Dr. Rosenwaks is a brilliant and compassionate doctor. As a pioneer of IVF his knowledge is unparalleled. He thinks on a whole other level. He is extremely busy and was not always able to see me for visits but he was sure to call when necessary and was always the one making the decisions about my care. He doesn't emote much during appointments, he is very practical/realistic and pragmatic. However, you can feel his connection and passion regardless....The doctor used estrogen patching to help lower my FSH and stimulate follicular activity. This was something other doctors had not tried.
The clinic [Weill Cornell] has a very high reputation to uphold and so they run things very efficiently, no boxes left unchecked. It's clean and comfortable. It's seamless to be seen at other offices/locations as needed. Weaknesses include the fact that it's a large practice that outside of your doctor visits makes you feel entirely like a number. There can be hundreds of women monitoring on a given Saturday morning . It's not always easy to get in touch with the office, as you sometimes have to through leaving multiple messages before you hear back. But once again, they're stellar practitioners and you feel like you can trust anyone there.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Rosenwaks is a brilliant and compassionate doctor. As a pioneer of IVF his knowledge is unparalleled. He thinks on a whole other level. He is extremely busy and was not always able to see me for visits but he was sure to call when necessary and was always the one making the decisions about my care. He doesn't emote much during appointments, he is very practical/realistic and pragmatic. However, you can feel his connection and passion regardless.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Trust him wholeheartedly. He will do what's best and give it his all. Try not to be put off by his busy schedule or quick/neutral interactions during monitoring visits - he has your best interests in mind and is fully committed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Rosenwaks was always aware of where I was in each cycle, what recommendations he had made previously and what direction he wanted to go moving forward. He rarely had to look at my chart. As a patient of his you get the feeling that he's really in it with you.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
The doctor used estrogen patching to help lower my FSH and stimulate follicular activity. This was something other doctors had not tried. He also watched the results of each cycle very closely and was calculated in when he triggered me - changing the levels and times to trigger me earlier as he discovered my egg quality decreased if we waited too long. This new timing resulted in pregnancies (albeit all subsequent miscarriages).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
There are a lot of nurses and staff so it wasn't easy to keep track of who specifically was on top of my case or who I should be specifically make contact or connections with. The nurses were all very knowledgeable and supportive but it always felt like starting from square one when speaking with different nurses.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic has a very high reputation to uphold and so they run things very efficiently, no boxes left unchecked. It's clean and comfortable. It's seamless to be seen at other offices/locations as needed. Weaknesses include the fact that it's a large practice that outside of your doctor visits makes you feel entirely like a number. There can be hundreds of women monitoring on a given Saturday morning . It's not always easy to get in touch with the office, as you sometimes have to through leaving multiple messages before you hear back. But once again, they're stellar practitioners and you feel like you can trust anyone there.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
You can go in for monitoring between 6:30-8:30 or 7-9, it was crowded but mostly run like a well oiled machine. I recommend going as early as possible for as short of a wait as possible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Costs are comparable to all other clinics, I can't quote specifics.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Rosenwaks is incredibly thorough and looks at every detail of your medical history and asks very specific questions to best understand your case. ... Dr. Rosenwaks informed us from the beginning that I may not get very many eggs from the retrieval because of low AMH/ high FSH levels, indicative of somewhat diminished ovarian reserve. ... He has always made me and my husband feel our case was important to him, and that he had high hopes and reasonable expectations we would be able to have the family we hoped for.
My greatest grievance with the clinic is how billing is handled. It was ultimately a mess. They tried to tell me multiple times I had 1 IVF cycle covered by insurance. I told them we spoke with my insurance company numerous times and that was not the case. Now we have extensive bills after they submitted through insurance when we should have been considered as a patient paying out of pocket. We are still working on getting this sorted out.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
For being one of the top experts in the field of fertility, you can understand once you meet him for the first time why that is. He has always made me and my husband feel our case was important to him, and that he had high hopes and reasonable expectations we would be able to have the family we hoped for.
