Vuk Jovanovic

[Dr. Vuk Jovanovic] was very knowledgeable and kind, and took time to explain things to us. He made my partner feel comfortable and included, and he acted quickly to make adjustments when it seemed I wasn't responding to the medication as well as expected...very kind and was willing to take time explaining in great detail what to expect and why things might be happening the way that they were.

The [Tree of Life Center] clinic itself is fine, other than the disorganization issue...My nurse and the staff were all very kind, but they did seem to struggle with communication and organization. They pretty much never called me back on the day that they said they would...The clinic itself is clean and comfortable and has a great view

How was your experience with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

The doctor was very knowledgeable and kind, and took time to explain things to us. He made my partner feel comfortable and included, and he acted quickly to make adjustments when it seemed I wasn't responding to the medication as well as expected.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Be aware that all the appointments happen VERY early in the morning. That was a bit rough for us.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

The doctor was always very kind and was willing to take time explaining in great detail what to expect and why things might be happening the way that they were.

Describe the protocols Vuk Jovanovic used in your cycles at Tree of Life Center and their degree of success.

I started with 4 AFC. I was stimulated with Gonal-F and Menopur for 13 days. When my follicles were not responding as expected, the dose of Gonal-F was raised. I was triggered with double Cetrotide before the retrieval. The day before the retrieval, there were 7 follicles. I was sedated with fentanyl and propofol for the retrieval. 8 eggs were retrieved, and, of those, 5 were mature. 4 fertilized (some with the help of ICSI), and all 4 made it to blastocyst, biopsied and frozen, two on day 5 and two on day 6. Unfortunately, PGS testing showed them all to be abnormal, so I will be beginning a second cycle soon.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Tree of Life Center. (Assigned nurse: Suyeon)

My nurse and the staff were all very kind, but they did seem to struggle with communication and organization. They pretty much never called me back on the day that they said they would (even to tell me about fertilization or embryo stage at day 5). I had to repeatedly call and pester for information. My nurse was hard to get ahold of by phone, though I fared somewhat better communicating via email. When I asked for the embryo grades, one of the grades I got over the phone (from the lab tech) was different from what I ended up seeing in the report. I ended up having to call the PGS lab (a different company) myself and send the results to my nurse, rather than the other way around, which was extra disturbing given that the results were bad so I had to process them alone. It turned out the lab had created the results over a week prior! So I was waiting all that time in vain.

Describe your experience with Tree of Life Center.

The clinic itself is fine, other than the disorganization issue I mentioned in my staff review. The appointments there are SUPER early, though, like I had to be there at 7:00 or 7:30 am, and occasionally I had to be there at 6:00 or 6:45 am. I am not a morning person at all, so this was rough for me. The clinic itself is clean and comfortable and has a great view. Parking is available on the street or in a nearby pay lot, though it's somewhat complicated at the appointment times because the pay lot doesn't open till a particular time, and street parking ends at a particular time, and the transition time between the two was something that needed to be worked around.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center.

~$600 - initial consultation + testing ~$11,000 - egg retrieval and associated monitoring and testing (not meds) ~$4,000 - PGS testing for up to 6 embryos

Describe Vuk Jovanovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Tree of Life Center.

We did not transfer yet.

What specific things went wrong at Tree of Life Center?

Failed to call with results
Lost results
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Tree of Life Center.

I explained it all in the review but they never called on the day they said they would, and I had to get my results for PGS testing directly from the external lab because the clinic said they didn't have them yet. You would think they would be willing to call themselves when enough time had gone by with no word.

Doctor

Vuk Jovanovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Tree of Life Center

Beverly Hills (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

2020, Successful

Age 34

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

Dr. Jovanovic has a pleasant demeanor and is very knowledgeable in regards to patients with endometriosis...We did traditional IVF with a fresh transfer of 2, day-5 blastocysts. We chose not to do PGS testing...I think the doctor would prefer to do a frozen cycle with a single PGS tested embryo transfer...We chose to transfer 2-embryos since they weren't genetically tested and it was a fresh transfer

One of the major strengths of [Tree of Life Center] to us is that they were less expensive than another clinic where we had been quoted for IVF. We also loved that Dr. Jovanovic was able to order us medication from overseas to decrease the medication cost about 50-75%...I felt like the team of nurses and the doctor communicated with one another regularly and they were with us in our journey.

