IVF Cost

My IVF Cost

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:43:30 +0000

After much research and deliberation. Lots of umming and ahing. At last we have actually made the positive move towards our own IVF treatment.

If you would like to follow our journey and see how the IVF cost adds up as we go along then click below.

MY IVF COST JOURNEY

Welcome to Everybody Who is Looking for IVF Cost Information

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:00:59 +0000

Welcome to ivfcost.net. This site was born out of my husband and I being told that we have “unexplained” infertility after 10 years of trying! With finances being tight, and me being 43 and hence not eligible for IVF on the NHS, we were unable to just select the most convenient IVF clinic and pay the price. So we decided to look across the world to see where the best place was that offered good IVF success rates and low IVF cost!

What a job! If you have been trying then you’ve probably struggled as much as we have! So I decided that as I gather information I will share it with others, like yourself.

The first thing I did was try to get an overview of the IVF cost across the globe. The results of this can be found here.

After this I found the contact details for as many IVF clinics as I could and I am in the process of sending them an email (which can be seen here) requesting the IVF cost, IVF success rate and information on the IVF process. I am posting the responses as I get them on this site and have tagged them with the country name. To date I have responses on:

IVF Cost in Argentina

IVF Cost in Australia

IVF Cost in Costa Rica

IVF Cost in Czech Republic

IVF Cost in Denmark

IVF Cost in Georgia

IVF Cost in Greece

IVF Cost in Hong Kong

IVF Cost in the Slovak Republic

IVF Cost in Slovenia

IVF Cost in South Africa

IVF Cost in Spain

IVF Cost in Sweden

IVF Cost in Switzerland

IVF Cost in United Arab Emirates

I have also tagged the responses that I found particularly useful and put them in the tag My IVF Shortlist.

When we started this journey I must admit that it was all very overwhelming. We knew very little about what our options were and what to expect. We scoured the book stores for something that would help us get to grips with the jargon and understand what our test results really meant. The one book that stands out above the others is What to Do When You Can’t Get Pregnant: The Complete Guide to All the Technologies for Couples Facing Fertility Problems by Daniel A Potter and Jennifer S Hanin. This has been our bible to knowing what is going on, what questions to ask and how to make good decisions – we can highly recommend it.

I hope that the information on this site is useful to you. If you have experience with any of the clinics please do leave a comment so that others can benefit from it too.

Sue

Technorati Tags: IVF Cost, Welcome

A Comparison of the IVF Cost Worldwide

admin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:36:46 +0000

Are you trying to get pregnant but have been told you need IVF? Do you have to bear the IVF cost yourselves? Have you been searching for a quick resource that compares the IVF cost around the world? Well now it’s here! Finding a list of the IVF costs worldwide for informed decisions on where you can get cost effective treatment is very difficult – I know I’ve been trying and failed! So I decided to compile one for you. Here are the results – the only up-to-date list of worldwide IVF costs on the internet. This article addresses three areas:

The costs that are incurred for any one IVF cycle
A comparison of the basic IVF treatment cost across the globe.
An estimate of the total basic IVF cost to get pregnant according to age and country based on average success rates.

The first thing you need to understand is how the total cost of an IVF cycle is made up. During any particular cycle the costs will include:

Initial consultation (can be 6% to 10% of the basic IVF treatment cost).

Basic IVF Treatment (varies by country as outlined in Table 1) Usually includes doctor’s fees for egg collection and embryo transfer, embryologist’s fees for intro fertilisation, anaesthetics, ultrasound scans, theatre charges.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (can be 28% to 40% of the basic IVF treatment cost) Creation of embryos by direct injection of sperm into egg, procedure used for male infertility but increasingly common in standard IVF.

Hormonal drugs (can be 20% to 80% of the basic IVF treatment cost) Precise cost will depend on which drugs are prescribed for stimulating the ovaries. A Times Body & Soul survey also found high variation in prices charged by pharmacists.

Embryo freezing Sometimes included in the basic IVF cost. Other clinics can charge up to 20% of the basic IVF treatment cost, plus around 10% of the basic IVF cost per year for storage and between 20% and 100% of the basic IVF treatment cost for later thawing and transfer.

Other investigations Immunological therapies: can be upto 50% of the basic IVF treatment cost. Preimplantation genetic screening, to pick the best embryos: can be 55% to 120% of the basic IVF treatment cost. Both procedures are offered by a few clinics, though there is little published evidence that they are effective.

Regulatory fee (dependant on the country) can be 4% to 5% of the basic IVF treatment cost. Charged separately by some clinics and rolled into the general cost by others.