Our situation is unique compared to some others as we live in Georgia and chose to first see him for a second opinion until ultimately deciding he was the best doctor for our fertility journey despite the distance. He wanted to try an IUI first given my age (under 35) and once we returned to Georgia after the procedure, I had a very rare reaction. I ended up in the hospital for 5 days with what was later determined to be endometritis, or uterine infection. Despite being so far away from Dr. Rosenwaks, he and his team of fellows were on top of my case, in close contact with my local OB/GYN who was administering my care. Once I was well enough to travel back to NY, he had me come in on a Sunday and had doctors there to see me to ensure my continued recovery. He also sent me to other top notch specialists when there were still concerns with my health that were somewhat out of his wheelhouse. The infection did delay our treatment for a few months but I could not have imagined going through what I went through under anyone else’s care.
We had other bumps in the road, having to delay our first IVF cycle in Jan. 2020 because of elevated FSH levels. Luckily we were able to start in February, and despite some severe cramping as a result of stimulation, I did get pregnant. Unfortunately, the pregnancy showed a low fetal heartbeat at 7 weeks and ended in miscarriage by 8 weeks. It was devastating, and still is, but Dr. Rosenwaks has truly been here for us, calling to check in on me and giving me as much information as possible about a plan moving forward despite the current COVID-19 crisis.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Rosenwaks is very matter-of-fact about plans and fertility protocols. But he will answer any question you have. Do not hesitate to ask anything you have questions about, or his opinion on something you heard or read. He will be honest about his thoughts. Even though he no longer performs procedures himself, he is the director of the clinic and has put together an incredible staff of doctors, nurses and fellows who have an incredibly high standard to achieve in working with him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Rosenwaks is incredibly thorough and looks at every detail of your medical history and asks very specific questions to best understand your case. His entire staff of colleagues, Nurse’s and administrators are truly the best and are a firsthand extension of his dedication and care.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Dr. Rosenwaks informed us from the beginning that I may not get very many eggs from the retrieval because of low AMH/ high FSH levels, indicative of somewhat diminished ovarian reserve. I had a day 2 start after being on estrogen patches to suppress my eggs from having ones grow faster than the others because of my high FSH. I stimulated for 12 days on Follistim 300 units, Ganirelix cycle days 9 to 13, HCG trigger 10,000 units day 14. My egg retrieval yielded 4 mature eggs, ICSI, resulting in 3 day 5 blastocyst embryos. We transferred 1 and achieved positive pregnancy test. I was also taking intramuscular progesterone injections until miscarriage.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Katia Cosse)
Katia, Dr. Rosenwaks’ nurse practitioner is without question, an exceptional human. She is truly Dr. Rosenwaks right hand person, and on top of all of his cases. She is compassionate, professional, and caring all at once. She answers every hard question, calls back when she gets the answers from Dr. Rosenwaks that she needs, and is incredible at explaining anything clearly and concusses with patience and understanding of what you are going through, even if she hasn’t experienced it firsthand.
Wally (Waleska) is Dr. Rosenwaks’ office administrator, and is wonderful in every way. She has been with him for a few decades and is the friendly voice you need when you need to make appointments for leave word for Dr. Rosenwaks.
Last, I could not be more grateful to Jenny. She is the nurse/ ultrasound technician always on hand for appointments with Dr. Rosenwaks and her positivity and support is everything.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Everything about the clinic medically was incredibly organized. From scheduled appointments, to daily monitoring, it was not often we had to wait very long. I only had once instance in morning monitoring with a doctor doing the ultrasound that I felt was subpar (by only a little) to the others. But all results of morning monitoring and how well I was doing during stimulation was still ultimately in Dr. Rosenwaks’ hands.
