was an out of state patient and staff was aware but that did not make a difference. There were several women waiting for the ultrasounds but I did not have to wait too much.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
I had a discount based on my salary (at the time I was making around 80k per year). I spent about 5k on meds. Besides the supplements and prenatal vitamins, I must have spent about 5k more on monitoring and egg retrieval.
Describe Norbert Gleicher's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
Not applicable
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
Besides the lack of coordination and insufficient support during the IVF cycle, the screening was also poorly run. All the tests could be done at the clinic but the genetic tests were sent to an external lab and the claim was rejected by my health insurance plan since they tested for genetic diseases that did not apply to my ethnicity. During blood collection, the nurse gave me conflicting information and ordered tests I had already completed; fortunately I was looking at the computer screen and saw her entering the wrong tests and was able to tell her.
My concern with Dr. Barad and the clinic is that you cannot call him. You can email him and the nurse but he may or may not reply and if he does reply, it's not in a timely manner...The protocol has been created before seeing my test results on day 2 at the lab, so I felt it was more of a cookie cutter treatment they do based on one's age.
[Center for Human Reproduction is] a very small clinic. There is little wait time. After women go to the lab, they are brought to the ultrasound rooms and the doctors would go from one to the next. The problem with this is that you don't have the chance to talk and discuss with the doctor afterwards because he is on to the next patient...The Assisted Hatching was overpriced at $2K compared to $600+ in other clinics.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
My concern with Dr. Barad and the clinic is that you cannot call him. You can email him and the nurse but he may or may not reply and if he does reply, it's not in a timely manner. In addition, the clinic has an unusual set up and it is partially due to the lack of doctors and the size of the clinic. After they do the ultrasound, you won't have a chance to talk with the doctor because then he's off to the next patient waiting on the next room and for the rest of the morning, the doctors are busy doing these rounds and then the surgeries right after. By the time they're done, the clinic would have been closed already for the day and you could only hope that he replies to your email after that. In another IVF clinic where I did the same treatment, I got to talk to the doctor after each ultrasound in the privacy of her room and I could call her on the phone and speak with her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Communication is key and patients should be able to talk to the doctor after the ultrasound and also be able to call him. The clinic should change their policy on this.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
The protocol has been created before seeing my test results on day 2 at the lab, so I felt it was more of a cookie cutter treatment they do based on one's age.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
The doctors are against antagonist treatment. There is human growth hormone and estrogen priming weeks prior. You will be taking 150 of Gonal F and 225 of Menopur for about 8 days. You will also be asked to take prednisone. What I did not like was the continued use of HGH up until the two-week wait and the staff who emailed me after I told her that it was a negative pregnancy test, asked me to continue with the HGH! Crazy. I told her that the HGH use was excessive and that I'm not sure the doctor was even aware of this. If he is, then I'm totally disappointed. I never talked of doing another treatment and even if I wanted to, shouldn't the doctor discuss the protocol first after the failed IVF, shouldn't there be a rest especially since there are risks involved with HGH use.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction.
The clinic is understaffed not only with doctors but also nurses. Hence, they are always in a hurry. One time, the nurse coordinator failed to add one of the medicines so it's important that patients countercheck and ask questions because in my opinion, the nurse was not thorough and did not countercheck the list of meds.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
It's a very small clinic. There is little wait time. After women go to the lab, they are brought to the ultrasound rooms and the doctors would go from one to the next. The problem with this is that you don't have the chance to talk and discuss with the doctor afterwards because he is on to the next patient. There is little privacy because of the clinic setup. In addition, although your doctor may be Dr. Barad, you will only see him on days he's there. Again, this is because they're understaffed. So he is there TTHS and the other doctor is there MWF. If your retrieval or transfer falls on a weekend, it will be another doctor.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
It's a very small clinic. There is little wait time. After women go to the lab, they are brought to the ultrasound rooms and the doctors would go from one to the next. The problem with this is that you don't have the chance to talk and discuss with the doctor afterwards because he is on to the next patient. There is little privacy because of the clinic setup. I talked to the nurse coordinator while standing in a printer room beside the hallway, where everyone could hear what we would talk about. In addition, although your doctor may be Dr. Barad, you will only see him on days he's there. Again, this is because they're understaffed. So he is there TTHS and the other doctor is there MWF. If your retrieval or transfer falls on a weekend, it will be another doctor.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
The Assisted Hatching was overpriced at $2K compared to $600+ in other clinics.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
It was fresh transfer, day 3 of all embryos that developed or total of 3.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
The nurse coordinator sent the prescription to the other pharmacy instead of the other and this is probably due to the fact they're understaffed.
Dr. Barad is patient in explaining things but I wonder if the protocols they provide are specifically catered to the individual because the list of meds have already been prepared even before I came in...Bear in mind mornings are very busy because that's when all monitoring happen and unfortunately, there's only one doctor...The assistant doctor does call in the afternoon but most likely, he's not the primary doctor you had consultation
For women with DOR or AMA, they are probably the only clinic that would perform fresh transfer with two or more embryos...The IVF fee is $20K including the overpriced assisted hatching ($2K compared to $600+ in other clinics) and ICSI...You may only see Dr. Barad twice because of the way they schedule their doctors MWF, TTH and the doctor that will perform your retrieval or transfer if it falls on a weekend is another doctor.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
I think Dr. Barad is patient in explaining things but I wonder if the protocols they provide are specifically catered to the individual because the list of meds have already been prepared even before I came in for my bloodwork on day 3.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Again, this feedback is about CHR and not one specific doctor there. I noticed that unlike in other IVF clinics, where patients get to sit down and talk with their doctor in the privacy of the doctor's clinic after an ultrasound, at CHR, patients when they come in for monitoring, undergo ultrasound but are not provided time or privacy to discuss and conduct consultation afterwards. The doctor for the day performs ultrasound on one patient right after another, as they move from one room to the next and there is no opportunity to talk. They are in a hurry to move to the next. Bear in mind mornings are very busy because that's when all monitoring happen and unfortunately, there's only one doctor. Afterwards, the doctors go to the surgery room and then they're off for the afternoon. You cannot even contact them on the phone. They won't connect you. You can only email the doctors, CC the nurse but unlike phone calls, you may or may not receive an email and it may not be in a timely manner. The assistant doctor does call in the afternoon but most likely, he's not the primary doctor you had consultation with (Dr. Gleicher or Dr. Barad). You may only see Dr. Barad twice because of the way they schedule their doctors MWF, TTH and the doctor that will perform your retrieval or transfer if it falls on a weekend is another doctor.
In addition, the nurses provide you a list of meds and I'm not sure the doctors even look at them. For instance, even after the two week wait, I was asked to continue to taking Human Growth Hormone and it was shocking because some clinics do not even prescribe this due to potential risks, and if they do, it's typically during priming (or before start of ovarian stimulation) and during stimulation, but in the case of CHR, they asked you to continue until after retrieval, transfer, two-week wait and shockingly, even after a failed IVF even if there is no talk of another treatment. Clearly even if the patient is interested in undergoing another treatment, the patient should first discuss medications and approach/protocol with the doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
This feedback is about CHR and not one specific doctor there. I noticed that unlike in other IVF clinics, where patients get to sit down and talk with their doctor in the privacy of the doctor's clinic after an ultrasound, at CHR, patients when they come in for monitoring, undergo ultrasound but are not provided time or privacy to discuss and conduct consultation afterwards. The doctor for the day performs ultrasound on one patient right after another, as they move from one room to the next and there is no opportunity to talk. They are in a hurry to move to the next. Bear in mind mornings are very busy because that's when all monitoring happen and unfortunately, there's only one doctor. Afterwards, the doctors go to the surgery room and then they're off for the afternoon. You cannot even contact them on the phone. They won't connect you. You can only email the doctors, CC the nurse but unlike phone calls, you may or may not receive an email and it may not be in a timely manner. The assistant doctor does call in the afternoon but most likely, he's not the primary doctor you had consultation with (Dr. Gleicher or Dr. Barad).
In addition, the nurses provide you a list of meds and I'm not sure the doctors even look at them. For instance, even after the two week wait, I was asked to continue to taking Human Growth Hormone and it was shocking because some clinics do not even prescribe this due to potential risks, and if they do, it's typically during priming (or before start of ovarian stimulation) and during stimulation, but in the case of CHR, they asked you to continue until after retrieval, transfer, two-week wait and shockingly, even after a failed IVF even if there is no talk of another treatment. Clearly even if the patient is interested in undergoing another treatment, the patient should first discuss medications and approach/protocol with the doctor.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
They are aggressive when it comes to prescribing meds. They were against the antagonist protocol but prescribed HGH, estrogen priming.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
It's a small clinic with three doctors. This feedback is about CHR and not one specific doctor there. I noticed that unlike in other IVF clinics, where patients get to sit down and talk with their doctor in the privacy of the doctor's clinic after an ultrasound, at CHR, patients when they come in for monitoring, undergo ultrasound but are not provided time or privacy to discuss and conduct consultation afterwards. The doctor for the day performs ultrasound on one patient right after another, as they move from one room to the next and there is no opportunity to talk. They are in a hurry to move to the next. Bear in mind mornings are very busy because that's when all monitoring happen and unfortunately, there's only one doctor. Afterwards, the doctors go to the surgery room and then they're off for the afternoon. You cannot even contact them on the phone. They won't connect you. You can only email the doctors, CC the nurse but unlike phone calls, you may or may not receive an email and it may not be in a timely manner. The assistant doctor does call in the afternoon but most likely, he's not the primary doctor you had consultation with (Dr. Gleicher or Dr. Barad).