How was your experience with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Dr. Jovanovic has a pleasant demeanor and is very knowledgeable in regards to patients with endometriosis. I sometimes had to ask him to repeat some phrases, since I didn't always understand his accent (keep in mind this is during the COVID-19 pandemic and we are also wearing masks, making communication a little more challenging). He was always very kind to me and my spouse. I think the time he spent with us initially made a really big difference to us, helping us decide what might be best for our circumstances. Everything with our IVF procedure went very well and I wasn't nervous for any part of it with Dr. Jovanovic. Once we were able to become pregnant, i really enjoyed the pictures he sent to us of our developing embryo/fetus.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

I think as with any doctor, come with your questions and follow-up questions prepared. I asked him about fresh/frozen transfer pros and cons, if we were transferring day 5 blastocysts, PGS testing for our case, etc.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

We had some of our own specific questions related to using medication from abroad to decrease costs and potentially using a non-traditional option like InvoCell as opposed to IVF. Dr. Jovanovic spent a lot of time with us in our initial consult to review our specific case and provide recommendations.

Describe the protocols Vuk Jovanovic used in your cycles at Tree of Life Center and their degree of success.

We did traditional IVF with a fresh transfer of 2, day-5 blastocysts. We chose not to do PGS testing since we both had genetic screening done with no abnormalities and at the time of the transfer was fairly young in my opinion (33). I think frozen transfers are preferred by this doctor and others due to the woman's hormone levels being able to return to normal, but we didn't feel the need to do a frozen transfer because we didn't need to do genetic testing and didn't feel like we needed to spend the extra money for a frozen transfer. We didn't increase the hormones one last time before ovulation maybe as much as usual since we were doing a fresh transfer. Ultimately Dr. Jovanovic listened to us and helped us make informed decisions, of course in a way that he would recommend and be able to do safely.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Tree of Life Center. (Assigned nurse: Sumeima)

Suleima, Roshanda and Asia were all very nice. They've been working diligently in the midst of this pandemic and I feel like they are doing their jobs very safely. I was glad to see the staff always wearing masks. They taught me how to do my injections and didn't ever hurt me when sticking me for blood draws. Since blood is being drawn frequently, this was very important to me. As always, come ready with your questions as well for the nurses.

Describe your experience with Tree of Life Center.

First of all, I feel like the clinic is doing things safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. I like that they have sanitizer for you right after you open the door to the clinic and come inside. All the staff have also been wearing masks, which is great. One of the major strengths of this clinic to us is that they were less expensive than another clinic where we had been quoted for IVF. We also loved that Dr. Jovanovic was able to order us medication from overseas to decrease the medication cost about 50-75%. Of course we were slightly worried about the quality of the medication, but Dr. Jovanovic has worked abroad and ordered medication for many other patients from abroad. All the medications were labeled in English and the clinic tests hormone levels frequently to make sure everything is progressing correctly. I felt like the team of nurses and the doctor communicated with one another regularly and they were with us in our journey.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center.

The IVF fresh transfer with ICSI but no PGS testing was just under $11,000. We got our medications for an additional $2,200. A frozen transfer would have added about $4,000 to the cost and PGS testing would have added $5,000.

Describe Vuk Jovanovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Tree of Life Center.

We chose to transfer 2-embryos since they weren't genetically tested and it was a fresh transfer. I think the doctor would prefer to do a frozen cycle with a single PGS tested embryo transfer.

Doctor

Vuk Jovanovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Tree of Life Center

Tarzana

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

2016 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 32 - 36

2 IVF

Unexplained

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

Dr. Jovanovich was always warm and friendly to interact with. He always explains things thoroughly and would make time to call me to check in regularly....he is who I see for EVERY appointment. Even just monitoring...he did a tubal ligation reversal for me which was successful. 4 years later, we are facing 2ndary infertility and despite now living 3 hours from his office, I only want to work with him

[Tree of Life Center's] biggest strength is it's size and their personal approach. You will see your doctor at every visit and they really are invested in your success...They [staff] can be slow to respond via email but always great if you call. My first egg retrieval, I opted to be awake and I'm so thankful that Aja was there because she was so great at calming me down and holding/squeezing my hand. It was a small gesture but really meant a lot to me. Overall the nurses are very friendly and personable

How was your experience with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

The first time I saw Dr. Jovanovic was with another clinic and he did a tubal ligation reversal for me which was successful. 4 years later, we are facing 2ndary infertility and despite now living 3 hours from his office, I only want to work with him. He is very kind and nurturing, wants to make sure that I am always comfortable with whatever protocol we are planning and just generally checks in to see how you're doing/feeling. I never feel pressured by him and he is who I see for EVERY appointment. Even just monitoring.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Don't be afraid to ask any and all of the questions you have. He genuinely wants to help you meet your goals

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Dr. Jovanovich was always warm and friendly to interact with. He always explains things thoroughly and would make time to call me to check in regularly.

Describe the protocols Vuk Jovanovic used in your cycles at Tree of Life Center and their degree of success.