My greatest grievance with the clinic is how billing is handled. It was ultimately a mess. They tried to tell me multiple times I had 1 IVF cycle covered by insurance. I told them we spoke with my insurance company numerous times and that was not the case. Now we have extensive bills after they submitted through insurance when we should have been considered as a patient paying out of pocket. We are still working on getting this sorted out.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Often times lots of people waiting during morning monitoring hours. Generally didn’t wait more than 20-30 minutes. One side of waiting room is for scheduled doctor appts, other side is for monitoring.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Still working through this, but IUI under our insurance is 50% covered. No IVF or medication coverage, which right now having everything submitted through insurance which we are now receiving the bills for, comes out for about 23k. This does not included staying in an apartment since we live in Georgia.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Rosenwaks highly prefers single embryo transfer for day 5 blastocysts for women under the age of 35.
Dr Rosenwaks is thorough and ensures I am monitored frequently, he then may make changes to the plan based on the results of my monitoring to ensure the best possible result.... Dr Rosenwaks did not prescribe a cookie-cutter treatment for me ahead of time, he had me come in often for monitoring and then tailored the plan based on the daily monitoring results.... My trigger shot was initially going to be with Novarel but the team became concerned about high risk for OHSS
Strengths: The staff here [Weill Cornell] are experts in their field. Morning monitoring starts at 6:30am 7 days a week, if you arrive prior to 6:30am you can sign in and sit in the waiting room... Weaknesses: The front desk staff seem unhappy....Twice I have arrived for morning monitoring and there are no orders for lab work, the tech then asks me what labs need to be drawn.... Katia is absolutely wonderful - she is very organized, compassionate, and communicates clearly.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Rosenwaks is thorough and ensures I am monitored frequently, he then may make changes to the plan based on the results of my monitoring to ensure the best possible result. Dr Rosenwaks is an EXPERT, and in fact he has trained countless other physicians in his field.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
You are in good hands.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Rosenwaks did not prescribe a cookie-cutter treatment for me ahead of time, he had me come in often for monitoring and then tailored the plan based on the daily monitoring results.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
The IVF cycle was with gonal-F, menopur, and cetrotide. My trigger shot was initially going to be with Novarel but the team became concerned about high risk for OHSS so Dr Rosenwaks switched me to a dual-trigger to reduce my risk. I ended up with 18 eggs retrieved, 16 mature, 15 fertilized, 12 made it to blastocyst.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Katia Cossé (nee Derthick))
Katia is absolutely wonderful - she is very organized, compassionate, and communicates clearly. She replies to messages in a timely manner. When she is not in the office, the other nurses who have filled in for her have not been as on top of things and during these instances I have received misinformation.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strengths: The staff here are experts in their field. Morning monitoring starts at 6:30am 7 days a week, if you arrive prior to 6:30am you can sign in and sit in the waiting room - the waiting room has plenty of comfortable chairs.
Weaknesses: The front desk staff seem unhappy. I am leaning that the treatment plan for infertility often changes over time (which is a strength), but the covering staff does not always know/clearly communicate the current plan (the weakness part).
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Morning monitoring starts at 6:30am, however you can arrive prior to that to sign in, which is helpful if it's important for you to be in and out quickly. The waiting room is spacious and has plenty of chairs. Generally for AM bloodwork and US I am there for ~45min.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The initial consultation with Dr Rosenwaks was approx $600-700 out of pocket. The lab work, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer were mainly covered by insurance and I was responsible for the co-pays.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr Rosenwaks is very direct that he only does eSET and does not do multiple embryo transfer due to the additional risks that it presents.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Twice I have arrived for morning monitoring and there are no orders for lab work, the tech then asks me what labs need to be drawn.
My insurance requires that I go through a specialty mail order pharmacy (which requires that the medication is ordered 2 weeks before hand to ensure I receive it on time) - on a Saturday over a holiday weekend I received a surprise call to start a medication the NEXT day after embryo transfer. There was no way the mail order pharmacy could get this to me in time so I had to obtain it from a local pharmacy for $300 for just a 10 day supply.