In addition, the nurses provide you a list of meds and I'm not sure the doctors even look at them. For instance, even after the two week wait, I was asked to continue to taking Human Growth Hormone and it was shocking because some clinics do not even prescribe this due to potential risks, and if they do, it's typically during priming (or before start of ovarian stimulation) and during stimulation, but in the case of CHR, they asked you to continue until after retrieval, transfer, two-week wait and shockingly, even after a failed IVF even if there is no talk of another treatment. Clearly even if the patient is interested in undergoing another treatment, the patient should first discuss medications and approach/protocol with the doctor.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
There's privacy because it's a small clinic. When you come in in the morning, you're sent to the room for ultrasound or lab for bloodwork, as are the other patients, so you hardly end up waiting in a room. This is finished within an hour. There's no long line.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
The IVF fee is $20K including the overpriced assisted hatching ($2K compared to $600+ in other clinics) and ICSI.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
For women with DOR or AMA, they are probably the only clinic that would perform fresh transfer with two or more embryos. Most clinics would do PGS and only transfer blastocysts. So if your argument is that the mother's womb is the best place to grow an embryo as opposed to a lab, then this is one of the few clinics for you. The other being IRMS. Their rate for Assisted Hatching is overpriced. It's typically at $600+ and they charge $2K.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
I felt like a human because Dr Barad would always have tissues ready for me, he would hold my hand and make me feel like everything was going to be ok and he was the only one who had the genuine nature to help me cope with my poi, while not pressuring me, but guiding me with kindness to my decision of pursuing donor eggs.... I did the clinical trial with prp at chr in which follicles developed, but they were very small so I was put on injections of menopur.
Kindness, they [Center for Human Reproduction] make you feel heard, friendly, and patient. also intelligent, they seem to be the leading clinic with patients with rare cases such as mine- poi. And they are eager to find cures. They are always looking to try what could work in the safest and most thought out ways as possible.... Free clinical trial. $1000 lab fee/ about $500 anesthesia for prp... free monitoring, a first consultation fee but I had already met my out of pocket and deductible from prior clinics.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad gave me hope, he was kind throughout the whole process, always answered all of my questions and never made me feel rushed or pressured. I trust him with my life. He is not only the best doctor I’ve ever had, but a great person who I feel genuinely cares for my wellbeing. He is not judge mental and only wants the best. I felt as if he was almost a fatherly figure in his approach.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
See him in person, take things day by day.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
I felt like a human because Dr Barad would always have tissues ready for me, he would hold my hand and make me feel like everything was going to be ok and he was the only one who had the genuine nature to help me cope with my poi, while not pressuring me, but guiding me with kindness to my decision of pursuing donor eggs.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I first started advocating as I always had for children with my own eggs. I did the clinical trial with prp at chr in which follicles developed, but they were very small so I was put on injections of menopur. I also tried chlomid with the menopur and the follicles never grew to appropriate sizes. I can currently on estrace 2 mg with taking progesterone on day 19 to finish the 28 day cycles in my future. I am now exploring donor egg ivf with my husband and Dr Barad on my side.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Dorota)
Very kind, polish, could speak fluently with my polish husband which made for nice rapport
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Kindness, they make you feel heard, friendly, and patient. also intelligent, they seem to be the leading clinic with patients with rare cases such as mine- poi. And they are eager to find cures. They are always looking to try what could work in the safest and most thought out ways as possible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
Free clinical trial. $1000 lab fee/ about $500 anesthesia for prp... free monitoring, a first consultation fee but I had already met my out of pocket and deductible from prior clinics... close to $200 every round of DHEA and coq10 pills and menopur was never covered... $2,000 about weekly while in preparation for iui cycles that failed. I understand donor egg ivf to be about $25,000 inclusive.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
Dr Barad said single embryo transfers would be safest for me if I pursue donor egg ivf. I trust him. I am small with poi, my fsh is very high and my estrogen is negative 0.0000. I need the hrt to regulate my health and I trust that Dr Barad knows best with what will be safest for me in a pregnancy.
Every time we met with Dr. Gleicher, he took his time to review our records, ask up questions, answer our questions, and give us his opinion based on *our* situation. He made it clear that he knew who we are - even remembering information unrelated to fertility (e.g., our careers).... Also, based on my lab work, he had a suspicion that I have autoimmune activity. He also diagnosed me with Hypoandrogenic PCOS, a diagnosis never given to me before. He ordered a THOROUGH workup and his suspicions of autoimmunity were confirmed. He also gave us advice on supplements based on my lab work. For example, my previous clinic told me my testosterone levels were normal. Dr. Gleicher, however, looked at my SHBG levels and DHEA-S levels to identify that my levels of testosterone were too low FOR MY BODY,
I haven't been to the clinic [Center for Human Reproduction] yet, as I am not local and I haven't gotten to treatment yet. However, the front desk is extremely helpful and kind whenever I call or email them. They are quick to answer my questions, and have been able to give me appointments that fit my schedule. They even gave me an appointment 2 days later when I was panicking about some of my lab work.... We spent about $1000 between the second opinion program and three Skype consultations with Dr. Glecher. We received pricing information for IVF. A single cycle of IVF costs about $16,000 not including medication.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
After two failed IVF cycles elsewhere, we joined the second opinion program with Dr. Gleicher. He reviewed our records and sent us his opinion within a week. When we spoke with him, he was very warm and encouraging. He explained to us that he thought we were receiving "cookie cutter" treatment instead of treatment specific to my condition. Also, based on my lab work, he had a suspicion that I have autoimmune activity. He also diagnosed me with Hypoandrogenic PCOS, a diagnosis never given to me before. He ordered a THOROUGH workup and his suspicions of autoimmunity were confirmed. He also gave us advice on supplements based on my lab work. For example, my previous clinic told me my testosterone levels were normal. Dr. Gleicher, however, looked at my SHBG levels and DHEA-S levels to identify that my levels of testosterone were too low FOR MY BODY, and it was due to adrenal insufficiency (as evidenced by low DHEA-S). The one thing that I am nervous about is that he put me on daily baby aspirin for the rest of my life without re-testing for the presence of the antibodies that would require daily baby aspirin. When re-tested with another doctor, the antibodies were no longer present and, thus, I am not sure if I need daily baby aspirin after all. I will talk to Dr. Gleicher about this when I meet with him again. Overall, though, I believe Dr. Gleicher to be highly knowledgeable and an expert on diminished ovarian reserve. Based on the written second opinion, three Skype consultations, and thorough workup done with Dr. Gleicher, we are planning on pursuing IVF with him. We currently believe him to be our best shot at having a baby.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Every time we met with Dr. Gleicher, he took his time to review our records, ask up questions, answer our questions, and give us his opinion based on *our* situation. He made it clear that he knew who we are - even remembering information unrelated to fertility (e.g., our careers).
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
We haven't had a treatment cycle with him yet. However, when discussing future IVF with him, he told us that he would increase my dose of Follistim to 450 and my dose of Menopur to 150. He would not use an antagonist. He said an antagonist would suppress my ovaries and would interfere with the effects of DHEA. He also would not put me on birth control. Because of my low grade autoimmunity, he would add an extra layer of treatment that would likely include Prednisone and Lovenox.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Huina)
Huina was very quick to answer my emails. She was honest with me with her assessments. When I had questions for Dr. Gleicher, she made sure to get his answers for me.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
I haven't been to the clinic yet, as I am not local and I haven't gotten to treatment yet. However, the front desk is extremely helpful and kind whenever I call or email them. They are quick to answer my questions, and have been able to give me appointments that fit my schedule. They even gave me an appointment 2 days later when I was panicking about some of my lab work.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
We spent about $1000 between the second opinion program and three Skype consultations with Dr. Glecher. We received pricing information for IVF. A single cycle of IVF costs about $16,000 not including medication. They have a program for four IVF cycles that's about $41,000, but it costs extra for things like anesthesia, ICSI, and medications.
Describe Norbert Gleicher's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
We haven't gotten to this part of treatment with him yet. However, he told us that he would transfer 1-2 embryos if we don't want twins or 2-3 embryos if we are OK with twins.
I went to Dr. Gleicher and CHR after failed treatments and treatment refusals at 3 other centers. We didn't know why we couldn't get pregnant, other than the fact that I was in my 40s and my egg quality was suspect. He put us through a battery of tests before putting together a plan of attack. As it turned out, I had some immune problems on top of my DOR. He did emphasize the much better chance of success with donor eggs, but had a whole range of treatments the other doctors didn't mention at all, like DHEA (which I was on already after watching his videos), early egg retrieval and immune protocols, to increase the number of eggs I produce (and the quality), so we felt confident in giving them a try. I'm so glad I didn't give up--I was so close to giving up on my own eggs before finding Dr. Gleicher.
