Dr. Marcelle Cedars and the UCSF team are truly exceptional. I came to Dr. Cedars after two unsuccessful IVF cycles years ago at UCLA that left me uncertain about my fertility. From the first meeting, the difference was clear--she spent real time understanding my history and thoughtfully approached our complex case, including consulting with her ~70-person clinical team. She's incredibly sharp and experienced, while also empathetic and intentional. In my case, that led to a meaningfully better outcome--we were able to freeze 7 embryos--and renewed hope. The entire operation is extremely well run--organized, efficient, and very patient-centered. The admin staff is kind and responsive, the nurses are knowledgeable and reassuring, and the other doctors are a pleasure to work with. Communication around meds and next steps is super clear. Blood draws are quick and painless, and ultrasounds are gentle and efficient. Retrieval day felt calm and well-orchestrated--I felt safe every step of the way. You can also feel the culture she's created--people genuinely seem to enjoy their work and care about patients. Across many visits, I consistently felt well cared for. It's rare to find this level of expertise and coordination in healthcare. read more

I highly recommend Dr. Cedars, who is one of the most compassionate, patient, and knowledgeable physicians that I've ever had. She is thorough and understanding. I never felt rushed in any of her appointments. She has a high success rate for her fertility services. I also love how her office is so modern and clean. read more

We ADORE her!!! Dr. Cedars and her entire team have been absolutely amazinggggggggggggg!!! I couldn't be happier with the care that I've received. I'm going to add more to this soon... read more

I started seeing Dr. Cedars since Nov 2009 and enjoyed all my appointments. No long waits. Pleasant staff. I was late for about 20 min for 1 of my appointments and she still spent 1 hour with me that late afternoon. I asked her questions and made her repeat some of the things she said b/c I was trying to take notes and verify my understanding. She was patient with me and very pleasant. She recently performed a procedure on me and the scar was less than 3/4 the length of my previous one I did in 2004 at another hospital. I'm not sure if it was totally because she was so skillful or because the technology was newer but I was pleased the scars were smaller and I do believe her skills had a lot to do with it. UCSF is one of the best known for infertility in the nation so I would not go anywhere else, even if that means I have to walk into the office to make the appointment b/c I can't get throught the phone line, it's all well worth it at the end. It's an hour commute for me by the way. I also like the fact that I can communicate with her staff via email. read more

Thanks to Dr. Cedars we now have two beautiful daughters! Going through miscarriages and IVF was probably the most challenging time of my life, but Dr. Cedars and her team always explained every option in detail, treated my husband and I with respect, and helped us decide on the best treatment options to pursue. Highly recommend! read more

After reading two negative reviews for Dr. Cedars, I had to weigh in to give her and her staff the 5 stars she deserves. I never do online reviews either. This review is based on our care back in late 2007/early 2008. After 4 years of trying to get pregnant and doing a botched IVF cycle at a private fertility clinic, we finally conceived under Dr. Cedars' care. UCSF is a huge research institution and that makes me feel great that all the doctors' knowledge exceed what you get at a private institution. You might have to put up with bureaucratic issues, but that is a part of any medical system in this country. Save yourself the trouble and don't go to anyplace other than UCSF. They have great doctors and it's worth the effort if your ultimate goal is to have a baby. read more

After 1 1/2 years of trying and one miscarriage, I started seeing Dr. Cedars in July 2009 and we got pregnant naturally in early Dec 2009 after she ordered extensive fertility tests, including the HSG to clear my pipes, and performed a hysteroscopy to remove fibroids/polyps in my uterus. We now have 2 healthy boys without having to go through IUI or IVF. read more

Dr Cedars might be good at giving seminars or at first impressions, but her attention to detail is poor. IVFs are costly, time consuming and emotional. The last thing you need is a doctor who has no time for you. After 2 IVFs with Dr Cedars with no results, she told me "maybe my eggs are not good". She rarely reviewed my file, so I did not take her statement seriously. After switching to a different doctor, I have a beautiful little girl and I am expecting another one. These results came all from ONE IVF at age 43. It was not an accident, it was due to getting care from a doctor who pays attention to each patient and does not use one size fits all approach. All doctors are smart, select one who has strong work ethic and has time for you. It may make a difference. read more