While Dr. Rosenwaks is quite blunt and not very delicate, you can tell how much passion he has for his work and you as a patient. The first day we met him (initial consultation) he spent more than hour with my husband and me, discussing our history, personally doing a physical exam, and even took a photo of my husband and me (presumably to put faces to the names).... While he is not very delicate in his approach to care, know he cares, is always working for the good of his patients,
Strengths - physicians [at Weill Cornell] are making decisions as a team, excellent team based approach between the doctors and the nurses. Compassion and going above and beyond by all members of the care team... Weaknesses - there were a few times when we felt like they dropped the ball during our first cycle. For instance, when I met with the nurse to review the IVF instructions, she mentioned consent forms and a packet/folder.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I don’t even know where to start... we’ve done two cycles with him, just finished the egg second egg retrieval. He is nothing short of brilliant, thoughtful, and compassionate. I broke down and started crying when I spoke with him over the phone when he mentioned the possibility of a second cycle... he was kind and referred me to his main administrative assistant who ended up finding significant financial assistance for us. He was also in constant contact with my husband and me after I experienced a rare reaction to progesterone injections. All this in the setting of living 3-4 hours away from the clinic. The only downside is he is not a great communicator... does not always tell you what he’s thinking or why, had some issues with calls back regarding a plan moving forward.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
While he is not very delicate in his approach to care, know he cares, is always working for the good of his patients, and is at the top of his practice with respect to his approach to treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
While Dr. Rosenwaks is quite blunt and not very delicate, you can tell how much passion he has for his work and you as a patient. The first day we met him (initial consultation) he spent more than hour with my husband and me, discussing our history, personally doing a physical exam, and even took a photo of my husband and me (presumably to put faces to the names). We were very impressed with all of this.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
First cycle - Follistim, Menopur, Ganirelix added in towards the end as the antagonist. Hcg trigger shot was 10,000 units. 14 eggs retrieved, 10 mature, 9 fertilized with ICSI. 1 early blastocyst transferred day 5, negative pregnancy test. Others were multinucleated and did not even approach the blastocyst stage. Trigger shot was done a little early based previous failed cycles with a different clinic, which produced no blastocysts between 2 cycles.
Second cycle - clomid for five days total, after three days started follistim and menopur. Added cetrotide in after a few days. Hcg was 10000 units again. Had egg retrieval today, sounds like 10 eggs but won’t know until tomorrow how many, maturity, fertilization results. Not sure why the clomid first, other than I was using all donated medications and this is very inexpensive.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Devon Klauck for first cycle, Katia for second)
The second nurse, Katia, as well as her other colleagues were extremely compassionate and kind. Devon (who I believe does not work there anymore) was quite cold, it appeared, and lacked the compassion shown by others.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strengths - physicians are making decisions as a team, excellent team based approach between the doctors and the nurses. Compassion and going above and beyond by all members of the care team, especially Shannon C. and Waleska P.
Weaknesses - there were a few times when we felt like they dropped the ball during our first cycle. For instance, when I met with the nurse to review the IVF instructions, she mentioned consent forms and a packet/folder... we never got those though were supposed to have gotten them when checking in for the first daily monitoring appointment. Communication after cycle failure with our doctor was not great, he would say he’d need to ask the embryologists to review everything and he would really need to think about it, but did not call back with any updates. Two weeks later I finally emailed asking for an update, which was met with apologies for the late responses.
Things a new patient would want to know - it may be busy/crowded (which was how I felt when I walked into the clinic for monitoring the first time), but they are generally a well-run clinic. Dr. Rosenwaks might not be cheery or delicate, but he is kind, compassionate, and great at what he does.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Some days were very busy and four of us would be called at a time and placed into rooms one by one. Other times, it was not that busy and one 1 or 2 would be called at a time. Sometimes you do bloodwork first, sometimes ultrasound first. There is a window from 6:30-8:30 am to get the monitoring done, so you show up and check in with the front desk sometime between those hours.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Since our insurance did not cover ANYTHING related to ART, we estimated the whole thing (IVF cycle, retrieval and hospital fees, parking, medications etc.) put us close to $25,000. We also live 3-4 hours away so would sometimes stay overnight, which also added to that cost.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Generally I think he prefers single embryo transfers, at least in younger patients. Other than that, we never had more than one so that wasn’t really applicable or discussed.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Did not receive the folder of information which included all the consent forms that needed to be signed prior to starting the cycle. We received various forms when someone would ask about that specific one. When I received the folder for the second cycle 6 months later, it had very helpful information about research studies, a support group, etc. which I wished I would have known about the first time.