I had a great nurse [at Center for Human Reproduction]. She had clear instructions every step of the way. When she didn't have the answers for my questions, she was quick to get the answers from Dr. Gleicher or Dr. Barad. For all 3 cycles, she was on top of things and kept cheering me on...On busy days, I had to wait a while for monitoring, but mostly it was done efficiently...Around $15K for a cycle of IVF, plus $4-5K in medications. Initial testing round was around $5K.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I went to Dr. Gleicher and CHR after failed treatments and treatment refusals at 3 other centers. We didn't know why we couldn't get pregnant, other than the fact that I was in my 40s and my egg quality was suspect. He put us through a battery of tests before putting together a plan of attack. As it turned out, I had some immune problems on top of my DOR. He did emphasize the much better chance of success with donor eggs, but had a whole range of treatments the other doctors didn't mention at all, like DHEA (which I was on already after watching his videos), early egg retrieval and immune protocols, to increase the number of eggs I produce (and the quality), so we felt confident in giving them a try. I'm so glad I didn't give up--I was so close to giving up on my own eggs before finding Dr. Gleicher.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
None of my previous doctors dug deep enough to figure out what was wrong with us or how to pinpoint the protocols. Dr. Gleicher did that. Our prognosis wasn't good, but at least I felt like it was our prognosis, not some statistics that supposedly apply to everyone.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction.
I had a great nurse. She had clear instructions every step of the way. When she didn't have the answers for my questions, she was quick to get the answers from Dr. Gleicher or Dr. Barad. For all 3 cycles, she was on top of things and kept cheering me on.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Strength: They have the knowledge nobody has for finding ways to get 40+ women pregnant with their own eggs. That's what I went to CHR for, and that's what I got--I'm pregnant.
Weakness: Wait time can be long, both for morning monitoring and consultations.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
On busy days, I had to wait a while for monitoring, but mostly it was done efficiently.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
Around $15K for a cycle of IVF, plus $4-5K in medications. Initial testing round was around $5K.
Describe Norbert Gleicher's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
Dr. Gleicher and CHR don't push eSET. I ended up with single embryo transfers, but that was because I only had one embryo each time, but Dr. Gleicher said he would not hesitate to transfer 2-3, based on my age.
Dr. Gleicher is blunt and number-driven. When he reviewed our test results with us, he was very clear that the odds are against us. However, he was also very understanding of our desire to try with our own eggs, and assured us that he and the staff will do everything they can to give us the best shot at our dream as we'd ever get. ... he also had concrete modifications to the protocol for the next cycle with my own eggs.
It's a small clinic [Center for Human Reproduction] in a chic area of Manhattan (Upper East Side), and it's literally full of artwork. (You should check out their stairwell.) ... Doctors and embryologists truly pick your unsuccessful cycles apart and pay attention to every little detail to do better in the next round. ... In terms of treatments, you get the sense that they aren't lying when they say their treatments are research-driven.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Gleicher is blunt but he definitely knows what he is doing. He doesn't stop at the superficial assessment and autopilot treatment protocol and really tries to get to the bottom of our problems so we can address them proactively and individually. For example, he found out something that our previous two doctors didn't even test for (I apparently have a low-level inflammatory/immunological issue that might be affecting my ovaries), and added a couple of medications to address it. We don't know if it'll make the difference we want just yet, but we are hopeful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Don't be put off by his bluntness. Be prepared to wait a bit for your appointment sometimes.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Gleicher is blunt and number-driven. When he reviewed our test results with us, he was very clear that the odds are against us. However, he was also very understanding of our desire to try with our own eggs, and assured us that he and the staff will do everything they can to give us the best shot at our dream as we'd ever get. After the first cycle didn't result in any transferrable embryo, he reiterated that donor eggs would give us a much better chance, but he also had concrete modifications to the protocol for the next cycle with my own eggs. They were based on what we learned from the first failed cycle, and he explained his rationale in detail. I felt like we were a part of a team rather than someone being "treated" passively.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
First cycle: DHEA, CoQ10, stimulation with FSH and hMG, RAFS. I had the hCG shot at 18 mm lead follicle. Two eggs retrieved but we didn't have any embryos to transfer.
Second cycle: Same medications, hCG was at 16 mm. We had 3 eggs, 1 embryo to transfer. Dr. Gleicher said the earlier retrieval was because my eggs were overly mature in the first cycle when they were retrieved. We were thrilled to have more eggs and an embryo transfer, but I didn't get pregnant.
Third cycle: Same medications but with more FSH, hCG was at 16 mm. 5 eggs, 2 embryos to transfer. I'm currently pregnant!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction.
I had a coordinator change in the middle of my treatment, but both of them were amazing. They were both compassionate, gave us clear instructions and one of them even hunted down a medication that the pharmacy failed to include in the shipment. I wish we had direct access to Dr. Gleicher sometimes, but our nurses were quick to get us answers from him whenever we had questions.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
It's a small clinic in a chic area of Manhattan (Upper East Side), and it's literally full of artwork. (You should check out their stairwell.) This was a nice change of pace from the larger center we went to initially--calm and private-feeling. In terms of treatments, you get the sense that they aren't lying when they say their treatments are research-driven. Doctors and embryologists truly pick your unsuccessful cycles apart and pay attention to every little detail to do better in the next round. I feel like that's how we managed to finally get pregnant in our third cycle.
I underwent four IUIs and one IVF with Dr. Kushnir. ... Dr. Kushnir was always very nice and happy to explain things, answer any question. What I appreciated the most is that he always answered my emails very quickly. ... Dr. Kushnir did say that I may need to undergo multiple IVFs to increase my chances of achieving a positive result, and this was financially very difficult.
The clinic [Center for Human Reproduction] is very research oriented, which could be great but may not be everyone's cup of tea. They've had excellent published results with patients with low ovarian reserve, which is why I went to them, however, I guess I felt that they needed to collect more data about my case through multiple IVFs (which I completely understand) and I just couldn't cope financially at one point.
How was your experience with Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
The experience was good, no complaints. I just felt at some point that research may have been super or even more important than individual cases but this could be just a hunch from someone struggling with diminished ovarian reserve...
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
You'll get a lot of data, information on the latest research and a logical explanation to every treatment step.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Kushnir was always very nice and happy to explain things, answer any question. What I appreciated the most is that he always answered my emails very quickly.
Describe the protocols Vitaly Kushnir used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I underwent four IUIs and one IVF with Dr. Kushnir. The IUIs were with injectable medication and the IVF a conventional, also with injectables. Nothing out of the ordinary. Dr. Kushnir did say that I may need to undergo multiple IVFs to increase my chances of achieving a positive result, and this was financially very difficult. The clinic's costs also increased over the years.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Maria)
All were excellent.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
The clinic is very research oriented, which could be great but may not be everyone's cup of tea. They've had excellent published results with patients with low ovarian reserve, which is why I went to them, however, I guess I felt that they needed to collect more data about my case through multiple IVFs (which I completely understand) and I just couldn't cope financially at one point.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
Monitoring was only available in the early morning hours. Sometimes it was crowded, sometimes it wasn't. The clinic is not huge neither is the waiting room, but it rarely happened that there was an extended wait. I would usually be in and out within 1hr. It was not great for my schedule but totally doable.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction.
The IUI injectables were covered by my insurance initially but nobody had explained that this would be deducted from a lifetime limited amount. By the time I graduated to IVF, there was no insurance coverage for the medications and I had to pay out of pocket. That was a completely unexpected expense. The IVF itself was covered, also from a limited lifetime amount, but after the first IVF I decided to leave the clinic because of the funding issues and also because I felt my concerns about possible endometriosis were not being taken seriously.
Describe Vitaly Kushnir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
We never got a transfer but the suggestion was a fresh 3-day multiple embryo transfer.
Dr. Gleicher was professionally appropriate for the Skype session however not open about any additional fees or charges after that appointment. He had appropriate questions for us at the time and obviously was well-spoken about fertility in older women. ... My issues are with the business practices and customer service afterwards. ... We only had 1 Skype meeting as the start of an out-of-state consultation in which he was appropriately warm and professional
Truth in advertising is the issue I had with this clinic. They document on their website is $450 for an initial consultation for fertility recommendations however after our Skype meeting the only way they would allow me to get their recommendations for us (even if it is just the report), was to pay an additional $225. ... I gave at least 3-4 weeks of time before reaching out again, but to no avail, until I filed a BBB compliant about not getting our final recommendation/results.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Gleicher was professionally appropriate for the Skype session however not open about any additional fees or charges after that appointment. He had appropriate questions for us at the time and obviously was well-spoken about fertility in older women.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Ask a lot of questions
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
We only had 1 Skype meeting as the start of an out-of-state consultation in which he was appropriately warm and professional. My issues are with the business practices and customer service afterwards.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
After my Skype consultation and blood work and testing in 9/2018, I still have yet to receive any recommendations or treatment strategies to date (1/2019).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Lorenis Espinosa)
My initial interactions via their web-based communication portal, were great, quick, and efficient. However after a while, she just disappeared and I was unable to get in touch with her via phone or the email portal. Knowing that the Fall season is full of holidays, I gave at least 3-4 weeks of time before reaching out again, but to no avail, until I filed a BBB compliant about not getting our final recommendation/results.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Strengths are their initial set-up of appointments and email communication. Weakness lie within customer service for out of state clients and truth in advertising regarding fees for initial (video) consultations. They want to charge us additional fees to get fertility recommendations, which is what we already paid for ($450).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
Only a initial consultation: $450 as listed on the website
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to call with results
Lost results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
Truth in advertising is the issue I had with this clinic. They document on their website is $450 for an initial consultation for fertility recommendations however after our Skype meeting the only way they would allow me to get their recommendations for us (even if it is just the report), was to pay an additional $225. This clearly unethical.
Dr. Kushnir knows his patients and knows his cases. He knows you when he sees you and knows where you are in your care. I give him a lot of credit for that. ... We always transferred multiple because of my age. ... He is always available to answer questions and is very responsive. He is very patient and you can tell he hopes the best for his patients. He may not be the most warm and compassionate doctor I’ve ever known but I exchanged that happily for someone I trusted and someone I knew was doing his all.