I had an excellent experience working with Dr. Cedars, and her nurse Jill Ford at UCSF, with the exception of a few minor glitches (billing department related). From start to finish I found the staff, the nurses and the doctors to be super professional and very respectful. I felt truly cared for. I have undergone IVF previously in my 20's as a donor, about 12 years ago. That was in Tampa, Florida and it was an awful experience. What I experienced at UCSF was a very different, holistic and respectful approach to the whole process. I feel blessed to be living so close to this facility. This time around, I underwent IVF for a freeze cycle. I'm in my mid 30's and came out of a really long relationship not too long ago. I want kids one day and feel lucky to live in a time when I can freeze my fertility! I knew I wanted to do this a year before I actually came in for my first appointment. At the appointment, I told them that I was absolutely ready to begin right away, and they got me started less than a month later. I was able to take out a loan from Arc Fertility, which was approved in less than 24 hours. If you choose UCSF, they can provide more information on this. Before choosing Dr. Cedars and UCSF, I did a lot of research and studied every clinic in the bay area and all the doctors available, and after considering factors such as commute, etc, I settled on UCSF, and more specifically, Dr. Cedars. I am very happy with this well researched decision! My experience has been excellent. Everything was communicated very clearly at every step along the way both by Dr. Cedars, by Jill and their assistant Ruthie. I got a lot of calls to clarify what was needed, where I was, and to simply check in on me. I really appreciated this. I felt my hand was held throughout, and that's what you need when you are going through something like this on your own. Dr. Cedars is really courteous and kind, and so is her staff. During off hours, I panicked mildly on the day I was starting my injections (Christmas day!). However, many thanks to the doctor who is available for calls after hours, all my questions were answered and it all turned out alright. My medications were monitored very closely and so were all my levels. This is not something I experienced 12 years ago. In the end, the retrieval yielded 19 ocytes of which 15 were frozen for future use. One of the best and most liberating decisions I have made in recent years. I think all women in their mid 30's who don't have children yet but want them should consider this option. We live in a time where we are lucky to have it. The glitches: So I see a lot of negative reviews on here and many are related to billing. Yes, I believe that is something they are working to fix! IF you ignore the billing, the medical practice is excellent. In my case, Arc Fertility's loan came through on time, however it was not showing up in their system. As a result, I was asked to pay up front whenever I would show up for my appointments. Each time I would have to ask the staff to talk to billing. It was always cleared up but it was mildly stressful. The most stressful one being the day before my retrieval, when I was trying to minimize my stress and remain calm in preparation for the surgery. I got a call from a nurse Yolanda who frantically told me that the surgery would not be performed because the payment had not come through. Of course, I was annoyed to get a call like this just 12 hours before. In any case, a few emails fixed the problem. But the problem was unnecessary. I believe they are working hard on fixing this, so if you can look over the billing issues, I highly recommend Dr. Cedars at UCSF for your treatment. read more

Do yourself a favor and stay away from this place - honestly just go anywhere BUT here - Dr Cedars is fine it's just the whole place that has the funk. read more

Dr.Cedars and her team is very efficient and knowledgeable. I had PCOS and was successfully able to get pregnant in my 5th IUI cycle. We were losing hope when every IUI cycle failed, but Dr.Cedars gave more hope and encouragement and she said that I will surely get pregnant within 6 IUI cycles & it worked !! A special thanks to nurse Ruth who was very prompt and helpful !! I wish to give 5 stars but billing dept is not that great ! read more

Dr. Cedars does miracles, just so great, enough to say with the first IVF cycle I did with her it worked, and now I am 3 weeks pregnant! While I have been trying for the past 6 years unsuccessfully, with 2 inseminations and 9 failed ivf cycle that left me hopeless and almost destroyed. Her whole team was also wonderful, and especially especially Jill who supported me and kept my morales high all along. Thank you Dr. Cedars, and thank you UCSF for helping me fulfill my most wanted dream of becoming a mom! read more