When we had our initial consultation, he [Dr. Rosenwaks] really seemed invested and studied my husband and I. He asked a lot of questions and asked us to elaborate and get specific relevant details related to family history. I vividly remember him sitting in our first consultation for a solid hour and he seemed truly invested in the cause, you could see the wheels spinning in his mind.
She [nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College] was absolutely amazing, I communicated with her several times a day via e-mail. She was always warm and honest. She did the "hand holding" which I GREATLY appreciated...I always went right at opening so I did not have to wait. I needed to be there early to make it to work on time. The line was very long on weekends and later in the morning
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Rosenwaks is not warm or bubbly, but he is a GENIUS. He knows the science and art of fertility. I did always feel like I was in the absolute best of hands. I never doubted, IF he would successfully get me pregnant, it was just a matter of time. He definitely is not forthcoming when it comes to providing information and a treatment plan, he only provides bits and pieces as time goes along, I think that is the case because he really studies you as a patient and makes decisions as things progress and he makes adjustments accordingly. I would definitely be going back for future pregnancy help.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I would tell a future patient to not expect that Dr Rosenwaks would "hold your hand" through the process and as hard as it is just to just simply trust him. He really does have the patients safety and interest first. He will get the job done.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
When we had our initial consultation, he really seemed invested and studied my husband and I. He asked a lot of questions and asked us to elaborate and get specific relevant details related to family history. I vividly remember him sitting in our first consultation for a solid hour and he seemed truly invested in the cause, you could see the wheels spinning in his mind.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Dr Rosenwaks definitely wanted to start as least invasive as possible, we started with a very low dose of clomid for stimulation and an IUI. His ultimate goal is a healthy singleton pregnancy. The first clomid + iui produced a chemical pregnancy...though I was devastated, he was thrilled because it proved I could get pregnant. We attempted the same a 2nd round and it was a negative test. After that, I pleaded to start IVF because I knew that would more likely be successful and I was impatient. He was on board and he gave me extremely low doses of the stimulation drugs to prevent on complications. He is very cautious. My first IVF cycle was very successful--I have a healthy singleton live birth and 5 frozen day 5 embryos that are reported "excellent quality."
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Teryn Wiedemann)
She was absolutely amazing, I communicated with her several times a day via e-mail. She was always warm and honest. She did the "hand holding" which I GREATLY appreciated. I hope to work with her again.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
It sometimes did feel like a factory, but everything was well organized and efficient. I found going for monitoring right when the opened allowed me to very rarely wait any great length of time. My husband did have to wait to give his sample. The staff including the receptionists and medical assistants were also very warm.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I always went right at opening so I did not have to wait. I needed to be there early to make it to work on time. The line was very long on weekends and later in the morning, this was not an issue for me though because I was there at the earliest possible minute.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Everything was out of pocket, Dr Rosenwaks does not accept insurance. All procedures were attempted to be billed to insurance, though I had minimal coverage.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I know Dr Rosenwaks much prefers a single transfer as he feels that is safest for baby and mom. I pleaded for multiple and he was adamant for a single, and fortunately for me it worked out.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
There was 1 instance that I did not receive a phone call regarding follow up blood work. I was really frustrated, but I did get an on call covering resident on the phone after hours who was able to handle the situation.
He [Dr. Zev Rosenwaks] is efficient in his testing procedures and had requested a lot of different tests than my previous clinic. This made me feel more confident in his skills than my previous doctor. He is also prescribing a different method of treatment for my next cycle which makes me feel like he is more thoughtful in his approach rather than just out to get our money by suggesting the most expensive option.