This IVF cost information was according to The Times, January 10, 2008 – to give an indication of how these will affect the total IVF cost around the world the figures, which originally were for UK clinics, have been converted into percentages of the basic IVF treatment cost, and it has been assumed that the percentages will be similar across the globe. Please note that if you, for example, purchase your homonal drugs in a different country to where you have your IVF treatment then the percentage will not be an accurate reflection of costs. The major extra cost on top of the basic IVF treatment cost that everybody has to bear is the hormonal drugs. The amount of hormonal drugs that are required depend upon your:

age;
length of infertility, and
physical condition of your uterus and endometrium (uterine lining)

Understanding what makes up the IVF cost is important, and a great resource for this, and how to select a clinic can be found here. Bearing in mind what makes up the IVF cost we can now look at the basic IVF treatment cost across the world. It was very difficult to find comparative IVF cost figures from around the world. After much searching I realised that such a resource did not exist. As a start I took some figures from an article in Human Reproductive Update, Vol.8 No.3, 2002, An international survey of the health economics of IVF and ICSI by John A. Collins. The article had determined IVF costs for 26 countries for 2002. Taking an average inflation rate in healthcare expenditure of 3.5% I have used their figures to project these IVF costs forward and give estimates for 2008 and 2009 – these can be seen in Table 1 – all costs have been converted to US$. I then searched the internet and made some personal enquiries to find actual IVF costs now – August 2008. It was not possible to find costs for all 26 countries (although I am still trying!) on the original list from John A. Collins, however I did find the costs for countries that were not on the list. All these costs can be seen on Table 1 - all costs have been converted to US$. To understand the costs that I found there are a few notes that you should bear in mind:

Some of the costs include medication (hormonal drugs) whilst others do not. If the comments column does not indicate whether medication is included or not then I was unable to ascertain if it was included – I will need to make more enquiries.
If there is no figure in the “upper cost” column then the results are only based on one clinic. I had no way of knowing if this would be a cheap or an expensive clinic for that country, but it is a cost that can be achieved there.
If both an upper and lower cost is given then prices for at least two clinics were obtained – again this does not reflect the cheapest and most expensive clinic for that country but the lowest and highest IVF cost that I found.
Even when the cost of medication is given in the comment column, or included in the cost, it must be noted that this can vary according to age and the infertility problem that you have.

Although currently there are still a lot of gaps in the table please keep checking my IVF cost blog as I intend to continue with this research.

TABLE 1: IVF Cost per cycle Worldwide All costs have been converted to US$.

Country	Projected Cost per Cycle		Actual figures found in August 2008		Comments
	2008	2009	Lower cost	Upper cost
Argentina			$4,160		excluding medication
Australia			$5,200	$7,000	including medication
Austria			$3,600
Canada	$5,571	$5,766	$4,300		+2900 medication
China	$2,345	$2,428	$2,400
Czech Republic			$2,500	$3,000
Denmark	$4,613	$4,775	$4,000	$9,000
Dominican Republic			$8,300
Finland	$3,157	$3,267	-	-
Greece			$4,300		excluding medication
Hong Kong	$7,819	$8,093	$10,000		including medication
Hungary			$2,200		+ $1,500 medication
Iceland	$4,856	$5,026	-	-
India	$3,128	$3,238	$690	$1,800
Indonesia	$4,692	$4,856	-	-
Iran	$1,564	$1,618	$5,200
Israel	$4,692	$4,856	-	-
Italy	$5,318	$5,504	$3,150
Japan	$3,910	$4,047	-	-
Jordan	$2,345	$2,428	-	-
Kenya			$5,000
Korea	$1,721	$1,781	$1,600	$3,600
Latvia			$2,500		excluding medication
Lebanon	$6,256	$6,475	-	-
Lithuania			$3,500
Malaysia	$7,037	$7,284	$3,400	$4,600
Netherlands	$2,510	$2,598	-	-	Not possible privately
Norway	$4,370	$4,523	$3,200
Pakistan	$1,564	$1,618	-	-
Portugal			$4,000		excluding medication
Qatar			$2,800
Russia			$3,400		excluding medication
Saudi Arabia	$6,256	$6,475	-	-
Singapore	$7,037	$7,284	$6,300	$10,000
South Africa			$3,000		including medication
Spain			$5,600
Sweden	$5,099	$5,277	$8,000
Switzerland			$3,700	$4,900	excluding medication
Taiwan	$4,692	$4,856	-	-
Thialand	$3,910	$4,047	$3,000	$5,000
Turkey			$3,000		+$1,600 medication
UK	$3,632	$3,760	$7,500	$15,000	Range given by HFEA
Ukraine			$6,500		excluding medication
USA	$11,736	$12,146	$10,000	$15,000	including medication

Having found the basic IVF cost you have to realise that this will not be the total cost that you will pay in order to have a successful pregnancy through IVF. IVF success rates depend on a number of factors including:

age;
number of embryos replaced, and
cause of infertility.

The HFEA (Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority) gives the average success rates from 2005 for each age group as:

29.6% for women under 35 years old;
23.6% for women aged 35 – 37 years old;
18.2% for women aged 38 – 39 years old;
10.0% for women aged 40 – 42 years old;
3.2% for women aged 43 – 44 years old;
0.8% for women aged over 44 years.

Using these figures I have calculated the average total IVF cost for each age group in each country. These can be seen in Table 2.

