Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

So I am new to this...Ive been trying naturally for a 7 months, then with clomid for 5 months and no success.

I have PCOS and my husband has male infertility. My insurance doesnt cover anything so Dr. Kreiner at LIIVF recommends IVF as its the best chance.

I have an appointment with Dr. San Roman next tuesday for a second opinion.

Can anyone provide insight on why they used either dr. and successes they heard?

This is such a hard decision. I know 2 people that used dr. san roman and got pregs...but 1 one of those people used Dr. Keingsberg from LIIVF and didnt...so confused.

Please help.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I went to LI IVF, but saw Dr brenner. I loved them at the melville office.

Dont go off of who got who pregnant...everyone and every protocol is different. Although i know success stories are reassuring, but i dont think you should use that as a deciding factor (unless of course the practice has very poor overall success rates in general). I did 6 IUIs, 1 fresh cycle, 2 frozen cycles and then one more fresh cycle before i got pregnant - all the same place, all the same doctor.

Once you have your second opinion, you may be better in a position to make the decision as you will have to go to who you feel most comfortable. You will be spending a lot of time wtih the staff, office and doctors - you have to be able to trust them.

good luck!

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I have met with Dr. San Roman and just absolutely love his bedside manner. So softspoken with a great personality. I did do an IUI with him but didnt get PG.

I also have met with Dr. Kreiner. His personality is much drier. Haven't done anything with LIIVF yet personally so I can't say on that aspect.......but I have heard success stories on both DR's.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I definitely agree about not basing your decision on how many you know got pregnant from each practice. I also agree about going for a 2nd opinion b/c I didn't and regret not doing that.

I go to LI IVF and I would recommend them overall, but definitely go with your gut and how comfortable you feel with each doctor you meet. Good luck!!

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I did 3 cycles at Lij. I liked my dr but everything felt rushed, impersonal, and cookie cutter. They wanted to charge me 7,000 for Ivf WITH insurance .
I left for LI IVF. They were charging 1,500. Turned out they said no IVF. I did 4 cycles. 1 bfn, 2 m/c, 1 baby kicking me right now :) LI Ivf for me was personal, and sought to get to the bottom of my issues. First it was PCOS, then it was recurrent loss.
The lab - statistically - is better at LI IVF

Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I am former patient like the pp I felt like it was a factory and you would just move along and rushed. I had two failed FETs and decided that I will not go along with them again I moved in to Dr B. I felt as though they can't think outside the box when I told Dr Cohen that I was seeing Dr B he called him controversial. So in the end you receive all these opinions but you need to feel them out and go with your gut. I am grateful for my embies which are being transferred but I feel they are a big waste of time and you have to be your own advocate. Good luck

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I'm a patient of Dr. Brenner's at LIIVF in Lake Success. My decision was based on location, success ratings, and recommendations. Like the other ladies said you have to go with your gut as far as who you like more and weigh the pros and cons of each practice.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Thanks everyone for the advice. Where do u get success ratings? Melville li ivf is much more convenient but I just want to be comfortable as it's all out of pocket cost.

Does anyone know of good reads to get more information on ivf & what it entails. I know what the procedure is but don't know steps to get there & I'm not good with lingo.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

what is 1 bfn, 2 m/c? Sorry new to this lingo.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I did 3 IVF cycles at LI IVF.

The first resulted in an early miscarriage

The second resulted in my now 2 year old son

The third has me knocked up with twins

I used Dr. Brenner.... Good luck!!

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

I agree that you can't based your decision on
The responses here. I went with LIJ while it took me 6 failed IUI attempts and three failed IVF rounds before I got pregnant the first time. The second FE transfer worked on the first shot.
I could see what the OP say about factory but like anything you have to find the right fit and speak up.

The best advice I can give is educate yourself. Go interview a few of them. Ask questions and lots of them and if you don't understand tell them. I say this cause my first IVF round I was blindly just following their lead, no questions asked and didn't know follicle growth sizes and all the levels that go with the blood work. I made them tell me everything and it was a very different experience.