He [Weill Cornell Medical College] does not accept any insurance...Efficient clinic; I am usually seen within 10 minutes of checking in for my appointment Some patients might feel like it's a revolving door because there are usually several people waiting...She is not a nurse but a coordinator for Dr Rosenwaks. She has been helpful with scheduling.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I am still going through the process so I can't detail my experience in full but everything so far has been positive. He is efficient in his testing procedures and had requested a lot of different tests than my previous clinic. This made me feel more confident in his skills than my previous doctor. He is also prescribing a different method of treatment for my next cycle which makes me feel like he is more thoughtful in his approach rather than just out to get our money by suggesting the most expensive option.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Know that you might not always see him for each visit. I have seen him most visits but he has not performed all the procedures, like the HSG. However, the other doctor I have seen has always been consistent so I do not feel like I'm rotating through the whole clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He took the time to explain the results of my tests to help me understand them. He was very thorough in all his testing.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
We are just beginning my IUI cycle. It's going to be an IUI with Clomid. I do not yet know the dose.
The pretesting has involved:
A complete work up of blood tests
2 semen analysis for my husband
Several vaginal ultrasounds
An HSG ( no balloon method)
A saline ultrasound
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Sandra Babic )
She is not a nurse but a coordinator for Dr Rosenwaks. She has been helpful with scheduling.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Efficient clinic; I am usually seen within 10 minutes of checking in for my appointment
Some patients might feel like it's a revolving door because there are usually several people waiting
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He does not accept any insurance
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
This has not yet been discussed because we are trying IUI first
Zev [Dr. Rosenwaks] is a man of few words, but when he speaks, everyone listens. He does not over promise, and is very direct....Zev did all my morning monitoring himself, even came in on a weekend. When I came in for my beta, he was waiting for me and personally walked me to get my blood drawn.... Also, he does not call back for most questions. And doesnt call back same day. He is really only going to pay attention when you are doing a cylce with him. The rest of the time expect to communicate with nurses.
The nurses [at Weill Cornell] are all good. They will call back and are much easier to get in touch with than doctors...Cornell is a very busy clinic and a wekl oiled macbine. You will not see the same doc for monitoring each morning and your dr will most likely not be doing your proceedures. This is not a clinic for hand holding...I got the call every day about meds and did not feel like my care was compromised bec I know Zev [Dr. Rosenwaks] was closely managing everything.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I 100% attribute Zev to the birth of my daughter. He is not a doctor who will hold your hand or be your best friend. He is all business, all the time. A very serious guy. But thats what I wanted. Didnt care about bedside mannor or a nice doctor. I wanted to have a baby and he made that happen. But have a thick skin going to him. Also, he does not call back for most questions. And doesnt call back same day. He is really only going to pay attention when you are doing a cylce with him. The rest of the time expect to communicate with nurses.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Trust he is on top of your case and dont expect any hand holding.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Zev is a man of few words, but when he speaks, everyone listens. He does not over promise, and is very direct. After my first cycle with him that resulted in a miscarriage, Zev did all my morning monitoring himself, even came in on a weekend. When I came in for my beta, he was waiting for me and personally walked me to get my blood drawn. I feel like this is pretty rare, and even if he is not present all the time, he is studying your case.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Round 1 ivf - freeze all, pgs. Then FET with two embryos. Resulted in miscarriage at 8 weeks.
Round 2 ivf - clomed priming protocol. Day 3 fresh transfer. Live birth.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Hunter)
The nurses are all good. They will call back and are much easier to get in touch with than doctors. My first cycle I had Hunter who was great. She then left Cornell and I had several nurses during my second cycle. It did not really bother me - I got the call every day about meds and did not feel like my care was compromised bec I know Zev was closely managing everything.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cornell is a very busy clinic and a wekl oiled macbine. You will not see the same doc for monitoring each morning and your dr will most likely not be doing your proceedures. This is not a clinic for hand holding. However they are the best at what they do. At first it bothered me they were not more progressive, but in the end their way worked for me.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Busy cattle call. Takes an hour sometimes.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He does not take insurance. Appointments were $200-$500. Ivf was $12k plus additional for icsi, pgs, etc.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
After a failed transfer, his nurse told me he[Dr. Zev Rosenwaks] took my records home to have time to quietly reflect and be sure he hadn't missed anything. He hadn't, we proceeded, and I was pregnant on the next try. He is a consummate professional, so he won't cry with you, but if and when you need that, you can lean on his amazing staff of nurses and the incomparable practice head, Wally. I wanted the most experienced, smartest, devoted, results-oriented Doctor I could find and Dr Rosenwaks is absolutely that.