TABLE 2: Average Total IVF Cost Worldwide All costs have been converted to US$.
Age of the woman	Under 35	35 – 37	38 – 39	40 – 42	43 – 44	Over 44
Average IVF success rate	29.6%	23.6%	18.2%	10.0%	3.2%	0.8%
Average no. of cycles required to pregnancy	3.4	4.2	5.5	10.0	31.3	125.0
Argentina	$ 14,054	$ 17,627	$ 22,857	$ 41,600	$ 130,000	$ 520,000	Based on actual lower cost
Australia	$ 17,568	$ 22,034	$ 28,571	$ 52,000	$ 162,500	$ 650,000	Based on actual lower cost
Austria	$ 12,162	$ 15,254	$ 19,780	$ 36,000	$ 112,500	$ 450,000	Based on actual lower cost
Canada	$ 14,527	$ 18,220	$ 23,626	$ 43,000	$ 134,375	$ 537,500	Based on actual lower cost
China	$ 8,108	$ 10,169	$ 13,187	$ 24,000	$ 75,000	$ 300,000	Based on actual lower cost
Czech Republic	$ 8,446	$ 10,593	$ 13,736	$ 25,000	$ 78,125	$ 312,500	Based on actual lower cost
Denmark	$ 13,514	$ 16,949	$ 21,978	$ 40,000	$ 125,000	$ 500,000	Based on actual lower cost
Dominican Republic	$ 28,041	$ 35,169	$ 45,604	$ 83,000	$ 259,375	$ 1,037,500	Based on actual lower cost
Finland	$ 10,665	$ 13,376	$ 17,345	$ 31,567	$ 98,648	$ 394,591	Based on 2008 projected cost
Greece	$ 14,527	$ 18,220	$ 23,626	$ 43,000	$ 134,375	$ 537,500	Based on actual lower cost
Hong Kong	$ 33,784	$ 42,373	$ 54,945	$ 100,000	$ 312,500	$ 1,250,000	Based on actual lower cost
Hungary	$ 7,432	$ 9,322	$ 12,088	$ 22,000	$ 68,750	$ 275,000	Based on actual lower cost
Iceland	$ 16,404	$ 20,574	$ 26,679	$ 48,556	$ 151,736	$ 606,945	Based on 2008 projected cost
India	$ 2,331	$ 2,924	$ 3,791	$ 6,900	$ 21,563	$ 86,250	Based on actual lower cost
Indonesia	$ 15,852	$ 19,882	$ 25,781	$ 46,921	$ 146,627	$ 586,508	Based on 2008 projected cost
Iran	$ 17,568	$ 22,034	$ 28,571	$ 52,000	$ 162,500	$ 650,000	Based on actual lower cost
Israel	$ 15,852	$ 19,882	$ 25,781	$ 46,921	$ 146,627	$ 586,508	Based on 2008 projected cost
Italy	$ 10,642	$ 13,347	$ 17,308	$ 31,500	$ 98,438	$ 393,750	Based on actual lower cost
Japan	$ 13,210	$ 16,569	$ 21,485	$ 39,103	$ 122,196	$ 488,783	Based on 2008 projected cost
Jordan	$ 7,924	$ 9,938	$ 12,887	$ 23,454	$ 73,294	$ 293,177	Based on 2008 projected cost
Kenya	$ 16,892	$ 21,186	$ 27,473	$ 50,000	$ 156,250	$ 625,000	Based on actual lower cost
Korea	$ 5,405	$ 6,780	$ 8,791	$ 16,000	$ 50,000	$ 200,000	Based on actual lower cost
Latvia	$ 8,446	$ 10,593	$ 13,736	$ 25,000	$ 78,125	$ 312,500	Based on actual lower cost
Lebanon	$ 21,134	$ 26,507	$ 34,372	$ 62,557	$ 195,490	$ 781,960	Based on 2008 projected cost
Lithuania	$ 11,824	$ 14,831	$ 19,231	$ 35,000	$ 109,375	$ 437,500	Based on actual lower cost
Malaysia	$ 11,486	$ 14,407	$ 18,681	$ 34,000	$ 106,250	$ 425,000	Based on actual lower cost
Netherlands	$ 8,480	$ 10,636	$ 13,792	$ 25,101	$ 78,442	$ 313,767	Based on 2008 projected cost
Norway	$ 10,811	$ 13,559	$ 17,582	$ 32,000	$ 100,000	$ 400,000	Based on actual lower cost
Pakistan	$ 5,282	$ 6,625	$ 8,591	$ 15,636	$ 48,863	$ 195,452	Based on 2008 projected cost
Portugal	$ 13,514	$ 16,949	$ 21,978	$ 40,000	$ 125,000	$ 500,000	Based on actual lower cost
Qatar	$ 9,459	$ 11,864	$ 15,385	$ 28,000	$ 87,500	$ 350,000	Based on actual lower cost
Russia	$ 11,486	$ 14,407	$ 18,681	$ 34,000	$ 106,250	$ 425,000	Based on actual lower cost
Saudi Arabia	$ 21,134	$ 26,507	$ 34,372	$ 62,557	$ 195,490	$ 781,960	Based on 2008 projected cost
Singapore	$ 21,284	$ 26,695	$ 34,615	$ 63,000	$ 196,875	$ 787,500	Based on actual lower cost
South Africa	$ 10,135	$ 12,712	$ 16,484	$ 30,000	$ 93,750	$ 375,000	Based on actual lower cost
Spain	$ 18,919	$ 23,729	$ 30,769	$ 56,000	$ 175,000	$ 700,000	Based on actual lower cost
Sweden	$ 27,027	$ 33,898	$ 43,956	$ 80,000	$ 250,000	$ 1,000,000	Based on actual lower cost
Switzerland	$ 12,500	$ 15,678	$ 20,330	$ 37,000	$ 115,625	$ 462,500	Based on actual lower cost
Taiwan	$ 15,852	$ 19,882	$ 25,781	$ 46,921	$ 146,627	$ 586,508	Based on 2008 projected cost
Thialand	$ 10,135	$ 12,712	$ 16,484	$ 30,000	$ 93,750	$ 375,000	Based on actual lower cost
Turkey	$ 10,135	$ 12,712	$ 16,484	$ 30,000	$ 93,750	$ 375,000	Based on actual lower cost
UK	$ 25,338	$ 31,780	$ 41,209	$ 75,000	$ 234,375	$ 937,500	Based on actual lower cost
Ukraine	$ 21,959	$ 27,542	$ 35,714	$ 65,000	$ 203,125	$ 812,500	Based on actual lower cost
USA	$ 33,784	$ 42,373	$ 54,945	$ 100,000	$ 312,500	$ 1,250,000	Based on actual lower cost