The billing department is on top of things. ... There were different prices for different salary levels which I really appreciated. What I DID NOT APPRECIATE was that I learned CHR charges something called “medical management” which is not a real thing. You can’t submit that to your insurance ... Everything that went wrong for me was in the hands of my nurse coordinator. ... It’s a small shop so people get to know you which I really liked. ... Monitoring hours, however, would depend on which doctor was on call which could make things difficult in terms of getting to work on time because one particular doctor would start a little on the late side.
How was your experience with Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Kushnir is very knowledge and very willing to share that knowledge. He is always available to answer questions and is very responsive. He is very patient and you can tell he hopes the best for his patients. He may not be the most warm and compassionate doctor I’ve ever known but I exchanged that happily for someone I trusted and someone I knew was doing his all.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
Ask all your questions. He’s a wealth of information.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Kushnir knows his patients and knows his cases. He knows you when he sees you and knows where you are in your care. I give him a lot of credit for that.
Describe the protocols Vitaly Kushnir used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I was 46 when I went to see Dr. Kushnir. There was truly almost no chance of me getting pregnant so the specifics of my treatment are not that important. We did max dose with early retrievals as it is believed at this clinic that eggs mature better in the lab than in the body of an older woman.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Maria)
Terrible experience. Not helpful. Would only answer the exact question you ask without offering any additional information. I could not depend on that at all. I missed cycles because she didn’t call in meds or get pre-authorizations in time. She caused me a lot of stress.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
I recommend the doctors but you have to be careful about which nurse you get. Other patients told me they received tons of information from their nurse coordinator where I had received none. I was never quite sure what was going on or what to expect next. The billing department is on top of things. Very thorough. It’s a small shop so people get to know you which I really liked.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
It was very efficient and given it was a small clinic, it was only ever a handful of people. Monitoring hours, however, would depend on which doctor was on call which could make things difficult in terms of getting to work on time because one particular doctor would start a little on the late side.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction.
An IUI was $1650. the IVF was roughly $15000. There were different prices for different salary levels which I really appreciated. What I DID NOT APPRECIATE was that I learned CHR charges something called “medical management” which is not a real thing. You can’t submit that to your insurance so you pay it out of pocket. Each IUI had $900 worth of “medical management”!! Although I didnt want to leave, I switched to NYU who charged only $500 per IUI without any suspect “medical management” costs. The “medical management” cost for donor egg is almost $5,000!!
Describe Vitaly Kushnir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
We always transferred multiple because of my age.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
Everything that went wrong for me was in the hands of my nurse coordinator. I am sure it would have been a different story if I had someone else.
Dr Barad takes a long time to talk to you and explain everything to you. When asked for statistics or chances, he would often say things like [My Name] is a unique person that should not be compared to other people. He never made decisions for me, but rather educated me to make my own decisions...I would highly recommend Dr Barad to anyone who has DOR or is of advanced maternal age.
Usually limited wait time [monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction]. If you go early then you will wait because doctor does not come in until 8:30...I have 100% fertilization rate with this clinic. He [Dr. Barad] does not believe in using antagonists (Ganerlix or Cetrotide) as he believes it causes damage to egg quality. He does an immune protocol for transfer. Firmly believes in fresh 3 day transfers and is opposed to PGS testing
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr Barad is a highly knowledgeable and compassionate doctor. He may at times focus to little on research that contradicts his own, however he is open to trying new things. I would highly recommend Dr Barad to anyone who has DOR or is of advanced maternal age.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Trust him and expect to be there a long time during consults because he talks slow and explains everything. He also may give you a hug or rub your hand of something to comfort you. Some people may be taken aback by this at first but it is purely out of human comfort.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr Barad takes a long time to talk to you and explain everything to you. When asked for statistics or chances, he would often say things like [My Name] is a unique person that should not be compared to other people. He never made decisions for me, but rather educated me to make my own decisions.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
Dr. Barad believes in high dose stims and to retrieve eggs early, depending on when estrogen plateaus even if the follicle are small. The eggs are matured in the lab. I have 100% fertilization rate with this clinic. He does not believe in using antagonists (Ganerlix or Cetrotide) as he believes it causes damage to egg quality. He does an immune protocol for transfer. Firmly believes in fresh 3 day transfers and is opposed to PGS testing
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Maria Vergel)
Very direct and to the point. They do not share information with you unless you ask
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
The strength of the clinic is its philosophy in an individualized approach as well as it being "boutique" style with limited crowding and waiting time. They are also very flexible with appointments including monitoring.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
Usually limited wait time. If you go early then you will wait because doctor does not come in until 8:30
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
Very expensive OOP. About 18K per cycle. They take 2 insurances (aetna and oxford)
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
He will do what makes sense and take into account what the patient wants. If you are older or have a history of failed transfers he will transfer 3+
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
One time they did not call me with test results and I had to inquire about it numerous times. Sometimes they send my meds to the wrong pharmacy
He [Dr. Gleicher] spent an inordinate amount of time with me on my first consult, never ever made me feel rushed through the process and continues to be a source of information and support when I need it. He also did everything he could to help me get things covered by insurance even though I am self-pay for IVF...I do not necessarily agree with Dr. Gleicher's IVF protocol for egg retrieval and transfers (i.e. day three fresh transfers, no PGS etc.)
Cannot speak to anything other than the front desk and the blood-draw nurses [at Center for Human Reproduction]. Both were great and its a very intimate environment, not 20 people in the waiting room. Maybe a handful of people waiting at most...Because I have auto-immune indicators he [Dr. Gleicher] prescribed an immune protocol for my transfer cycles: IVIG Prednisone Plaquenil Lots of Supplements (DHEA and Conflam forte most importantly) Lovenox
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I do not necessarily agree with Dr. Gleicher's IVF protocol for egg retrieval and transfers (i.e. day three fresh transfers, no PGS etc.), which is why I stuck with NYU and I also prefer their lab. But I do find that Dr. Gleicher treats the WHOLE patient, he looks not only at your AMH and hormone levels but does a a deep dive into your partner's full health picture as well. He is extremely knowledgable in the autoimmune infertility areas and is one of the few doctors in NYC who supports IVIG when necessary. In addition to his willingness to work with NYU and oversee my case from an auto-immune standpoint, I found him extremely knowledgeable and supportive all around.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Ask all your questions! Don't be shy, don't be scared to call a million times-- he is super patient and will explain everything.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I was always able to reach Dr. Gleicher for a phone call same day when necessary. Even though I was not doing my retrievals or transfers with his office he was willing to work with my other doctor at NYU (despite their opposing ideologies) and agreed to treat my autoimmune issues separately from the actual IVF treatments I was undergoing at NYU. He spent an inordinate amount of time with me on my first consult, never ever made me feel rushed through the process and continues to be a source of information and support when I need it. He also did everything he could to help me get things covered by insurance even though I am self-pay for IVF.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
Because I have auto-immune indicators he prescribed an immune protocol for my transfer cycles:
IVIG
Prednisone
Plaquenil
Lots of Supplements (DHEA and Conflam forte most importantly)
Lovenox
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Lorenis)
Lorenis was amazing, she is always available by phone or email and can get you on the phone with Dr. Gleicher right away or ask your question for you and get an immediate response. She is super sweet and compassionate.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Cannot speak to anything other than the front desk and the blood-draw nurses. Both were great and its a very intimate environment, not 20 people in the waiting room. Maybe a handful of people waiting at most.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
He [Dr. Gleicher] is very fact- and research-driven. ... In our first conversation, I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of clinical information he gave me. ... In 2018, I was obviously much older, so we used a more aggressive protocol with heavier dose of medications. I was also monitored more frequently--every day toward the end--and had my eggs retrieved earlier than I had before. ...
During the testing phase, there were some confusion about what tests can be waived (we were trying to be judicious about our funds) and what tests the doctors really wanted. There might have been some other instances where we were confused, but in the end our coordinator [CHR] was able to clarify everything for us. ... I had the same coordinator for both of my stints there, even though they were 4 years apart. I enjoyed working with her
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I had a girl via IVF in 2015 with Dr. Gleicher and CHR's help, and went back to him again in 2018 for baby #2, which ended up being another girl. Our 2014 treatments started with a consultation with Dr. Gleicher. Though I didn't see Dr. Gleicher a lot during my actual cycles at CHR (I saw Dr. Barad and Dr. Kushnir much more often for monitoring and procedures), I had the distinct sense that Dr. Gleicher was the one orchestrating the treatment, modifying the approach as we got more informed about how my body responds to medications. Most of my consultations were with Dr. Gleicher, and I liked his fact-driven approach. It meshed well with my own penchant for getting all the information and making our own decisions, rather than having someone else tell us what to do. It took us a few cycles to get pregnant with our #1, and I truly believe that his (and CHR's) philosophy of treating each cycle as a learning experience is what got us there. In 2018, I was obviously much older, so we used a more aggressive protocol with heavier dose of medications. I was also monitored more frequently--every day toward the end--and had my eggs retrieved earlier than I had before. To be honest, I wasn't enthused about having to go through IVF again for #2, but going back to CHR after 4 years was like a reunion of sorts. Most of the nurses and physicians who treated us were still there, and they seemed genuinely delighted to see me again and see how our first child has been thriving. That human side made it much more bearable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
If you are unfamiliar with IVF or infertility, you might initially feel overwhelmed. You might not be able to clarify everything in your first visit, but don't give up. I did my homework for my follow-up visit and wrote down everything I wanted to clarify, and that helped us understand where we were and what our options were.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
He is very fact- and research-driven. In our first conversation, I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of clinical information he gave me. It didn't help that a lot of that information was related to how potentially complicated my condition might be and how poor my prognosis might be. However, as I'm someone who likes to get all the facts to make decisions, once I digested it all, I felt more at ease with Dr. Gleicher's style. In the end, I really liked that he gave me all the information I needed, negative or positive, and let me (and my partner) make our own decision about our treatment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction.