Because it's the best, it [Cornell Fertility] is a busy practice. The good news is that every doctor, nurse, and fellow you see in your process is an elite practitioner. They are all truly excellent. The wait for blood work can be long if you come later in the morning, but again, it's a function of a popular practice....[IVF was] 15 to 20k with pgs and icsi, partially covered by insurance.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I went to Dr Rosenwaks after hearing countless stories about his success in treating patients who had suffered failures with other doctors. He presents as the deeply experienced, obsessive practitioner he is. He is the best kind of Doctor: confident, process-oriented, curious, and dedicated to helping patients achieve their goals. He has seen it all, and that gave me confidence that if I put myself in his care, I would get pregnant. He was there for me whenever I needed him, puzzling through scenarios and cracking my code. After a failed transfer, his nurse told me he took my records home to have time to quietly reflect and be sure he hadn't missed anything. He hadn't, we proceeded, and I was pregnant on the next try. He is a consummate professional, so he won't cry with you, but if and when you need that, you can lean on his amazing staff of nurses and the incomparable practice head, Wally. I wanted the most experienced, smartest, devoted, results-oriented Doctor I could find and Dr Rosenwaks is absolutely that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Trust in his experience and in the process. Be patient and know that his success rates are among the best in the world and you will get there if you stay the course.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Rosenwaks is passionate about helping his patients create their families. He is a legend in his profession but still treats every new patient with focus, determination, and compassion. I felt he was extremely invested in my care and his entire staff felt like family to me by the end of the ivf process.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I previously froze eggs at another practice using the same follistim/gonal f/menopur combo protocol from a day 2 start. However, Dr Rosenwaks took a more judicious approach to medicating me, which made the process much easier and produced exactly the result he wanted (15 eggs retrieved, 12 isci embryos, 10 day 5 blastocysts, 5 embryos normal after pre genetic testing). Because I was not overstimulated by Dr Rosenwaks, the entire retrieval process was easier and recovery was much faster.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Kristin)
They are fantastic. Total pros and so invested in your care. They are there for you 24/7.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Because it's the best, it is a busy practice. The good news is that every doctor, nurse, and fellow you see in your process is an elite practitioner. They are all truly excellent. The wait for blood work can be long if you come later in the morning, but again, it's a function of a popular practice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
15 to 20k with pgs and icsi, partially covered by insurance.
Dr. Rosenwaks is very thorough and requires all exams/testing be done there as he really wants accurate info. He always communicated with me directly including calling me on my cell phone when we needed to make an urgent decision....I don't think this [Cornell] clinic has weaknesses. It is efficiently run. All testing/pgs is done in house. Nether embryology is great. Sometimes hard to get someone on the phone initially, but once you are assigned a nurse, email communication is great/fast....$19,000 for ivf with monitoring, ICSI and PGS...Monitoring is very efficient. You come sign in during the window. They call you by when you signed in. You are in and out very quickly.
I don't think this [Cornell] clinic has weaknesses. It is efficiently run. All testing/pgs is done in house. Nether embryology is great. Sometimes hard to get someone on the phone initially, but once you are assigned a nurse, email communication is great/fast....$19,000 for ivf with monitoring, ICSI and PGS...Monitoring is very efficient. You come sign in during the window. They call you by when you signed in. You are in and out very quickly.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Rosenwaks is very thorough and requires all exams/testing be done there as he really wants accurate info. He always communicated with me directly including calling me on my cell phone when we needed to make an urgent decision.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
You can trust him to do the best for you. Cornell is a well run clinic and he is a top notch Doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Rosenwaks takes the time to talk to me realistically, but compassionately. He is honest about my chances, but never puts me down for wanting to continue to try.