That said you need to find the dr that is your fit. There was one that I did not gel with and requested to never see. I educated myself a bit better and although I had more time with them I did get a BFP.

Also I was told by my ob/gyn to stay away from dr B. For the controversial practice but he does get people pregnant.
Sorry so long, good luck in whatever RE you choose.
There's also grants you can apply for if you insurance doesn't cover your choice and it's less. I never heard of IVF being $1500 the meds alone are more than that.

Message edited 4/13/2014 8:28:51 AM.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

You need to go where YOU feel comfortable. Everyone is right, you need to educate yourself and be your own advocate. I interviewed 3 doctors. All had similar success rates, hours, etc. It came down to who I meshed with better and who I felt was on the same page as ME and DH.

Good luck.

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

If LIIVF charged $1500 for ivf w 75% covered by GHI, then is a cycle there $6000 without insurance? I'm curious? Did that include icsi, hatching, etc? Thanks!

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Re: Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

RS of NY and SIRM charged around $1500 for my IVFs with GHI insurance. I think there is an agreed insurance cost for DRs who accept GHI so it is 25% of that allowed price.

Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

Sorry this is long, but I have been working with him for 3 years….

I've had a great experience with LIJ. Dr. Cohen was recommended to me. I went to him long before I even started with infertility treatments to get his opinion on my fibroid. I knew going in that their was a good chance I was going to have to have surgery, so one of my biggest concerns was that I picked an RE who was a good surgeon and he has one of the best ratings for this.

From the moment we met was great. First of all I never wait for him when we are just meeting. Once I move from the waiting room he is always in his office waiting for me. For the most part my waits are short, even when I am being examined.

My OBGYN had told me the fibroid needed to come out, and I really didn't trust her, so he discussed the fibroid with me and gave me the "scientific opinion" but then said, look, if you were my sister or daughter I'd tell you this. I felt comfortable with every decision we have made.

His nurse is so wonderful and helpful. She answers so many questions, no matter how stupid they are. When I lost my hearing (unrelated) they checked every med I was put on for me, and how it would react to my fertility treatments, until I decided I needed to focus on my hearing and vertigo and stopped trying for a few month.

I've had nothing but good experiences there. All the nurses are so nice and make me feel comfortable, well except when the nurse told me my husband was a rock star (referring to his sperm count), that was a bit embarrassing.

I wasn't so thrilled on the few days I did IUIs on weekends and didn't see Dr. Cohen. Actually 1 dr. I liked a lot, 2 not so much. But I've love Dr. Cohen.

I've had two surgeries with Dr. Cohen and before and after both he was comforting, informative and most importantly great in the operating room. The difficult fibroid removal (myomectomy) surgery I had to spend 3 days in the hospital and I am so glad I went with LIJ because the Katz women's hospital is amazing. Private rooms, clean, really nice, even a pretty courtyard. I felt like I was in a hotel, except of course for the morphine drip and incredible pain. (By the way, even though I live in Islip I am switching to an OB there because thats where I want to have my c-section, I will have to have). Cohen did an amazing surgery and left a scar that is so clean and small, its barely noticeable. He always answers my questions thoroughly and weighs my options.

I'm not pregnant yet and its been a 3 year road, but thats because the problems I have had required surgery.

Now I am starting IVF this week. They originally told me it was probably going to be around $6000 out of pocket after Insurance for IVF. But today when I called for my final number it was $3350 and that includes ICSI. But they broke down every single cost for me and what is covered and what isn't. So I am not feeling overcharged. I think they give you the max cost when they give it to you initially so you can prepare for worst case scenario. They also helped me a ton with my Insurance Company who, because our insurance is through my husbands CT based job, wanted us to follow CT state practices of 6 IUIs before IVF. So they helped me fight them down to accepting the 4 I did and not making me pay for 2 more out of pocket just to do them so they will cover IVF.

Message edited 4/15/2014 11:28:14 PM.

Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

omg found out today (our appt is tonight) that LI IVF may not take our insurance (long story). Have a call into LIJ but it's soooo far. are there any other places on long island ?

Trying to Decide btw LIIVF and LIJ

phew nevermind.