I had the same coordinator for both of my stints there, even though they were 4 years apart. I enjoyed working with her--she was always quick to respond to my questions, was very clear about our next steps, and did her best to accommodate our slightly hectic schedule due to my husband's work travel.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
CHR is a research- and data-driven center. As someone who's had a couple of cycles not work out, I witnessed how Dr. Gleicher and his team treat each setback as a learning opportunity to do better in the next try. There was no "let's try this again and hope that we'll be lucky" type of approach. They tweaked the approach for every cycle, based on what we learned from the previous cycles. While our odds weren't great and it took us quite a few tries to finally get pregnant, we both felt like we were going somewhere rather than running in circles.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
During the testing phase, there were some confusion about what tests can be waived (we were trying to be judicious about our funds) and what tests the doctors really wanted. There might have been some other instances where we were confused, but in the end our coordinator was able to clarify everything for us.
Dr. Barad was confident that, despite my pretty extreme Diminished Ovarian Reserve (worst FSH was 25.5 and worst AMH was 0.5) that I could get pregnant because of my relatively young age (30 at the time of egg retrieval). ... I'm about to start trying for baby #2, and they've changed their protocols a bit. ... I was on 8 weeks of DHEA & CoQ10 supplementation ... They [Center for Human Reproduction] wouldn't have let me transfer more than 2 (if I had more than that) and I wouldn't have wanted to.
They [Center for Human Reproduction] are efficient and focused on results more than on making you have a cozy experience. And that's just fine with me. ... She [nurse] was fine. I'm a long distance patient and I always had to wait until the very end of the day to get my instructions, so that was a bit stressful. ... I don't remember exactly, but I think with the cost of drugs (~$5,000) our cycle ran us $20,000. We did ICSI but not assisted hatching.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad was confident that, despite my pretty extreme Diminished Ovarian Reserve (worst FSH was 25.5 and worst AMH was 0.5) that I could get pregnant because of my relatively young age (30 at the time of egg retrieval). And even though only two mature eggs were collected, both fertilized and I had a day 3 transfer of both embryos and had a healthy singleton pregnancy. Basically, CHR is best in class when it comes to treating patients with DOR. It's their bread and butter. They have their way of doing things (DHEA and CoQ10 supplementation, early retrieval, day 2/3 transfers, no PGS testing, high stims, etc.) but it's because it works well. They are obsessed with achieving pregnancy in difficult populations (DOR, advanced material age). I appreciated their obsessiveness. It meant they were doing every evidence-based thing they could do get me pregnant. And they did, and it worked. This was after our first clinic cancelled our first round of IVF for poor response and told me to use donor eggs. Young women with DOR--please don't believe doctors when they say this. Age is still the #1 predictor of pregnancy changes. Many clinics just don't have the expertise to treat DOR patients. Find a clinic like CHR that does.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Write down all of your questions in advance of your consultation(s). Don't be afraid to ask anything at all. There are no stupid questions. Ask questions, but trust the process. He knows what he's doing.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad is very warm and reassuring. He is empathetic with his patients, who he knows are in a stressful situation.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I was on 8 weeks of DHEA & CoQ10 supplementation. Then estrogen patches for about a week, then baseline ultrasound and the start of a microdose lupron flare protocol with high stims. Lupron 2x per day to suppress ovulation, then Menopor (150) and Gonal F (300 I think) each day. I stimmed for 12 days then egg retrieval and day 3 transfer. After retrieval I started antibiotics for a few days, Lovenox, and prednisone. Also baby aspirin. I'm about to start trying for baby #2, and they've changed their protocols a bit. They are now moving to earlier egg retrieval, so you don't need to do the antagonist (Lupron in my case).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Maria Vergel)
She was fine. I'm a long distance patient and I always had to wait until the very end of the day to get my instructions, so that was a bit stressful.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
They are efficient and focused on results more than on making you have a cozy experience. And that's just fine with me. My first clinic was trying to be some kind of relaxing spa oasis, but they didn't get my pregnancy. I'll take efficient and effective over ineffective spa vibe every time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
I don't remember exactly, but I think with the cost of drugs (~$5,000) our cycle ran us $20,000. We did ICSI but not assisted hatching. We also had to travel to NYC and stay in a hotel so that was an extra cost.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
They want you to get pregnant but they don't want you to have triplets. In my case, at age 30, I transferred 2 day 3 embryos, which was reasonable. I had a singleton pregnancy. They wouldn't have let me transfer more than 2 (if I had more than that) and I wouldn't have wanted to. If you are older or have multiple failed transfers, they will let you transfer more.
Dr. Gleicher spent a good amount of time with us during each consultation...He seems compassionate. He is very knowledgeable. He has a scientist type of demeanor and actually doesn’t do retrievals or transfers. He never saw me for a monitoring appointment. But I felt like My treatment was based on his recommendations at all times...He seems to have ideas that are different than most other IVF doctors. He is able to justify his rationale for doing things the way he does.
Because its a small clinic [Ctr for Human Reproduction] it feels more intimate than most places. The front desk is open and so there’s little privacy when discussing procedures and billing. There is very little wait time during monitoring appointments...There was very little wait time. Labs were performed efficiently. On rare occasion it seemed understaffed and so there could be a wait slightly longer than usual.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
He seems to have ideas that are different than most other IVF doctors. He is able to justify his rationale for doing things the way he does. He is a good communicator. He is very thorough in his explanations and approaches. He gave us hope with a different approach.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
He seems compassionate. He is very knowledgeable. He has a scientist type of demeanor and actually doesn’t do retrievals or transfers. He never saw me for a monitoring appointment. But I felt like My treatment was based on his recommendations at all times.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Gleicher spent a good amount of time with us during each consultation. The office is small and there only a few doctors and nurses so you get to know most of the people at the office.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I was given DHEA prior to treatment. During my stimulation cycle, I was treated with 150 menopur and 450 of gonal f. I was given doxycycline, prednisone, baby aspirin and lovenox. I triggered with HCG. After transfer I was given intravaginal estrogen and progesterone as well as progesterone in oil.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Maria)
Maria answered all my emails. She was there the day of my retrieval as well as the day of my transfer.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Because its a small clinic it feels more intimate than most places. The front desk is open and so there’s little privacy when discussing procedures and billing. There is very little wait time during monitoring appointments.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
There was very little wait time. Labs were performed efficiently. On rare occasion it seemed understaffed and so there could be a wait slightly longer than usual.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
It was about 15K for monitoring, retrieval and fresh transfer.
Describe Norbert Gleicher's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
My husband and I decided on the day of the transfer along with the doctor (not Dr. Gleicher) to transfer all our 3 day fresh embryos. 3 out of the 6 were high grade.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
Just one instance where the nurse gave me instructions to start a medication and did not recall the doctor mentioning this during our consultation. I asked the nurse by email to clarify with the doctor and she said it was in the chart. I insisted on speaking to the doctor because I took ample notes and he never mentioned I’d be starting this medication. He spoke to me on the phone and verified that I should start the medication and didn’t realize he didn’t mention it to me during our consultation.
Dr. Barad is wonderful. He is a little old fashioned, in that he only does fresh transfers, which is the only reason why we went to another clinic. He treats you like a person, not just a number. He always took the time with both me and my husband to answer any questions. The only bad thing is that he tells you to email him and then doesn't return those emails. Other than that, he's great.
The nursing staff [at CHR] is great. They are well organized, and you have a nurse that only deals with you. That cuts down on a lot of explanation time. The phlebotomist is also fantastic. I have very difficult veins (they're really deep), and most phlebotomists can't find them, stick me several times or move the needle - she got it every single time.... It's in a renovated brownstone, small and a little claustrophobic. They're all very compassionate and caring, everyone (except for Dr. Kushnir, who seems miserable all of the time). They get back to you in a reasonable amount of time, the nurses usually email you back in a reasonable amount of time, and everyone knows what's going on.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad is wonderful. He is a little old fashioned, in that he only does fresh transfers, which is the only reason why we went to another clinic. He treats you like a person, not just a number. He always took the time with both me and my husband to answer any questions. The only bad thing is that he tells you to email him and then doesn't return those emails. Other than that, he's great.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad always remembered details about me & my husband, and was very kind to both of us. After my egg retrievals, we would go into the lobby, find my husband and give him an update. I had one dedicated nurse, who was familiar with me and I only communicated with her.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
Protocol used for all cycles was the same:
75mg DHEA
1000 mg CoQ10
Synthroid
Plaquinal
450 IU Gonal F
150 IU Menopur
Estrogen Patches
I think they do basically the same protocol for everyone.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Dorota)
The nursing staff is great. They are well organized, and you have a nurse that only deals with you. That cuts down on a lot of explanation time. The phlebotomist is also fantastic. I have very difficult veins (they're really deep), and most phlebotomists can't find them, stick me several times or move the needle - she got it every single time.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
It's in a renovated brownstone, small and a little claustrophobic. They're all very compassionate and caring, everyone (except for Dr. Kushnir, who seems miserable all of the time). They get back to you in a reasonable amount of time, the nurses usually email you back in a reasonable amount of time, and everyone knows what's going on.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
You went up the waiting room, and there never seemed to be more than 4 people waiting. There was only once that there was more, and I had to awkwardly stand in the hall. It's a small, narrow building.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
Every cycle was roughly $15,000 including medication.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
It is important to note that Dr Gleicher does not perform any procedures. So while you have appointments with him to discuss protocol prior to starting a cycle and you meet with him in case of negative outcome, only Dr Barad and Kushnir do the ultrasounds/retrievals/transfers etc.... So this already adds a challenge, as I sometimes had the impression that the communication between doctors was not up to par, and therefore I ended up falling through the cracks.