My first IVF cycle was actually an IUI cycle that we converted to IVF due to overstimulation. I had been on a VERY low dose of Gonal f but had an amazing response so we opted to convert to IVF instead of cancel the cycle. The bad news is, our cycle was not very successful in that our embryos did not make it to the blastocyst stage. Despite fertilization, the eggs failed to activate and cleave. The good news is, now we knew why we weren't getting pregnant. Currently undergoing our 2nd IVF cycle (had a chemical pregnancy between the last cycle and this one) and doing an antagonist protocol with Gonal f, Menopur, and Ganirelix. Trigger was Ovidrel and my 2nd retrieval was yesterday and produced 20 eggs. 16 were mature and 14 fertilized so we'll know more when we get the next update but we are optimistic that the changes we made both to the protocol as well as lifestyle/supplement changes will have a positive impact on our outcome.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Tree of Life Center.

They can be slow to respond via email but always great if you call. My first egg retrieval, I opted to be awake and I'm so thankful that Aja was there because she was so great at calming me down and holding/squeezing my hand. It was a small gesture but really meant a lot to me. Overall the nurses are very friendly and personable.

Describe your experience with Tree of Life Center.

I think this clinic's biggest strength is it's size and their personal approach. You will see your doctor at every visit and they really are invested in your success. Weakness would be email response.

Doctor

Vuk Jovanovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Tree of Life Center

Tarzana

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

2019, Unknown Success

Age 25

4 IUI

Anovulation

PCOS

Poor Egg Quality

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Consultant

1st of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Kaiser Permanente SoCal

[Dr. Vuk Jovanovic] was attentive to my needs both as a patient but also as a human. He allowed me time to grieve...let me know that our journey wasn’t going to be easy but he would do everything he could to make our parenting dreams come true. He adjusted my treatment plan as needed but also considered my input. When I had my chemical pregnancy I was devastated and he turned my outlook around for me. He was excited because that meant I could get pregnant and we were moving in the right direction

All the nursing staff was incredible. Beverly, Wendy, everybody. Always encouraging and positive. Made me feel like I was with family... Everybody there understands what a delicate matter this is but does their best to make you feel calm. The only down side is that there’s only one bathroom stall...I had a $30 copay for all meds and $20 copay for me visits. Labs, xrays, IUI, HSG were all covered by Kaiser

How was your experience with Vuk Jovanovic at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?

He let me know that our journey wasn’t going to be easy but he would do everything he could to make our parenting dreams come true. He adjusted my treatment plan as needed but also considered my input. He doesn’t give up and always saw the positive in things. When I had my chemical pregnancy I was devastated and he turned my outlook around for me. He was excited because that meant I could get pregnant and we were moving in the right direction.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vuk Jovanovic at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?

Trust in him!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vuk Jovanovic at Kaiser Permanente SoCal?

He was attentive to my needs both as a patient but also as a human. He allowed me time to grieve and provided encouragement that we’d succeed one way or another

Describe the protocols Vuk Jovanovic used in your cycles at Kaiser Permanente SoCal and their degree of success.

We started off with Clomid 50mg, that didn’t do anything just increased to 100mg. I was able to grow one follicle and we did the first IUI. That didn’t work so we increased to 150mg for second round and that got me two eggs, did IUI again and it was a negative. We decided to move on to injections, and I developed three eggs, did IUI then got a positive test only to confirm it was a chemical pregnancy. Tried one more cycle of injections and then IUI, but no luck. Negative test again. And that’s where we are now.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Kaiser Permanente SoCal. (Assigned nurse: Salpi)

All the nursing staff was incredible. Beverly, Wendy, everybody. Always encouraging and positive. Made me feel like I was with family.

Describe your experience with Kaiser Permanente SoCal.

Strengths would be friendliness, understanding, professionalism! Everybody there understands what a delicate matter this is but does their best to make you feel calm. The only down side is that there’s only one bathroom stall. But other than that, no issues!

Describe the costs associated with your care under Vuk Jovanovic at Kaiser Permanente SoCal.

Kaiser covered over half of it. I had a $30 copay for all meds and $20 copay for me visits. Labs, xrays, IUI, HSG were all covered by Kaiser

Doctor

Vuk Jovanovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Kaiser Permanente SoCal

Woodland Hills

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Kaiser Permanente SoCal

2019, Unknown Success

Age 47

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Donor Eggs With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

Dr. Jovanovic and his staff are very personable. You are not treated like a number. He gets to know you and your goals. He explores all avenues to obtain the best outcomes. He recommeneded tests that other doctors have not brought up. ... He recommended specialized blood tests to explore immunological or clotting disorders that could have let to the miscarriage. ... Other doctors have never explained these risks.

Clinic [Tree of Life Center] is small so you do not feel like a number. Doctors are up to date with the latest treatments and studies. Everyone is compassionate and sensitive to your situation. You feel as if they are a team pulling for what's best for you. ... Staff is always very friendly and helpful with questions. ... so far costs are comparable to other clinics we have been to. They do keep your budget in mind. ...