The clinic is insanely hard to reach. You can't talk to your doc whenever you want. You can rarely reach them by phone... ive been with them for months but im looking for a second place to go to...i feel like im constantly working around them. 5 doc appointments and they StILL don't know whats going on with me nor have they a diagnosis.."but they think ill be fine.." frustrating people to deal with read more

To be fair, this is not a review about Marcelle Cedars herself, since I have yet to make an appointment much less work with her. I feel compelled to write this review BECAUSE I haven't been able to make an appointment, despite trying for a week and a half. I was refered to Dr. Cedars at the UCSF PCOS Clinic. Since I received the referral I have been trying to set up an appointment with no luck. Every single time I have called to set up an appointment (during business hours and at different times of day) they have sent me to the PCOS clinic line and I've gotten a recording. Twice when this happened the Voicemail was full and I couldn't leave a message. Other times I have left clear messages and they were never returned. Frustrated that I couldn't reach anyone at the PCOS Clinic, I tried talking to someone at the Fertility Clinic line (the PCOS Clinic is a subdivision of the main fertility clinic) to see if I could make an appointment there. They told me no, that I had to make the appointment directly with the PCOS Clinic line. I explained what was going on and that I couldn't reach anyone at that line, they cheerily said they would connect me to someone that could help and connected back to the same line. If I have to hear that message one more time, I'll scream. I have never had such trouble getting in touch with someone just to make a doctor's appointment. It shouldn't be this hard. Maybe Dr. Cedars is amazing, but if this is what one has to go through every time they want to contact her, is it worth the trouble? Somehow I doubt it. read more

I've recommended numerous friends to steer clear, so thought I'd just write a yelp review to point others too. My wife and I went to Dr Cedars about a year ago to go through the IVF process. We recently had a healthy baby girl, so from an outcome perspective we were very happy. However, without getting into specifics, our case was not a difficult one from a "getting us pregnant" perspective. I found the entire process at UCSF to be unorganized, haphazard and unsatisfactory. A few anecdotes... They did a horrible job managing expectations around the # of eggs, and how that might translate to # of usable embryos. The initial egg count was very high, then starting with extraction, eggs started disappearing right and left for reasons we'd never heard of. Somehow our situation went from "OMG you have so many eggs" to "only one usable embryo" in a matter of weeks. Lucky for us, that one took, otherwise we would have been looking at another $20k and a few months. But it was HUGELY stressful for my wife, at a time when stress is the last thing she needed. The entire billing process was ludicrous. Our health insurance provided some coverage for portions of the process, and endeavoring to actually use that insurance was essentially impossible. It was clear the issue was on UCSF's end, not our insurance's. UCSF actually refused to give me the procedure codes for a few of the early diagnostic procedures, which were the ones that were covered. End result, $0 insurance reimbursement. Thanks UCSF! They did a horrible job managing expectations around the process timeline. Start to finish was ~3 months longer than our expectations. On multiple occasions, we were "just missing" cycles and having to wait until the next cycle. We hadn't realized the process was so amazingly long (our own fault), so we were running behind our desired timeframe and very focused on timing (we mentioned this consistently). Then at the end when scheduling the actual implantation, we hear from the nurse that Dr. Cedars is on vacation for 3 weeks with our target implantation date right in the center. They suggested we wait until the next cycle. NFW. It was amazing to hear this right at the last minute, since the whole thing would have been obvious to anyone looking at our schedule with knowledge of her vacation. We ended up doing it on our timeframe, with another doctor (one my wife actually chose not to use after interviewing at the outset). Dr Cedars. I saw her once the entire process. My wife interviewed her at the beginning (so she saw her twice), and chose her and UCSF because (a) Dr. Cedars was recommended by a friend and (b) she felt comfortable with Dr. Cedars. The rest of the time was spent with a dizzy-ing array of nurses, consultants, front desk staff, back office billing people, etc. I never once felt someone was managing our process and experience from start to finish. No idea why we even interviewed specific doctors. PGD testing. We initially used the PGD testing provider UCSF recommended, and were told timing was the same for all of them (there's only 3). The estimated timing from that provider ended up being twice as long as the other two. We only found that out by calling the PGD providers directly, which took some doing since that's not standard industry practice. We were livid given how much we had stressed timing with UCSF through the entire process. Also, in general, IVF seems nowhere near as developed from a science/practice perspective as practioners claim. If you have no other way of getting pregnant, and have the money, by all means its worth it. If you're a borderline case for any reason, its worth stepping back and thinking about general pros/cons of IVF and taking a more realistic view of costs (time, money, headaches, etc.). read more