It is good clinic [Ctr for Human Reproduction] that does quite a bit of research so you know that they will consider "difficult" cases. They also do clinical trials and take out of State Patients....Dorota is very kind and warm. You truly feel that she knows you well and is with you in this. The only challenge they have a small team of very busy nurses who are the only point of contact between you and the doctor.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
I was grateful to Dr Gleicher and CHR for taking my case, as another clinic had rejected me after my DOR diagnostic. I gave me hope that someone was willing to take on a difficult case (so that is very positive and I am very thankful for that).
It is important to note that Dr Gleicher does not perform any procedures. So while you have appointments with him to discuss protocol prior to starting a cycle and you meet with him in case of negative outcome, only Dr Barad and Kushnir do the ultrasounds/retrievals/transfers etc. So this already adds a challenge, as I sometimes had the impression that the communication between doctors was not up to par, and therefore I ended up falling through the cracks. Also, the communication after the first appointment is exclusively done through the coordinating nurse. So whatever question you may have about ANY thing goes through the nurse, except if you keep your list of questions for when you do the monitoring and then you get to ask Dr K or Dr B in person (but even that is not necessary great as I just feel more reassured knowing that there is ONE doctor who has the complete overview of my case).
My first cycle went well (all the way to transfer but had a BFN) as I felt that, as a new patient, the Doctors were paying attention to each step of the cycle and were closely monitoring me. That feeling started to fade at the second cycle, where the decision to trigger was taken by the Dr on call for the weekend (and I think without consultation with Dr Gleicher) and ended up being too soon and with absolutely no egg retrieved. I was pretty distressed at that point but still felt new to this whole IVF thing and did not learn to advocate for myself yet.
For the third cycle, Dr Gleicher proposed to put me under a new protocol. This gave me renewed hope. However, when I started the new cycle, I ended up ovulating spontaneously very quickly despite being on Lupron. The feedback I got was that maybe I had not taken the meds properly (I knew I had respected the protocol but was very willing to blame myself for this failure...). During the follow up appointment I was even more lost as it was clear that Dr Gleicher had not read my file and was just discovering some of my hormone levels as we were talking... He suggested doing another cycle back to back with the exact same protocol, which I did, paying even more religious attention to the time of my injections! We started the fourth cycle, and after about a week, I got the news that I had ovulated - again!! This time I was absolutely sure I had taken the meds perfectly. I was so distressed that I asked if there was any chance we could retrieve anything. The nurse told me that if I wanted I could convert this to an IUI (if I want it??). Which I did (only to discover during a second opinion appointment with another Dr that my hormone levels clearly showed that I had ovulated at least a couple of days before and therefore the IUI was just pointless). Overall, I have the impression that the level of attention paid to my case decreased tremendously after the first cycle, and I just became a number.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Of you are keen on trying CHR, I would recommend going with Dr Kushnir instead of Dr Gleicher. He is the one doing the monitoring during the week (and on rotation every other weekend) so at least there would more consistency and less risk of info falling through the cracks. They have weekly staff meetings so the 3 Dr talk and if there is a need to consult Dr Gleicher Dr K would surely do it.
If you already are with Dr Gleicher, I would just recommend that you warn the nurse that you will have loads of questions when you meet Dr Gleicher at the beginning/end of your cycle so that he will be more prepared. For the follow up of my 4th cycle, I had told her that I was expecting a full review of my 4 cycles during that discussion and that led to a more substantive discussion...
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
While the relation with the coordinating nurse was good (although far from perfect), I have had meetings with Dr Gleicher where it was absolutely OBVIOUS that he had not even read my file prior to the meeting and he was just making comments on the spot (flipping the pages on my file while talking, making mistakes on test results, not remembering the outcome of previous cycles...). This really gave me the impression that he was not paying attention to each case. This was particularly shocking when I met him for a follow up appointment after a failed cycle where I was really hoping to use that time with him to have a substantive talk about what happened and what the next steps would be.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
- priming with estradial patches or pills
- lurpon
- follistim 450/day
- two vials of menopur/day
- estrace 3x/day orally and vaginally to support lining growth (I was on vaginal viagra for one cycle but the combo of that and loads of estrace led to my lining crashing before the retrieval)
- prednisone and baby aspirin (he said that some of my test indicated a hint of auto-immune problem)
- lovenox and PIO after transfer
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Dorota)
Dorota is very kind and warm. You truly feel that she knows you well and is with you in this.
The only challenge they have a small team of very busy nurses who are the only point of contact between you and the doctor. Therefore when I sent her questions by email 1) I sometimes did not get an answer or very late, 2) sometime I would get ye/no answers without much explanation, 3) I was not always sure that the questions were communicated to the Dr.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
It is good clinic that does quite a bit of research so you know that they will consider "difficult" cases. They also do clinical trials and take out of State Patients.
The main challenge is that it is a small team with one Dr that does not perform any medical action (so only two Dr on that front) and a small team of coordinating nurses. I think my feeling of them dropping the ball and treating me as a number might be due to the fact that they have more patients that what they can really handle. So you need to advocate for yourself all the time and be on top of everything (which ends up being a bit exhausting during a process that is already not very easy...).
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
It was a relatively well oiled machine that was convenient for my schedule.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
First cycle was out of pocket and cost about 13K (without meds) and another 10K of med from their recommended pharmacy (as I was on very high doses of stimulation for about two weeks and I did not know I would shop around...). After that I changed insurance and the cycle and some of the meds were covered.
Describe Norbert Gleicher's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
in my case I only had two embryos and he indicated that for my age bracket it was better to transfer both to increase my chances.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
When they offered to convert my IVF into an IUI because I asked them if there was anything they could do after I had ovulated, it really felt that they were throwing a bone at me to keep me happy but it was not a well thought through decision at all. I discovered later that my hormones clearly showed that it was way too late for an IUI.
I went to Dr. Kushnir after another doctor recommended egg donation and wouldn't let me try with my own eggs. Dr. Kushnir explained that the odds of getting pregnant with my own eggs were low given my low AMH, but told us that he was willing to help us if we wanted to go that route. We had 2 IVF cycles, back to back, and I got pregnant in the second cycle.... We had an early retrieval in the first cycle, but he went even earlier in the second, when the lead follicle was 16 mm. With this adjustment, we got more eggs and better-quality embryos than in the first cycle, one of which resulted in a pregnancy
Strengths: They [Center for Human Reproduction] really seem to believe that patients should be the one to make their own life decisions with full information, which we appreciated. Lots of research going on at the center, which seems to result in strategies that don't exist at other IVF centers, like the early retrieval protocol we used.... Weaknesses: They take very few insurances. Ours (BCBS) wasn't in network. They also require full payment upfront. Sometimes I had to play phone tag with their staff (nurses and front desk), though most things could be handled through email.
How was your experience with Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
I went to Dr. Kushnir after another doctor recommended egg donation and wouldn't let me try with my own eggs. Dr. Kushnir explained that the odds of getting pregnant with my own eggs were low given my low AMH, but told us that he was willing to help us if we wanted to go that route. We had 2 IVF cycles, back to back, and I got pregnant in the second cycle. He said during the follow-up conversation we had after the first one didn't result in a pregnancy that our case was reviewed by everyone at the center, and he adjusted the protocol and timing based on the discussion. We had an early retrieval in the first cycle, but he went even earlier in the second, when the lead follicle was 16 mm. With this adjustment, we got more eggs and better-quality embryos than in the first cycle, one of which resulted in a pregnancy. Throughout all this, Dr. Kushnir explained everything in detail, and we appreciated that he shared the reasoning behind the approaches he was recommending, instead of just telling us what to do.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Kushnir spent nearly an hour for our consultation, while other doctors almost immediately dismissed us as too old to even try with our own eggs. After taking detailed history on us and reviewing test results, he laid out what we would be up against, told us that we'd be far more likely to succeed with donor eggs (which we knew), but was willing to do what he can to help us have our own biological child. He also responded to our innumerable questions via email during my treatment cycle.
Describe the protocols Vitaly Kushnir used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I already wrote about this in response to an earlier question, but here's what we had: DHEA and CoQ10 for about 2 months (to prepare my ovaries). During that time, they were monitoring a number of hormone levels that I can't fully recall, in order to ensure that the effects of these supplements were in place before we started our cycles. We also didn't take a break after the first cycle failed, at his recommendation. We used high doses of FSH and HMG, and hCG for trigger after 7 days for the 2nd cycle (the successful one) when the lead follicle was 16mm. Dr. Kushnir said the reasoning behind this early retrieval was to keep my eggs from getting "overripe" because my ovaries were maturing eggs in an accelerated pace, which he said is typical for women with low reserve.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction.