The chance of a pregnancy through IVF is increased if more embryos are replaced. The more embryos that are replaced the greater the chances of a multiple birth, since each embryo has a chance of developing to full term. Since multiple births is the single greatest risk to health in IVF the HFEA in the UK have imposed restrictions on the number of embryos that can be transferred in IVF to a maximum of two for women under the age of 40 and a maximum of three for women aged 40 or over who are using their own eggs (if you are using donated eggs the maximum is two). In India, however, these restrictions do not apply and six or seven embryos can be replaced at any one cycle, hence increasing the chances of pregnancy but also increasing the risks. To date I do not have details of the legal limits in all of the countries, however if you keep checking my IVF Cost blog I do intend to continue with this research. The cause of infertility is very specific to you. It is not an area which I will address at the moment. Having an estimate of the total IVF cost in each country now puts you in a position to be able to make an informed decision on the best country to focus on for your IVF treatment. India clearly comes out as the cheapest country on IVF cost. India also has the benefit of a vast amount of experience – they were the second country in the world to have a successful pregnancy with IVF, only a couple of month after the UK in 1978. In India many of the doctors have been trained and have practised in the West and are fluent in English. However, if you are from Europe and want to stay closer to home, Hungary (a beautiful country, and so clean. I have had personal contact with one of the clinics there and their communication was excellent) and Latvia (I have never been so I cannot comment) appear very good options. For a truely excellent, must-read book for helping you with the issue of infertility click here.

Technorati Tags: IVF Worldwide Costs

IVF Cost at Instituto Bernabeu, Spain

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:56:20 +0000

One of my readers recommended this clinic as she said she was undergoing IVF with them. I sent them my list of questions regarding the IVF cost, IVF success rates and IVF procedure and received a reply the same day. This is what they have to say:

thank you very much for your interest in our clinic. It will be a pleasure answer to you, hope you will find it quite complete!

1. What is the current success rate for your clinic? (preferably by age as I know that the success rate will be much lower for somebody of my age)

The age of the patient is very important regarding an IVF tretament but the most important date is the result of the hormon level. We should consider that not always the age of the patient is related to the hormons level. Before confirm any proceeding we should ask for the hormon blood test and a scan of the patient. With these results we can make a better prognosis.

Anyway our current average by success rate is 50%.
2. How many cycles do you perform per year at the clinic?

At our clinic we are performing hundreds IVF cycles considering national and international patients.
3. What is the maximum age that you treat?

It’s depends of the hormon level, for an IVF Tretament normally not over 40 yaers old and for egg donation not over 50.
4. Are there any fertility conditions that you will not treat?

The doctors should analyse the specific situation, like brest cancer or ovarian cancer i reckon you mean, or very specific desease.
5. What is your embryo transfer policy? How many embryos will you replace at one time?

The spanish law allows to transfer no more than 3 embryos, we are performing transfer of 2 good quality embryos.
6. What is the basic cost of the IVF treatment?

The basic cost of IVF is 5.000 euro ( drugs, icsi and accomodation excluded), I sent you the price list for more details.
7. What additional costs would / could be incurred?

the drugs: about 1.000 euros

the Icsi fertilization only if needed 1.000 euros.

the accomodation and flights costs.
8. What happens to the costs if the cycle has to be abandoned?

It depends on the reasons of the cancellation and as well on the time the treatment is cancelled. Each situation must be discussed with our financial dpt.
9. How long would I need to be in Spain for?

You should be in Spain for the last part of the treament until the embryotransfer, that’s mean not less than 8 days.
10. Who deals with the logistics of flights and accommodation?

We can book for you an Hotel, we have at your disposal a list with the best hotels in Alicante and we have at your disposition a personal friver from the airport to the Hotel at your arrival.
11. How is the pre-treatment carried out?

I don’t know about the pre-treatment, what do you mean with it?
12. How do I get medication?

You have 2 opcions, buy in Spain the drugs you need for the stimulation or get the prescripction from your IVF clinic in UK or by your gynaecologist in uk.
13. How will I be monitored?

We will prepare a daily planning of your treament, you should follow all our indications, when and at what time get the injections, when perfomr the scans…..
14. How will I know that I am not being under / over stimulated?

You won’t be any of them because we will give you the right dosis of drugs (depending on you hormonl levels) and you will perform scans almost every two days.
15. If I have a problem whilst in the UK who would I go to?