I can't believe I am doing this but I have to. Dr. Cedars is amazing, I will give her that. The staff leaves so much to be desired. They ordered medication I did not need, when I complained I was told oh well just keep it maybe you will need it next cycle. They don't communicate with each other, I gave Ruth very important information and she just said "you will be fine" when in fact because of what I told her I should not have taken a certain med - thank God I was able to speak with the doctor before hand. There is so much more that went on last cycle... I was very upset and expressed my concern to the doctor. I am going to see her one or two more cycles and then moving on to someone new. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Cedars for a number of years after my previous reproductive endocrinologist left the practice. I am one of those patients who is NOT trying to get pregnant, so I am unusual in that way. However, like all of her patients, I have reproductive medical issues. She spends a ton of time talking to me at every annual appointment. She is always very clear that just because I am not trying to get pregnant, I am important to her. She helped me lose weight and quit smoking. And, since I have a lot of friends that have seen her for infertility, I can say second-hand that she is very successful in that aspect of her practice. read more

Dr. Cedars is amazing. She is kind, thorough, highly intelligent, and instills confidence. We went to her after a miserable experience at another clinic, and we honestly didn't have much hope that we would ever get pregnant. She started with a thorough assessment and diagnostic procedures, and within a month identified a significant issue which was likely a major contributing factor in my inability to pregnant despite 2 years, $30K, multiple IUIs and IVFs. After one round eith Dr Cedars I am pregnant with twins (now in the 2nd trimester) and everything is going very well. She made the IVF process understandable and manageable, and even had us believing things would work out. She even came in on a Saturday on which she was scheduled to be off to do my transfer because of her concern that the transfer could be difficult. The night before our pregnancy test my husband and I agreed that even if the test were negative we felt as if we had received world class care. But.....success! Dr Cedars was also very diligent in following me through week 9 of the pregnancy to make sure everything looked ok, appropriate tests were done, so that when we were released to a "normal" OB we felt confident that things would go smoothly. I believe she is in the highest tier of fertility docs in the country. Since we are having twins we likely won't be going back, but I would recommend her to anyone without hesitation. She is difficult to get in to see, but worth the wait. read more

Dr Cedars is not comparable to any other fertility doctor. I have been trying to get pregnant for almost 3 years. I have consulted with 4 fertility doctors in bay Area and I even did one cycle of IVF overseas. The bottom line is that Dr Cedars is THE ONE. She is so professional and very kind. I am 44 years old and got pregnant after the second cycle of IVF with her. She can do miracles. My husband and I are very happy with her and the whole staff of fertility clinic at UCSF and I recommend them to every woman who is struggling with fertility. read more

After three failed IVF cycles at PFC, we came to Dr Cedars. We now have two beautiful children thanks to Dr Cedars and the staff at UCSF. I was ready to give up. It is hard to say if it is the science or just luck but UCSF worked for us. read more

Dr. Cedars is great - really warm, attentive, and clearly knows her stuff. I did a lot of research prior to my visit, and had several questions to ask her, all of which she listened to patiently and responded to with care. Her level of knowledge really inspired confidence in me. I didn't have any issue with the office staff. In fact, the front desk person was really nice, and talked me patiently through the insurance issues and forms. The nurse who took my vitals was fine. They were very good about making sure they had all the info they needed prior to my visit, and everything went smoothly. I would highly recommend this practice, and I'm so glad I made the appointment despite the poor yelp reviews! I'm not sure why the other 2 folks had a bad experience - maybe things have changed and their service has improved? They did ask me to fill out a customer service survey when I left. Whatever the reason, I would highly recommend Dr. Cedars (and believe me, I have high standards when it comes to health care, since I work in the field). read more