I was actually transferred to a second nurse after the first nurse left the center. Both were good, very efficient and clear, but I definitely jelled better with my second nurse, who was more openly compassionate than my first nurse. It's a matter of preference, though--both did a perfectly fine job explaining everything to me (I asked a lot of questions because this was my first time going through IVF, and I like to know everything), organizing the logistics and keeping me updated about results and what not.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
Strengths: They really seem to believe that patients should be the one to make their own life decisions with full information, which we appreciated. Lots of research going on at the center, which seems to result in strategies that don't exist at other IVF centers, like the early retrieval protocol we used. It's a small, private center. We felt like we knew everyone and everyone greeted us with our names, which felt great during this difficult time.
Weaknesses: They take very few insurances. Ours (BCBS) wasn't in network. They also require full payment upfront. Sometimes I had to play phone tag with their staff (nurses and front desk), though most things could be handled through email.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
It would have been great if the monitoring hours were a bit earlier.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vitaly Kushnir at Center for Human Reproduction.
Around $18,000 per IVF cycle plus $2,500 for medications.
Describe Vitaly Kushnir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
They don't believe in universal eSET, and let us decide what to do. We went with multiple embryos, as we were fine with twins and wanted to maximize our chances.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
There was some miscommunication over the cost of freezing and storing the extra embryo we had. We had to speak with the billing manager and our nurse for clarification. It was annoying, but it could also be us being newbies at the time. This center treats a lot of patients with past experiences with IVF, so sometimes thought we knew something when we didn't. After this, though, they were noticeably more careful about making sure we understood everything.
I am an older patient in terms of fertility treatment, which is difficult in and of itself. Dr. Barad and CHR do present themselves as specializing in older women, which of course helped me feel somewhat better and, as a long-distance patient, this was the primary reason I chose CHR. Dr. Barad was noticeably kinder and more reassuring in his manner (despite the abysmal statistics we have faced and still face in this process). He was communicative and receptive to questions or concerns.
He [Dr David Barad] was communicative and receptive to questions or concerns. However, CHR [Center for Human Reproduction] as a whole, including all 3 of its physicians to varying degrees, could do a far better job with patient communication. For example, for our first IVF cycle, we were not told that we would be automatically required to do ICSI and assisted zona hatching. We arrived on the day of scheduled egg retrieval and at this point were asked by front desk staff to pay an additional ~$3500, which seemed very unprofessional. Also, my partner and I currently live outside the U.S., and particularly prior to our first IVF cycle, at times it was very difficult to get clear, prompt and complete answers to our questions from nurses ("Clinical Coordinators") and staff. This greatly hindered our efforts to complete the requested immunological testing for CHR prior to the first IVF cycle. It took an inordinate amount of phone calls, clarifications and excess time to clear up what could have been resolved in a couple hours with clearer and timelier answers and better communication.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
I am an older patient in terms of fertility treatment, which is difficult in and of itself. Dr. Barad and CHR do present themselves as specializing in older women, which of course helped me feel somewhat better and, as a long-distance patient, this was the primary reason I chose CHR. Dr. Barad was noticeably kinder and more reassuring in his manner (despite the abysmal statistics we have faced and still face in this process). He was communicative and receptive to questions or concerns. However, CHR as a whole, including all 3 of its physicians to varying degrees, could do a far better job with patient communication. For example, for our first IVF cycle, we were not told that we would be automatically required to do ICSI and assisted zona hatching. We arrived on the day of scheduled egg retrieval and at this point were asked by front desk staff to pay an additional ~$3500, which seemed very unprofessional. Also, my partner and I currently live outside the U.S., and particularly prior to our first IVF cycle, at times it was very difficult to get clear, prompt and complete answers to our questions from nurses ("Clinical Coordinators") and staff. This greatly hindered our efforts to complete the requested immunological testing for CHR prior to the first IVF cycle. It took an inordinate amount of phone calls, clarifications and excess time to clear up what could have been resolved in a couple hours with clearer and timelier answers and better communication.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Ask all the questions you have; be very clear about what information you need and have questions prepared ahead of time. You get very little designated face-to-face time with physicians at CHR during a cycle. If you're struggling emotionally and if you're able to, let him know that this process is hard for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad is very kind and is receptive to questions / concerns. He has a warm manner and seemed to understand how terrifying and profoundly disturbing this process can be.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
Initial ultrasound around cycle day 2, then Follistim (or Bravelle or Gonal-F) 450 IU QAM for about 9 days, along with Menopur 150 IU QPM for about 9 days. Daily ultrasounds starting about day 5 of hormonal stimulation process. HCG trigger shot timed so that follicles were not too mature. Egg retrieval 36 hrs. later, about cycle day 13. Important - NOTE: Embryo transfer for me was always on DAY TWO. So all embryos were only 2-day embryos. This is something CHR does often with older women. Also, we were explicitly advised AGAINST pre-implantion genetic diagnosis. Dr. Gleicher (as "lead" CHR physician) felt that PGD offered more risk than benefit for my embryos as an older patient. (This was of course in direct contrast to what other clinics had told us, but I was ok with it.) I had some evidence of an unidentified immune issue, so in addition to hormonal medications, here were the medications prescribed: DHEA 75mg daily before and throughout all cycles (I took less), CoQ10 1000mg daily (I took ubiquinol instead as I believe it's better absorbed), low-dose aspirin, prednisone ranging from 10mg and 60mg at different times during IVF cycle, doxycycline around time of egg retrieval, Lovenox (enoxaparin) 40 mg following egg retrieval, and daily progesterone in oil injections until pregnancy test (or 12 weeks gestation). Prior to IVF treatment, with my second (natural) miscarriage, I learned my thyroid was underactive, so I now take natural dessicated thyroid (a medication called "WP Thyroid"). Dr. Gleicher told me, as I understood it, that he sees any unexplained hypothyroid issue as an autoimmune issue. My initial immunological testing also found that I had an extremely high interleukin-6 level, which is indicative of inflammation, but not useful information in terms of any specific clinical cause or source. I also was prescribed an IV infusion of Immunoglobulin-G (very expensive) before egg retrieval due to likely autoimmune issue, as well as because Dr. Gleicher believed my partner and I had some HLA type I and II matching. (Apparently, Dr. Braverman of Braverman Reproductive Immunology, who we consulted with briefly, disagreed with this assessment.) Before my second IVF attempt I was directed to start Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) 400 mg daily to (hopefully) prevent miscarriage prevention. CHR prescribed Plaquenil as an attempt to address my high IL-6 level/suspected autoimmune issue as well as recurrent miscarriage. (I have since chosen on my own to discontinue Plaquenil.)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Maria)
I had a hard time getting clear, timely and complete answers to questions with my initial coordinator at CHR, Ella. We were communicating from outside the U.S. and needed very clear information about what tests CHR was requesting and how to get blood samples shipped to CHR, and trying to get clear and complete answers from our coordinator and the nursing staff was a complete nightmare. Ultimately I asked to speak with a supervisor, and the nursing supervisor took over. It was an unpleasant experience. We later worked with Maria, who was much more reliable, although not easy to reach directly and not particularly warm or communicative.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
I think I've answered this question already in my previous responses.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
It was not too bad - we did not have a problem with the scheduling. It was however difficult at that time to ask any questions of the doctor, who always seemed quite rushed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
Because I was not working, and because of the current exchange rate, we qualified for the reduced IVF rate of $8500 per cycle. To this was added the following: $4200 per cycle for anesthesia, ICSI, and assisted zona hatching; $4000 per cycle for IVIg; $3500 on average per cycle for hormonal and other medications; $4500 per cycle for travel (from outside the U.S.) and lodging costs; $3700 (one-time) for all initial immunological testing needed before first cycle.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
After working very hard to get the correct information from CHR on what phlebotomy tubes were needed, I completed a blood draw outside the U.S. for a lupus anticoagulant antibody test (along with 1 or 2 other tests), and shipped the sample overnight to CHR, at high cost to us. We were then told that CHR's lab could not use the sample because either the patient was on anticoagulant medication (I was not), or the wrong tube was used.
We also were not told that we were automatically required to undergo ICSI and assisted zona hatching until the day these procedures needed to be completed - the day we arrived for our first egg retrieval. We were asked on arrival that day to pay an additional ~$3500 for this, which had never been mentioned before. I found this inappropriate and unprofessional.
Dr. Barad was compassionate to me. I was of advanced maternal age when I first started exploring IVF (age 46), and I was 47 when I started, and turned 48 in the last cycle when I got pregnant (and miscarried)...Dr. Barad also showed deep respect and connection to my Jewish path and how spiritual the IVF journey felt to me. He also told us bad news with care, even giving us metaphors for how not to become invested in the early few weeks of the pregnancy. Although it was hard information to hear, it was helpful to have the clarity...Dr. Barad was the most loving, caring, honest and compassionate doctor I've ever encountered, and all the more so because he was dealing with me at such a strenuous and difficult time as doing four IVF cycles back to back when I was at a desperate last attempt to try IVF and experimental treatment at my age.
She [nurse at Center for Reproductive Medicine] was incredible with in-office visits too and seemed to work all hours... She gave me encouragement to keep going and was so excited when I got pregnant, and was equally compassionate when I found out it was a miscarriage...Monitoring was also professional. Everything was explained well, I got printouts of the images, there was a screen up above that I could see as well as the one the doctor was looking at. I did not know how often I would need to be monitored as an out of state person, so that was a little challenging at first and at times to figure out. I never had to wait long and it felt luxurious to wait in the waiting room which had an espresso/coffee and hot chocolate machine and often croissants.