Do you mean a healty problem? Well, you are controlled by your gynaecologist almost every two days, so it must be quite safe and undercontrol
16. Is the clinic registered with any regulatory body?

In Spain all the fertility clinics are controlled by ANACER, and we got in the last 2 years the ISO 9001 and last year the FQM, thanks to our high quality standards. If you want to know more please visit our web site www.institutobernabeu.com

I wish you a ncie evening!

This is the price list that was attached to the email response:

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION IFV

IVF CYCLE………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………… 5.000,00 €
• Oocyte Echo Collection (Pick up):
Ovulation Control: ultra-sound scan, analysis and controls
Room and operating room.
IVF Lab.
Anesthesiologist.
• Embryo’s transfer.
Embyo’s Cryopreservation…………………400,00 €
Cryopreservation over 4 Embryos…………600,00 €
Embyo’s Custody (yearly)…………………. .300,00 €

SPERM MICROINJECTION (If procedeed)……………………………………………………..….……….……… 1.000,00 €

FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER
• Cryo – Cicle. (includes all the process, analysis and clinic controls, Thawing and Transfer of the
frozen Embryos)……………………………………………………………………………………………. …. 2.100,00€
• If the Embryo’s transfer doesn’t take place…………………………………………………………1.600,00€

SEROLOGAL-Analyses ( HIV- Hep.B +C – Syphilis)………………………………………………………………………………62,00 €

SMEAR- Test……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..40,00 €

Sperminogram………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..100,00€

TUNEL –Test ( Fragmentation DNA Test)……………………………………………………………………………………………250,00€

FISH (Genetic sperm-test)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….300,00€

Sperm Cryopreservation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………100,00€

Sperm’s Custody (yearly)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..200,00€

TESTICULAR PUNCTION (If proceded)……………………….………………………….…..…….…………..………..500.00 €
Room stay
IVF Lab
Local anesthesy

TESTICULAR BIOPSY with general anesthesy (If required)………………………….…………….……………….1.300,00 €

SPERM DONATION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….500,00 €

**********************************************************************************************************************************
The matters affecting this price list will be discussed only with our Administration Department.
This price list is valid for 3 months. The medicine is NOT included in this tariff form. If the embryo’s transfer
doesn’t take place, the amount of 200,00 Euros will not be paid.

Technorati Tags: Spain

IVF Cost at ISCARE, Slovak Republic

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:24:20 +0000

After having had IVF treatment at ISCARE in the Slovak Republic, a reader has very kindly compiled the cost information and given an account of their experience at the clinic to share with you.

The web address for the clinic in English is http://www.iscare.sk/?lang=en

ISCARE IVF Costs:

Basic IVF cycle:
1. Egg collection with embryo transfer – 995.8 euros
2. Stop cycle – 166 euros

IVF cycle with soft stimulation
1. Collection and embryo transfer – 763.5 euros
2. Stop cycle before egg collection – 50 euros

IUI
1. Married couple – 50 euros
2. Donor – 150 euros

Cycle monitoring with preparation – 100 euros
Protocol of stimulation – 116 euros

ICSI 1-3 collected occytes – 216 euros
ICSI 4 and more oocytes – 450 euros
AZH – 183 euros
Extended cultivation of embryo - 100 euros

Cryopreservation

Embryo freezing – up to 1 year – 150 euros

Embryo freezing – additional year – 66 euros
KET – 150 euros
Sperm freezing up to 1 year – 50 euros
Sperm freezing – additional year 33 euros

MESA, TESE – 970 euros
Spermcount – 9 euros
IVM – 135 euros

PiGD 1-3 embryos – 880 euros
PiGD 4-6 embryos – 1200 euros
PiGD every other embryo (above 6) – 83 euros

Readers First Hand Experience with ISCARE

Medicine I used: Gonal, Cetrotide, Pregnyl, Utrogestan, Estrofem
Unfortunately I do not recall full price of medicine as I had it partialy covered by insurance:
I payed for Gonal and Cetrotide – 330 euros
Utrogestan 14 euros

In general I was quite happy with the clinic and my doc (Dr. Lubica Petrova). She was very helpful and always answered all my questions.
Clinic is situated in nice villas neighborhood, near down town (15 mins walk). It is nothing fancy, but good standards. Rooms have 2 beds, 2 rooms are sharing 1 bathroom.
Staff was friendly in general (except from 1 scrub nurse-very unpleasant grumpy person), they speak various languages – English, Italian, German, Hungarian, French), we communicated easily.
My only unpleasant experience was before collection when I lied down on the table in operating room, put my feet up in the stirrups and have my private parts exposed for few minutes before anesthesia hit me. There was no preservation of patients decency at any stage. I was wearing long t-shirt style pyjama (you have to bring it yourself). Staff was walking around, male nurses as well, and I felt very uneasy about it.
After oocyte collection I stayed in bed for few more hours.
They collected 7 oocytes (i m 37 years old), 5 were mature and 2 got fertilized and 3 days later transferred.
Transfer wasn’t so unpleasant – maybe because the nursing team was more friendly and females only. My doctor did both collection and transfer herself.
After transfer I got my first the ultrasound picture and they moved me to bed where I stayed few more hours. I received 1 shot of pregnyl immediately after the transfer and was told to drink 4 l of liquids for 2 weeks to avoid hyper stimulation syndrome.
on day 15 i did my HCG blood test, unfortunately it was negative.

