Ilene Fischer, MD

I chose a career in medicine because it allows me to combine my love of science with my desire to help people. As a child, I admired many of the doctors I saw. When I became an obstetrician–gynecologist, I aspired to emulate the high standards and caring nature of those doctors.
My practice is currently focused on gynecologic care, which can involve very personal issues. These include fertility, sexual health, menstruation, contraception, menopause, and cancer. I am attentive and compassionate and offer patients an unbiased viewpoint on treatment options.
I provide both primary care and surgery. I use hysteroscopy—in which a thin, lighted instrument is inserted into the uterus—to manage abnormal uterine bleeding, fibroids, and endometrial polyps. I also perform endometrial ablation, in which the lining of the uterus is destroyed, as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding.
I have expertise in genetic testing and perform it in my office. I determine whether patients are good candidates for it, and I counsel them about their risk of developing certain types of cancer based on their family history. I also educate other doctors, so they can offer hereditary cancer screening.
I am passionate about ensuring my patients have access to new technologies that may improve their health. For example, I offer the Sonata® procedure, which uses radiofrequency energy to shrink fibroids. This procedure, which does not require incisions or stitches, gives women an alternative to hysterectomy or myomectomy, in which fibroids are removed. It allows them to return to normal activity quickly.
During my 30 years of practice, I have developed long and deep relationships with my patients. They often refer me to coworkers or friends because I have helped them solve a difficult problem or insisted they have a genetic test, colonoscopy, or mammogram that revealed a health problem. Other times, people see me because they are not satisfied with the advice or treatment options they were given. Some of my patients are children I delivered years ago, who come to see me at their mothers’ recommendations.
My patients benefit from the NYU Langone specialists I call upon regularly to help address their problems. These include colleagues who specialize in breast surgery, fertility, oncology, robotic surgery, endometriosis, urology, and radiology. These doctors always find time in their busy schedules to see my patients because of our close working relationship.