How was your experience with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad was compassionate to me. I was of advanced maternal age when I first started exploring IVF (age 46), and I was 47 when I started, and turned 48 in the last cycle when I got pregnant (and miscarried). Other doctors in other clinics/offices mocked me or said insensitive things throughout the process. Dr. Barad also showed deep respect and connection to my Jewish path and how spiritual the IVF journey felt to me. He also told us bad news with care, even giving us metaphors for how not to become invested in the early few weeks of the pregnancy. Although it was hard information to hear, it was helpful to have the clarity.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Ask a lot of questions, and in particular ask the practice (Dr. Gleicher and Dr. Barad) to do everything possible even if experimental in the first cycle. I wish I had fully understood about HGH and taken HGH earlier (I only did it in the 4th cycle, which happens to be when I got pregnant). Also - do everything else emotionally to prepare and ground during the IVF cycles as well as acupuncture right after transfer.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Barad was the most loving, caring, honest and compassionate doctor I've ever encountered, and all the more so because he was dealing with me at such a strenuous and difficult time as doing four IVF cycles back to back when I was at a desperate last attempt to try IVF and experimental treatment at my age. He related to me so calmly and with complete presence at each appointment including each ultrasound monitoring visit, egg retrievals, egg transfers, and then when I got miraculously pregnant (I found out two weeks after I turned 48!) he was equally compassionate yet honest at our first ultrasound appointments (which looked good), and then at the sad appointments when their was not heartbeat on the date it should have appeared. He encouraged us to wait another week to see what would happen, and when we had the follow up, he was equally compassionate but honest about the ways I could choose to miscarry (D&C or natural). He gave excellent advice and I felt he was sad with us and could handle our sadness. He also followed up immediately when he had the results with a phone call to tell me the results of the genetic testing and gender, after the D&C. He was equally compassionate and caring in that call, while being honest and direct. Lastly, I brought a prayer to say on my iPhone in my first egg retrieval, and although I really didn't know him well yet, and had no idea what it would be like, he fully smiled and waited for me to read the prayer before we began. He made the whole experience life-affirming and spiritual, even when medically it was very hard.
Describe the protocols David Barad used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I was advanced age (47) - I took Gonal F (I think 450cc) and Menopur (I think 150cc), micronized DHEA 75mg (beginning 3 months prior to starting cycles, using CHR's brand), CoQ10, early egg retrieval (CHR's specialty research is amazing), 3-weeks of HGH leading up to my 4th/last cycle, and 3 day fresh transfers. First cycle I got 2 eggs (1 embryo); 2nd cycle 3 eggs (2 embryos); 3rd cycle only on follicle looked big so we switched to IUI (I think I was too exhausted and not taking the meds properly so that is why that cycle failed); 4th cycle I got 3 eggs (3 embryos) - resulted in positive pregnancy test, but miscarried at 8 weeks.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Huina Zhou)
My nurse Huina Zhou was so communicative from the first email I ever got from her when she was assigned to me case. I then learned she is one of the nurse coordinators and even more appreciated how much she wrote to me with detail and communicated with me promptly and with great connection no matter what my question was. A lot of my initial questions were based out of inexperience, fear and being overwhelmed by all of the emotional, financial and medical decisions. She was incredible with in-office visits too and seemed to work all hours, and told me when I needed to alter plans or come in based on ultrasounds. She gave me encouragement to keep going and was so excited when I got pregnant, and was equally compassionate when I found out it was a miscarriage. She is an incredible nurse. The rest of the nurses also who worked with me, even the front desk people and the phlebotomists, were equally present and gave great care. My nurse Huina also followed up with all my questions or concerns immediately, even if it meant bringing my question to the doctors in their daily meeting. She always gave my case to another nurse when she was off-duty and I always felt they knew what was going on in my case.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
HCR gives hope and the feeling of accomplishment. Dr. Gleicher was incredible in all our Skype-calls (I was out of state). I felt they truly cared about my case. They took so much time to talk with us and help my case.
They specialized with me in care at my advanced age to try to work with my own embryos. They always were honest about prognosis and percentages. I wish I had started with them 2-3 years earlier and that I had had more money to do another cycle or to start earlier - that is my only regret. I wish there was a program for women like me to get financial aid -- at 48 when I miscarried, I would have actually been crazy enough to try again if there was financial support to do so. I got very involved emotionally wanting to make a medical miracle and be part of their project of helping so many women through IVF and fertility treatments.
This is not a weakness, but I do wish I had been encouraged by CHR to pursue more psychological care or advice to get that throughout or recommendations for mental care to support how emotional it was on all of the medications and the emotional grief of my miscarriage. I don't think I realized when I started how difficult it would be on my or my partnership, and there is not a lot of public awareness/support until I started to seek it out. I think if I wasn't so distraught and in grief after my miscarriage I might have jumped back in to try another cycle with my own eggs, or to pursue egg donor.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Human Reproduction.
Monitoring was also professional. Everything was explained well, I got printouts of the images, there was a screen up above that I could see as well as the one the doctor was looking at. I did not know how often I would need to be monitored as an out of state person, so that was a little challenging at first and at times to figure out.
I never had to wait long and it felt luxurious to wait in the waiting room which had an espresso/coffee and hot chocolate machine and often croissants.
The office is in the Upper East Side of NYC and I lived 3 hours away. I would come in for appointments sometimes for the day or else stay over at a friend's. Parking was hard, until I discovered a parking garage by NYU a few blocks away.
Describe the costs associated with your care under David Barad at Center for Human Reproduction.
Unfortunately we paid fully out of pocket for treatment and medications due to my age (my insurance only covered up to age 43 I think) and so it cost us a huge amount (over $60,000 total). I was able to purchase the fertility meds needed for one cycle while in Costa Rica on a short vacation for half the cost there at a pharmacy, and for the last cycle an IVF friend donated her unused meds to me.
Describe David Barad's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Human Reproduction.
CHR/Dr. Gleicher had great explanations for transferring all my fresh embryos since I only produced a few each time and since I was advanced age and didn't want to risk losing any of them through testing or freezing.
Because I am a physician, I karyotyped myself and my husband and found he had a balanced translocation which greatly reduced our odds of pregnancy. I was upset, because I feel he [Dr Gleicher] was just continuing to take our money without being honest about what was going on. He blustered that he wouldn't do anything differently, but the standard for our problem is ivf with pgs which he refused to do with us. I felt he owed us some money back for not being thorough and leading us down a path without all the info we needed to make informed decisions about what we would need to do. They kept saying we were doing do well and very much expected us to ge
I think they [Center for Human Reproduction] do ok with women that are younger with severe DOR and no other problem as they throw the book at it and will retrieve with low numbers. Their main embryologist is quite good and they seem to do well with 3 day transfers. Dr Barad does most of the retrieval/transfers and he has good hands/bedside manner. They do not do well with the work up and treatment of other problems as Dr. Gleicher is very stubborn about his opinions.
How was your experience with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Dr. Gleicher has one way of treating patients. He throws the kitchen sink at them for immune problems and scoffs at day 5 transfers or pgs testing. I understood where he was coming from and agreed initially until it didn't work several times and he admitted he didn't know why. Because I am a physician, I karyotyped myself and my husband and found he had a balanced translocation which greatly reduced our odds of pregnancy. I was upset, because I feel he was just continuing to take our money without being honest about what was going on. He blustered that he wouldn't do anything differently, but the standard for our problem is ivf with pgs which he refused to do with us. I felt he owed us some money back for not being thorough and leading us down a path without all the info we needed to make informed decisions about what we would need to do. They kept saying we were doing do well and very much expected us to get pregnant. Meanwhile, I spent $45,000 with nothing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
Don't go there. Go to Cornell. They are much better, more professional and more thorough with better results.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction?
He was alway late to appointments. When he would get to you, he would say he had been dealing with a patient with difficult problems which was why he was late. Then he would rush me i.e. I was not important or difficult in spite of our repeated failures. My third appointment he took a call on his cell phone and talked the whole time in front of me about meeting up with his colleague for about 15 minutes then tried to limit me to the same amount of time because he was behind due to his phone call.
Describe the protocols Norbert Gleicher used in your cycles at Center for Human Reproduction and their degree of success.
I had recurrent pregnancy loss which he attributed to immune issues although all my tests were normal. He used the micro dose lupron protocol both times with good results at retrieval. Their lab got good fertilization results and embryos looked good. He put me on aspirin, prednisone, lovenox and ivig for immune issues without result. I eventually discovered my husband had a chromosomal issue which needed genetic testing to find normals. We lost a lot of embryos with the freeze thaw process as I don't think they do that much. I think we lost all our normals.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Human Reproduction. (Assigned nurse: Huina)
Huina was a good communicator, she just was more of a coordinator not a real nurse, so couldn't answer most of my questions.
Describe your experience with Center for Human Reproduction.
I think they do ok with women that are younger with severe DOR and no other problem as they throw the book at it and will retrieve with low numbers. Their main embryologist is quite good and they seem to do well with 3 day transfers. Dr Barad does most of the retrieval/transfers and he has good hands/bedside manner. They do not do well with the work up and treatment of other problems as Dr. Gleicher is very stubborn about his opinions.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Norbert Gleicher at Center for Human Reproduction.
10,000 for ivf without monitoring (I did that at home). $3800 for ICSI and assisted hatching. $1200 for freezing embryos and $250 every 3 months to store frozen embryos.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction?
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Human Reproduction.
Dr. Gleicher did not perform a karyotyped on us and failed to let us know this was an option. This was critical to our diagnosis, prognosis and protocol. Their clinic was very reluctant to forward records and only did the first request of 3.