Although the person requested anonimity in this posting I am sure if you have any questions she would be happy to help – just post them here or contact me through the “contact us” button at the top of the page and I will forward them to her. I would like to express my gratitude to her for sharing this information, and if there is anybody else who would be happy to share their experiences in this way I will be more than happy to publish them on the site.

Technorati Tags: IVF Cost, Slovak Republic

Visit and Care – a great idea to help you choose your IVF clinic

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:35:55 +0000

I received an email from Deedee of Visit and Care recently explaining the services that they offer to those of us looking to have IVF treatment. No we know how difficult it is to choose which clinic to go to, it’s the part that we struggled with the most, and to have a service where somebody who knows the process is there to hold your hand and help you through it sounds like a brilliant idea – especially when it does not cost you any extra! I asked Deedee if she would write a little about their services so that I could post it here. Check it out, and if you want to contact Deedee all her details are at the bottom of this post.

Here’s what Deedee says:

Why choose VisitandCare.com?

The cost of IVF can vary greatly between destination and between clinics in those destinations. Patients researching the cost of IVF often consider options with infertility clinics at home as well as abroad. For many patients, the cost of IVF treatment can be up to 70% lower abroad. www.visitandcare.com is dedicated to providing patients with all options when it comes to finding the treatment destination that is right for them.

We can provide the costs for the following treatments for both heterosexual and non heterosexual patients seeking IVF:

IVF with ICSI

IVF with Egg Donation

IVF with Sperm Donation

IVF with Embryo Donation

IVF with Gender Selection

Micro TESE

Surrogacy

Surrogacy with Egg Donation

Researching the different treatment options can be time consuming and confusing – that’s where www.visitandcare.com can help. As medical facilitators, our patient coordinators work with IVF clinics and hospitals in 15 countries worldwide and help patients contact these clinics to ask questions, book treatment and research their options. Services through www.visitandcare.com are free to patients – if the IVF treatment costs $5,000 in your chosen destination, then that is the price you pay. Our patient coordinators are available by phone or online to answer any questions you may have throughout the IVF process.

Some of our service benefits include:

* Free-Instant Online Quotes

* Personal relationship with our Patient Coordinators to ensure that all of your questions and concerns are addressed in a timely manner.

* Secure and sufficient communication with doctor and/or medical staff

* Virtual Consultations with our highly trained and experienced medical professionals

–
Ms.Deedee Yoruk
International Patient Manager
Calling from the UK: 0 (20) 8816 7668
Calling from the US: +1 714 912 2893
Office: +90 (212) 573 0221
Fax: +90 (212) 573 8909
Skype ID: visitandcare-deedee
http://twitter.com/visitandcare
deedee@visitandcare.com
http://www.visitandcare.com

Why choose VISITANDCARE.COM? Our team is comprised of professional individuals who represent the clinics and hospitals on the site to ensure fast and accurate responses. Our team can help get any and all your questions answered in a timely manner including free e-consults, and best of all, all of this at no extra charge to you!

Technorati Tags: Choosing an IVF Clinic, IVF Information, IVF Worldwide Costs, U.K., USA

IVF Cost with IVF Support Services – Sweden / UK

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:32:31 +0000

If you are based in the UK there is a service offered by IVF Support Services that combines treatment in the UK and Sweden – pre treatment in the UK and the final leg in Sweden. Here are the details and answers to the questions from my letter requesting information on the IVF cost, IVF success rates and IVF procedure.

The questions I have regarding treatment at your clinic are:

What is the current success rate for your clinic? (preferably by age as I know that the success rate will be much lower for somebody of my age)

The Clinic Success Rate is 51% for one embryo transfer and 56% for two

41- 42yrs is 25% success rate

How many cycles do you perform per year at the clinic?

Approx 400

What is the maximum age that you treat?

42yrs old ( we also offer programmes in Denmark for 42-46yrs old and St Petersburg up to 49yrs for egg and sperm donation and embryo adoption)

Are there any fertility conditions that you will not treat?

Each individual case is taken on its own merit, If we cannot help we an offer assistance in finding another clinic.

What is your embryo transfer policy? How many embryos will you replace at one time?

A max of 2

What is the basic cost of the IVF treatment?

We offer a fixed price programme for Sweden including all pre treatment, viral screening, blood tests, scans, Consultations with the Consultant here, Medication, IVF Support Services support throughout, Egg collection, ICSI if required, Blastocyst cultivation if suitable, assisted hatching if needed, transfer, then final stage of 2 week wait care in the UK, continued support and access to the consultants throughout – £7500

What additional costs would / could be incurred?

Travel – £500 (based upon flights, travel and accommodation for the couple)

What happens to the costs if the cycle has to be abandoned?

The payment is broken down into stages so that you only pay for each stage as you have it, so for example if you did not go to Sweden as the cycle was abandoned you don’t pay for that part, the same with the medication its broken down so you pay for each medication as you receive it.

How long would I need to be in Sweden for?

8 days

Who deals with the logistics of flights and accommodation?

IVF Support Services deals with all of the logistics and planning.

How is the pre-treatment carried out?

The Pre treatment is carried out by the Consultant at his clinic in Essex, he is responsible for all of the pre treatment care.

How do I get medication?

