For anybody looking for information on IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology in general there is a page that gives the “Top 50 Blogs for Learning About Assisted Reproductive Therapy”, it can be found at http://www.mastersinpublichealth.net/top-50-blogs-for-learning-about-assisted-reproductive-therapy/ I’m very proud to find that this blog is included in the list – I would never have imagined that when I started the blog!
I have received information on NewLife IVF clinic in Thessaloniki, Greece – their website address is www.newlife-ivf.gr. They have kindly answered the questions in my IVF Cost Letter, which are:
The clinic is a new clinic, and therefore does not have succes rates to report, but here are the answers they have given:
1)We are unable to report success rates at the present moment as we are a new Center of Reproductive Medicine (opened June 2010). All medical and scientific staff are highly qualified and with extensive experience.
2)The cycles that we anticipate to perform the first year are approximately 300, but our facilities can support a workload up to 2500 cycles per year.
3) The maximum age that we treat is up to 50 years old, as specified by the Greek Law.
4)We do not treat HIV positive patients, at the moment, as it is under review by the National Authority for Human Reproduction.
5)According to the Greek Law we obliged to transfer up to 3 embryos in women up to 40 years old and up to 4 embryos above 40 years old.
6)The basic cost of an IVF/ICSI cycle is 3200 euro, excluding medications.
7)The additional costs that may occur in a basic IVF/ICSI cycle are: medications, initial laboratory workup (hormonal profile etc.) and cryopreservation of embryos.
8)The cost will depend on the stage that the cycle is cancelled.
9)For at least 10 days.
10)The patient.
11)It is carried out on an individual basis. Following the initial consultation you can carry out the investigation that we recommend in your own country by your own GP.
12)From your personal health insurance.
13)For patients, staying in Thessaloniki, during the treatment cycle, the monitoring is performed at our Center.
14)The treatment protocol is individualised and your ovarian response will be monitored by sonography and hormone tests to avoid under/over stimulation.
15)Your GP or local hospital. We are available on the phone for any additional information that may be needed 24 hours a day.
16)The Greek Authority for Human Reproduction.
For more detailed information please contact:
Newlife Center of Reproductive Medicine
Email: info@newlife-ivf.gr
Tel. : 0030 2310457770
Fax : 00302310457780
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:
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.
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
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
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
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.
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:
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!
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:
The Clinic Success Rate is 51% for one embryo transfer and 56% for two
41- 42yrs is 25% success rate
Approx 400
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)
Each individual case is taken on its own merit, If we cannot help we an offer assistance in finding another clinic.
A max of 2
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
Travel – £500 (based upon flights, travel and accommodation for the couple)
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.
8 days
IVF Support Services deals with all of the logistics and planning.
The Pre treatment is carried out by the Consultant at his clinic in Essex, he is responsible for all of the pre treatment care.
Prescribed and given by the Consultant at your appointments
By the consultant – you will be given a schedule of appointment dates and times and what will be carried out during those Consultations.
The Consultant will know this from your blood tests and scan during the stimualtion period and the medication can be adjusted accordingly
The Consultant in the UK / IVF Support Services
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
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
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
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.
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