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
We used an antagonist protocol with 20 eggs retrieved, 16 mature, 12 fertilized, 5 day 5 embryos (my previous doc said my embryos would not make it to day 5)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Hunter)
She was excellent at answering my questions and getting me my results.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I don't think this clinic has weaknesses. It is efficiently run. All testing/pgs is done in house. Nether embryology is great. Sometimes hard to get someone on the phone initially, but once you are assigned a nurse, email communication is great/fast.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Monitoring is very efficient. You come sign in during the window. They call you by when you signed in. You are in and out very quickly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He [Dr. Rosenwaks] doesn't answer questions to a patients understanding but gets the job done...Don't expect compassion, he will not hold your hand....Hard to talk to but extremely smart....When Kristen called with good news you heard her genuinely happy for us and she cried years of joy when speaking to her the first time after a positive test. When I called to schedule an appointment for my next cycle she insisted I bring my baby that she must meet him and was excited to hear back from me that I was starting again
[Weill Cornell Fertility is] very busy....When Kristen called with good news you heard her genuinely happy for us and she cried years of joy when speaking to her the first time after a positive test. When I called to schedule an appointment for my next cycle she insisted I bring my baby that she must meet him and was excited to hear back from me that I was starting again
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Hard to talk to but extremely smart.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't expect compassion, he will not hold your hand
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He doesn't answer questions to a patients understanding but gets the job done
Describe the protocols Zev Rosenwaks used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Patch, gonal, menopur and ganerelix
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Kristen and hunter)
When Kristen called with good news you heard her genuinely happy for us and she cried years of joy when speaking to her the first time after a positive test. When I called to schedule an appointment for my next cycle she insisted I bring my baby that she must meet him and was excited to hear back from me that I was starting again
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Very busy
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr Zev Rosenwaks is a quiet man but a genius that knows what he’s doing and gave me my three children. ... Dr Rosenwaks explained everything & he made me feel better when I got emotional. He’s not all smiles & warm & fuzzy. ... He’s amazing, he’s a genius! My twins are 16 & my oldest is 19 and I so blessed to be their mother. I thank God & Dr Rosenwaks.
Like I said, I’ve been to 3 others, none compared or came close! They [Weill Cornell] were professional, compassionate, organized & so well-run. I was able to go in early am & able to get to work on time. ... They were great & knew how to deal with all types of patients. They took it all in & responded with compassion & patience. ... I tried at other facilities in Long Island and it didn’t work.
How was your experience with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Rosenwaks explained everything & he made me feel better when I got emotional. He’s not all smiles & warm & fuzzy. I had Doctors like that but I didn’t get pregnant. Dr Rosenwaks just makes sure that you get pregnant. He’s very knowledgeable & is highly competent in every aspect or reproductive medicine.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Please be patient, hormones make you emotional. Just pray or do meditation to get relaxed. Have faith & trust in your doctor. He’ll make it happen.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Zev Rosenwaks is a quiet man but a genius that knows what he’s doing and gave me my three children. He gets the job done. He’s amazing, he’s a genius! My twins are 16 & my oldest is 19 and I so blessed to be their mother. I thank God & Dr Rosenwaks. I tried at other facilities in Long Island and it didn’t work. I’m so grateful that my sister-in-law was working at Weill Cornell at the time & she referred me. It was a hard, emotional time (hormones were all out of whack) but that’s a distance memory! I can’t go by the hospital without getting emotional and feeling a warm, happy feeling if joy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Wally)
They were great & knew how to deal with all types of patients. They took it all in & responded with compassion & patience.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Only strengths, it’s great! Like I said, I’ve been to 3 others, none compared or came close!
They were professional, compassionate, organized & so well-run. I was able to go in early am & able to get to work on time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Zev Rosenwaks at Weill Cornell Medical College.
It was about $10k with our first son but then insurance covered more so our twins were about $5k but that was 15 & 20 years ago.
You can’t put a price tag in the miracle of a child .... you just can’t.
Describe Zev Rosenwaks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr Rosenwaks transferred the current amount of embryos that would take and produce a liable pregnancy.