Prescribed and given by the Consultant at your appointments

How will I be monitored?

By the consultant – you will be given a schedule of appointment dates and times and what will be carried out during those Consultations.

How will I know that I am not being under / over stimulated?

The Consultant will know this from your blood tests and scan during the stimualtion period and the medication can be adjusted accordingly

If I have a problem whilst in the UK who would I go to?

The Consultant in the UK / IVF Support Services

Is the clinic registered with any regulatory body?

Yes, the same as in this country Sweden has its own version of the HFEA and the clinic is registered with them – National Infertility Board of Sweden (IRIS). One of the Consultants also sits on the Board.

Tamsin Bowers
IVF Support Services
www.ivfsupportservices.com
07800903435

Technorati Tags: Sweden, U.K.

My IVF Cost – the Mammogram

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:27 +0000

So after our eventful trip to Hungary we were left with two things to sort out before I could start taking the IVF medication – my thyroid and a mommogram.

The doctor retested for my thyroid (which delayed things yet another week) and then prescribed me thyroid tablets, which he says I will be on for life – I hate taking tablets! I knew I had been very tired lately but I thought it was because I was working long hours pretty much seven days a week. When I started taking the tablets it was like I was born again! The difference is amazing, I feel like I am alive again! Obviously it wasn’t the hard work that was running me down!

So then came the mammogram, apparently the IVF stimulation drugs affect the breasts so it is important that they are checked to ensure there are no problems before you start taking the IVF medications. In the UK they will not do a mammogram screening on the NHS under the age of 50 unless you have a problem. Since I did not have a problem this meant that I would have to pay privately for the mammogram. I called a few private hospitals to get a price:

BUPA £179, but they had £20 off if I went before the end of the month

Nuffield Hospital £178.50

BMI £101

No competition – I went for BMI. The radiologist was great, and what a difference from going on the NHS – your appointment time is kept to and they even give you coffee and biscuits afterwards!

I have been verbally told that everything is fine, just waiting for the images and report to come through.

IVF cost so far £752.60

Technorati Tags: IVF tests, MY IVF Cost

My IVF Cost – The Medications

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:06:28 +0000

On leaving the Kaali Inst. we walked down the hill (it’s quite a steep hill so the lovely heeled boots came off in favour of a nice comfortable pair of flats!) to the road at the bottom where the pharmacy was – the Deli Gyogyszertar. It was about a 10 minute walk.

In the pharmacy Esther, who served us, was great. It turned out she had lived not far from us in the UK for a year, so her English was very good. The IVF medications we received were:

Provera 5mg tablets x30 which cost HUF 746 (approx. £2.47) – to be taken for 12 days to provoke a menstruation

Gonal-F 45ONE/0.75ml injection which cost HUF 50,174 (approx. £166.34) – to be injected once a day for 5 days from day 2 of the bleeding

Merional 75 injection (2 boxes) which cost HUF 3,862 (approx. £12.80) – to be injected twice a ay for 5 days from day 2 of the bleeding

IVF Cost so far £491.17

The Gonal-F needs to stay in the fridge. When I asked if it would be OK until we got home Esther kindly found a small cool box and cool block to put it in for the journey – no extra cost!

So now we were kitted up with all our medication, excited and apprehensive at the same time, we had a drink and caught a taxi to the airport (cost HUF $5,000 approx. £16.58)

IVF Cost so far £507.75

When we arrived at the airport our next concern was how to get all this medication – of which the majority was liquid injections and the clinic had given us all the needles required – through customs since we were only carrying hand luggage and there are strict restrictions on carrying liquids and sharp objects. We asked a few people if it would be OK to take through as hand luggage, thinking that we may have to check our bag in and pay the extra for it, but most seemed to agree that it would be OK. We explained as we went through customs that we had medication, and some was in a cool bag instead of the required clear plastic bag. They were great. There was no problem at all, but it was secure, they took some sort of swab from around the cool block and checked it in a machine, then we were on our way.

We sat out on the balcony with a drink, watching the planes. I said that I thought we didn’t seem to have enough medication. We checked what we had. The tablets were fine, the Gonal-F was fine, it was the Merional that was worring me. Peter Kovacs had explained to us that this was a liquid and a powder in each box. I would need to put the liquid from one of the boxes in with the powder from that box, then draw this out with a needle and put the mix in with the powder from a second box, discard the liquid from the second box and then inject what I have in my stomach. I would need to do this twice a day for five days – but I only had two boxes. My husband said that maybe that lasted the whole five days – I didn’t think so, there was only a small amount and if it did not activate until you mixed the liquid with the powder then it wouldn’t stay active for five days! I reckoned I should have had 20 boxes. Anyway, I thought I would email Peter Kovacs on our return and if the worst came to the worst we would have to purchase the rest in the UK.

We boarded the plane – on time this time – and suddenly there was an announcement requesting that I go to the front of the plane. This had never happened before, we thought it must be something to do with the medication we were carrying. When I got to the front I was told that I had forgotten something and handed a plastic bag and a note. In the bag was 18 boxes of Merional and the note was from Esther at the pharmacy stating that she had made a mistake and did not want us to leave without the correct medication. The additional cost would be €128 and we could sort out the payment via email once we arrived home.