Don't waste your time and find a practice that takes personal (individual) approach. I felt like in a mass fertility farm, where the methodology and treatment is the same for everyone, cookie-cutter - starting from group orientations to the treatments. I met with Dr. Cedars ONCE, the rest was left to careteam, that most of the time again used "procedure" approach, that caused me only waste 1.5 years in this place. They didn't do extensive diagnosis, as a result I thought everything was fine with my tubes and ovaries (and that the problem was only with my husband's low sperm count), but now that i went to another clinic - Bay IVF, it turns out one ovary is not functioning as well as I have problems with tubes. So the IUI that I did at UCSF and paid out of my pocket since my insurance doesn't cover any of that - was a complete waste of my time, money and hopes. I did ask several times for more tests but I was told they were unnecessary... And don't get me started on their billing - I am still receiving bills for the IUI that i paid cash for!! I talked several times with their financial department asking them to correct the mistake and just got my bill again! Oh and if you want to talk to the doctor personally - you would have to pay for another consultation!! At Bay IVF they immediately made me feel special and comfortable, taking time to learn about me, my husband and do all necessary testing. Find a clinic that cares not just about money and production but about what you are actually trying to achieve. I hope this helps and good luck! read more

I just have to say, so far so good. I have been told by a few reproductive specialists that I cannot use my own eggs, and that even though I am 26 years old, my eggs are bad... Well apparently this is not the case. My eggs are good and we are in the process of trying for a baby. Dr. Cedars is so knowledgeable and makes me feel so good about my situation. I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes as planned, but for now I think she is awesome! read more

My husband and I spent a couple years trying to have a baby and faced a lot of roadblocks that led us to Dr. Cedars. She quickly figured out what was going on and performed a simple procedure to correct an issue that was preventing me from carrying a baby to term. She was so compassionate and knowledgable and gave us hope in a time of darkness. I'm so happy to say that she made our dream come true - we recently welcomed a healthy baby girl into our lives and I feel forever grateful to Dr. Cedars. She is truly the best in the business and anyone would be in great hands with her. read more

On the day of our appointment the office staff seemed very confused as to whether Dr. Cedars was there or not . After sending us from place to place, it was eventually determined that Dr Cedars was there. My daughter has a uterine deformity and was told while in school in southern California that she might need surgery. A well respected physician from Standford reviewed the ultrasound and MRI done in southern California and after requesting a second ultrasound, adamantly concluded that surgery was not necessary. We went to Dr Cedars for a second opinion. Without even fully reviewing the results of the tests, she insisted that surgery was inevitable. In spite of two previous ultrasounds and an MRI, she requested yet another in-office ultrasound, after which she tried to convince us that surgery was inevitable Even though she told us that she would get right back to us after confering with her anasthesiologist, she waited two months to contact us again insistent on surgery. The bill submitted to our insurance company for what was to be an hour's worth of office visit came to $3000 and it is still questionable as to whether surgery is necessary. I do not recommend this doctor. read more

Every IVF practice has its staff issues. Some doctors tell you, "it's all about the egg" some doctors tell you "it's all about the odds, keep trying" and some doctors tell you "it's all about the meds". I am here to tell you, it is ALL ABOUT the DOCTOR. I tried 6 IVF cycles with two seperate practices, used two different donors and was told, "just go get another donor and you'll probably need a surrogate". Then I went to see Dr. Cedars and she correctly diagnosed my uterin issues. For nearly two years other doctors were tranfering perfectly good embyos into a uterus that was covered in Asherman's and could not possible allow implantation. Dr. Cedars performed two procedures, the Ashermans is gone and we're proceeding with IVF. If you are a straight forward, no complications case, go anywhere. If not, go to Dr. Cedars and don't look back. Even if you have to manage the staff a little; I can attest to the fact that you'll need to manage staff members where ever you go. After all, you're intelligent, it's your body and they can't possibly remember everything. However, Dr. Cedars does seem to remember everything, or at least she reads the chart carefully before she starts her exams which is something I found Doctors didn't do in the other practices. Good luck. read more