How was your experience with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Dr.Jovonovic is very personable and cares about his patients. He explores all avenues to get the best outcome. We are at initial stages with him but already note the difference. He has recommended tests that other doctors have not told us about.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

He is a doctor you can trust during this very emotional time.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Describe the protocols Vuk Jovanovic used in your cycles at Tree of Life Center and their degree of success.

I had a miscarriage after a FET prior to coming to Dr. Jovanovic. He recommended specialized blood tests to explore immunological or clotting disorders that could have let to the miscarriage. Other doctors have never explained these risks.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Tree of Life Center.

Staff is always very friendly and helpful with questions.

Describe your experience with Tree of Life Center.

Clinic is small so you do not feel like a number. Doctors are up to date with the latest treatments and studies. Everyone is compassionate and sensitive to your situation. You feel as if they are a team pulling for what's best for you.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center.

We are at beginning stages, but so far costs are comparable to other clinics we have been to. They do keep your budget in mind.

Doctor

Vuk Jovanovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Tree of Life Center

Tarzana

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

2019, Unsuccessful

Age 45

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

[Dr. Vuk Jovanovic] He is very nice and knowledgeable. He does explain things when you sit him down and ask. You do feel rushed at times...I had to keep reminding him of my situation. He was honest & direct... Implanted frozen embryo. He thought it would be best to implant after letting egg develop in lab for days before implanting. Due to my age, he said it was best to not do a lot of fertility drugs.

Make sure to tell the financial person [of Tree of Life Center] to be 100% clear on everything you can expect to pay. We were surprised with an additional fee of several thousands to pay them without any heads up. I think the communication should be more clear.I sometimes felt rushed or they were impatient over the phone...

How was your experience with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

He is very nice and knowledgeable. He does explain things when you sit him down and ask. You do feel rushed at times. He would forget things that I had hoped he’d remember as his patient. I had to keep reminding him of my situation. He was honest & direct.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

Just know who your patient is before they come in so they don’t feel like a number. Look up their file before they walk in to remind yourself. Talk to the couple and listen even if some questions sound silly, people go in without knowing all that you know, that’s why they are the patient. Make sure your staff is kind, patient (in person & over the phone) and remember what couples are going there to do, it’s a very emotional nerve racking and expensive time for them.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center?

It’s a very personal, stressful and emotional time and I just felt like the front office team were a little cold at times, not too friendly and kind. I sometimes felt rushed or they were impatient over the phone. The dr is very nice and will answer your questions but overall I felt like a number.

Describe the protocols Vuk Jovanovic used in your cycles at Tree of Life Center and their degree of success.

Natural IVF with a trigger shot, and pills to take. Shots every night for about 2 weeks or more to prepare for egg retrieval. 2 eggs taken, left for 5 days, 1 became an embryo then frozen. Implanted frozen embryo. He thought it would be best to implant after letting egg develop in lab for days before implanting. Due to my age, he said it was best to not do a lot of fertility drugs.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Tree of Life Center.

Make sure to tell the financial person to be 100% clear on everything you can expect to pay. We were surprised with an additional fee of several thousands to pay them without any heads up. I think the communication should be more clear. You’re already stressed out about the cost & everything the procedure entails. Clear, direct, honest communication would help a couple out so they can plan.

Describe your experience with Tree of Life Center.

The office is very nice. The dr is nice. Make sure to tell the dr you’d like to talk to him more than the nurses. Clear communication about the cost and any other fees that could pop up. Insist they spend time and answer your questions.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Vuk Jovanovic at Tree of Life Center.

I was quoted one amount and then as I was close, days away to the frozen embryo transfer, I was surprised with additional thousands to pay in order to get the transfer that I had an appointment already scheduled for. I wish we would have been told from the beginning that we may need to pay them a lot more $. We needed the time to be able to come up with the additional thousands. The clear communication from the beginning would have saved us from additional unnecessary stress.

Describe Vuk Jovanovic's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Tree of Life Center.

He would have transferred 2 but only one of the two became an embryo

Doctor

Vuk Jovanovic

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Tree of Life Center

Tarzana

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Vuk Jovanovic Tree of Life Center

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Vuk Jovanovic

Tree of Life Center

Education

How Doctor Communicates

Tree of Life Center
Rated 8.1

Kaiser Permanente SoCal
Rated 7.7

6 patient reviews

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Vuk Jovanovic

Tree of Life Center

Education

How Doctor Communicates

Tree of Life CenterRated 8.1Strongly recommend: 54%Don't recommend: 46%8.1

Kaiser Permanente SoCalRated 7.7Strongly recommend: 48%Neutral: 29%Don't recommend: 23%7.7

6 patient reviews

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Tree of Life Center
Rated 8.1

Kaiser Permanente SoCal
Rated 7.7