We could not believe it. It was not as if we had already paid for the medication and not been given it, we had not paid for it. It turns out that Esther, only knowing my name from the prescription and that we were catching a flight back to somewhere in the UK some time that day, had driven to the airport and spent three hours trying to find us. When she did determine which flight we were on we had already boarded. After a very persuasive conversation with customs she managed to get them to agree to bring the medications on board for me – even though she did not have any payment, or guarantee of payment for them. Now that is what I call service, I doubt if that would happen in the UK!

On our return we sorted out the payment – although the pharmacy did add a transfer fee making it €145 and I had to pay a transfer fee this side, so the total I ended up paying for the additional 18 boxes was £143.85 when it should have only been HUF 34,758 (approx. £115.16) had the prescription been given correctly in the first place.

IVF Cost so far £651.60

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My IVF Cost – the first appointment

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:28:27 +0000

So, our first consultation was set for 26th October 2009. We had booked our flights out for the morning of the 25th, returning in the early evening of the 26th. Our initial appointment was scheduled for 14:30 on the 26th which meant that it was going to be very tight for us catching our flight back, however Dr. Peter Kovacs was incredibly helpful and he moved our appointment to 11:30 so that we had plenty of time – having now been there I’m surprised he managed to do this considering how busy the clinic is!

The cost of the flights from the UK (Luton Airport) to Budapest and a hotel room was £214.86 for the two of us, booked through lastminute.com using Wizz Air and staying at the Atlas Hotel – we thought this was very good value, and certainly far better than any other deal I could find given the inflexibility of the dates and the amount of notice.

IVF Cost so far £214.86

We turned up at the airport in good time (not something we are very well known for!), boarded the plane on time, then started moving for take off. Suddenly the engines stalled and there was a smell of fuel. We waited in our seats while they tried to restart the engines, then while they were supposedly resetting the on board systems. Chug, chug, chug and another strong smell of fuel told us that this plane was going nowhere. We were sent back into the airport to wait. We were supposed to have taken off at 08:05. The first notice came up and told us that we would be delayed until 14:00. We couldn’t believe it. A SIX hour delay – such a delay doesn’t happen very often nowadays, especially when the flight is only 2.5 hours. Apparently they were having to fly in a replacement part that was needed. So we sat it out. At almost 15:00 we were told that the delay was now until 16:00. At gone 17:00 we were told that the flight was canceled!

This was it. All that planning, all that research, all that umming and arhing about where to go, and when we finally made a decision and got moving with it then this happens. All I could think was “This is just not supposed to be”, and the tears started falling down my cheeks. A lady from the airline heard that we had an appointment and went to see if she could find us any other flight with any other airline that would get us there on time. It was bad news, there was none. More tears!

Suddenly the airline changed their minds. They said they were going to fly another plane in and we would go – now scheduled for 21:00 – there was still hope. When 21:00 came and went we were not distressed because we were now in a queue for boarding and we could see the plane; and sure enough, after over 13 hours sat in Luton Airport (not fun I assure you!) we were eventually airborne!

We had arranged to have dinner on the Sunday with a lovely lady who I had been in touch with through this blog and who had already completed her first cycle at the Kaali Inst. Unfortunately, to our great disappointment, that never happened as we arrived at the hotel at almost 01:30 on Monday morning – but at least we were there! Because we were so late we had to get a taxi to the hotel – HUF 4,800 (Hungarian Forint), approximately £16.

IVF Cost so far £230.86

The next morning we took a taxi to the Kaali Inst. (HUF 2,800, approx. £9.25). It is off a steep hill down a small private road. The place is beautiful, extremely well kept. You walk into a wood clad waiting room that looks very elegant, and was surprisingly full – this actually gives you confidence, if this many people are here it must be good! The receptionists were lovely, their English was more than adequate, and we were made to feel very comfortable. We had arrived early so we sat in the waiting room, now feeling much less apprehensive about our choice of clinic.

When we were called in to Dr. Peter Kovacs office for our consultation there was an acknowledgment of our numerous communications (through the blog I have often emailed him with readers questions) but the focus was fully on us and the procedure that was facing us. Peter Kovaks went through all the result that we had from the pre-appointment tests and explained the probabilities of success with IVF. I then had an ultra sound scan and a programme of treatment was drawn up. There are two things I need to sort out before the treatment can begin. Firstly I need a mammogram and secondly it was found that I have a problem with my thyroid so Peter Kovacs wants me to sort that out through my GP before the treatment starts which will cause approximately a four week delay in the starting date.

We were given a prescription for all the medications we would need – we said that we would prefer to buy them in Hungary as they would be cheaper – along with a map and directions for finding the pharmacy.

When we came out of the appointment both my husband and I said how comfortable we felt with Peter Kovacs and how he instilled confidence. He was very professional, and seemed to know just how much detail we needed. His English is perfect, and he is very upfront about the probabilities of success – he certainly does not try to give you false hope, but at the same time there is no doom and gloom story. As my husband said, he couldn’t imagine finding anybody better to undertake something so sensitive and important.

The medications that were prescribed to me include:

Provera

Gonal-F and

Merional

We were charged HUF 13,000 (approx. £43) for the consultation, which lasted about 1.5 hours, and HUF 8,000 (approx. £26.45) for the ultra sound – our next stop, the pharmacy!

IVF Cost so far £309.56

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