How to Choose the Best Fertility Clinic in New York City
When you are considering fertility treatment, everything from the clinical credentials of your care team to the location of your fertility clinic to the friendliness of the front desk concierge impacts your experience. Below are a few tips and tricks to help you find the best fertility clinic for your family.
Find the Best Infertility Doctors
We understand that the decision to build your family with the help of a fertility specialist is both an emotional and a medical journey, and it can be overwhelming at first. Prior to starting treatment, reflect on your family building goals and timelines – are you looking to preserve your fertility for the future or start a family now? Are you partnered or single? Do you want more than one child? Are you interested in genetic testing? Different physicians have different areas of expertise and having a clear understanding of your goals will help you determine which doctor is best for you.
Focus on the Best IVF Success Rates
IVF success rates are collected by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and evaluate the percentage of cycles that resulted in a live birth. The “best” IVF success rate is thus a clinic that had the highest number of live births compared to the number of retrieval cycles performed. Because the live birth rate is used to determine a clinic’s success, there is a delay between when the data is submitted and when it is made available to the public, as birth information cannot be obtained until the following year. Several practices may impact a clinic’s results. For example, clinics that perform significant amounts of preimplantation genetic testing cycles – which allow patients to genetically test all embryos created in order to select the best embryo for transfer – may have a higher live birth rate. Additionally, clinics that perform a high number of elective single embryo transfer cycles may have higher success rates, as the risks of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications are significantly higher with multiple gestation pregnancies. More information on IVF success rates can be found here, while the SART Clinic Summary Report for NYU Langone Fertility Center is available here.
Location, Location, Location
The IVF process is notorious for the number of check-ins and appointments that most patients will complete during a cycle. While clinics try to make the patient experience as smooth as possible, if your fertility clinic is in an area that is difficult to get to, you may feel overwhelmed during an already stressful time. While New York City is one of the most navigable cities for travel, any New Yorker will tell you some areas are more convenient than others. When choosing the best fertility clinic for you, consider how you will get there – by car, public transportation, or walking - and choose one that will be easy to get to no matter how you plan on traveling. Ultimately, the best fertility clinic in New York City is one that makes your life a little easier.
“Best Doctor” Lists and Reviews
“Best Doctor” lists by major publications like New York Magazine are a great place to start your search for the best infertility doctor. You may also look to see if a doctor has participated in clinical research or academic studies to advance the safety, success, and affordability of fertility treatments – these physicians may have increased experience in cutting edge techniques or fresh perspectives on fertility treatment protocols. Many patients also look up physician or clinic reviews on sites like FertilityIQ, Yelp, or Google, but patients should understand these reviews are highly subjective due to the individualized nature of fertility care. Reviews can be a useful tool to guide you on your search but should be considered alongside a larger set of criteria when making your final decision.
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The NYU Langone Fertility Center Blog
At NYU Langone Fertility Center, our first job is to support our patients as they become educated about their reproductive health and fertility treatment options. Our blog connects patients with the most up-to-date information, technologies, and insights into fertility care. From egg freezing to IVF to third-party reproduction options, we explore every facet of assisted reproductive technology and empower patients with the knowledge they need to navigate their family building journeys.