Basically I was recommended a clinic in Barcelona because a friend of mine got pregnant there. She told me to ask for Dr. Olivares (I think he was the medical director) so I got in touch with them but, unfortunately, they told me that he was no longer working there. That was 2 months ago.
Since my friend insists on seeking for that doctor I started searching his name on the net and, luckily, I found out that he was about to open a new clinic, called BarcelonaIVF, with some staff from the first clinic I contacted. I managed to get their email (in their web site www.barcelonaivf.com) and started to ask questions and questions. They’re really fast solving concerns and doubts, you can expect to get an answer on the same day almost regardless of how many emails you send. At least this is what my contact, Romana, has done in fluent English. Moreover, despite not being cheap (egg donation costs 8950€), I like the way they manage the payments. One single payment for the treatment that should be done before your donor is assigned, but it includes egg donor selection tests, medication for both, the donor and me, any procedure that they think can help to achieve a better outcome -including IMSI, a technique that it only available in a handful of clinics- and the freezing of the surplus embryos you may have. That’s great because it allows you to focus really only on the treatment.
They also have two other things that sound really good. One is the “shared donor program” in which the donor (a “dedicated” donor, not a patient, is sharing her eggs) is shared amongst couples. They guarantee you’re going to get three good oocytes to ensure a good fresh embryo transfer. If the obtained embryos are not of goof quality, they reassign you to a new donor at no cost. It’s much cheaper than a normal egg donation (2950€) and it also includes everything. The only drawback is that if you choose this way, there won’t be any physical matching between donors and recipients (they say it’d take too long to match two or three couples with a single donor).
The other product I like is the “shared risk program”. I read about it in some US clinics websites. Basically you pay for three cycles before starting the first one and if you get pregnant (well not just getting pregnant, they talk about “ongoing pregnancy”, that means that the pregnancy goes beyond 13 weeks) they’ll charge you the whole amount (that would be 27.000€ in egg donation), this would be the patient’s risk. But if they don’t manage to get you pregnant after 3 attempts, then they refund you 75% of the money you’ve paid (that would be the clinic’s risk) I don’t know if I understood and explained it well… Otherwise please let me know and I will try to get more information. Or maybe you have experience with this kind of program…. However, I think, this would allow you to get some money back in case the treatment doesn’t work and to move on to any further treatments or even consider adoption. Well, to be honest, this won’t be my option because I can’t afford the initial payment, but if I were rich, I’d definitely do it

The contact details for the clinic are:

Barcelona IVF
Clínica de fertilización in vitro

info@bcnivf.com
Edificio Planetarium
Escoles Pies 103 Barcelona, Catalunya, 08017 Spain
tel: +34 93 417 69 16
fax: +34 93 418 02 88
tel. urgencias: +34 93 417 69 16 / + 34 650 12 36 65

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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.

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I have added the approximate US$ costs in red. The main costs were not on the reply but were in an attachment – these are shown after the reply – all of these are based on donors.

All the contact details for the clinic can be found at the bottom of the reply.

We enclose herewith our Egg donation Information and cost. Donor and recipient’s drug costs included. As well as a list of hotels near our clinic. They have a special price for our patients.
Actually, we dont have waiting list for egg donation and for the first appointment, the embryo transfer can be done between 45-60 days after the first appointment if all is ok. The pregnancy test rate is over 60%.

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 pregnancy test rate is over 60%.Your age is perfect.
2. How many cycles do you perform per year at the clinic? More than 100
3. What is the maximum age that you treat?  51 years old, according to the health of the patient
4. Are there any fertility conditions that you will not treat?  Yes, we have limits
5. What is your embryo transfer policy? How many embryos will you replace at one time?  Our policy is from 2 to 3 days according to the quality and the quantity of embryos. The transfer is 2 embryos but the patient speaks before with the doctor and the biologist, The transfer can be 1,2 or 3 embryos
6. What is the basic cost of the IVF treatment? included
7. What additional costs would / could be incurred? included
8. What happens to the costs if the cycle has to be abandoned? If we cancel because the donor do not answer at the stimulation, no cost for the patient. If the patient cancels, it is necessary to pay the costs that we had with the donor.
9. How long would I need to be in Spain for? 1 day for the first visit and 2 days minimum for the transfer of embryos
10. Who deals with the logistics of flights and accommodation? Proposition of hotel included, we do not make the flights.  For the first appointment and the transfert of embryos we can send you a taxi to pick you up in the Alicante or Valencia Airport. Cost for the clinic.
11. How is the pre-treatment carried out? Before the treatment you begin with a anti-baby pill to synchronize your menstruation with that of the donor
12. How do I get medication? We give you medicines and explications during the first visit
13. How will I be monitored? You will have to make an ultrasound scan and one test of blood (Estradiol) at your gynecologist of your country during the treatment.
14. How will I know that I am not being under / over stimulated? By the control of estradiol
15. If I have a problem whilst in the UK who would I go to? at your gynecologist of your country. We had have never problem with the patients because the hyperstimulation is more risked at the donor’s
16. Is the clinic registered with any regulatory body? Included the certificate of Inscription

IN VITRO FERTILISATION WITH DONOR OOCYTES 2008

The treatment consists of the following phases:
STIMULATION
Includes: Medical control and medication for both, recipient and donor. Donor
screening and fee.
                                                               4300 € (approx. US$5418)

DONOR EGG COLLECTION
Includes: Collection of the oocytes (anaesthesia and theatre fees), ICSI (Sperm
microinjection). Embryo culture.
                                                               2100 € (approx. US$2646)

EMBRYO TRANSFER
Includes: Embryo transfer. One appointment for pregnancy test.

                                                                 550 € (approx. US$ 693)

TOTAL TREATMENT………………………………………………………………………………….. 6950€ (approx. US$ 8757)

Complementary techniques:
Sequential embryo culture 310 € (approx. US$391)
Assisted Hatching 310 € (approx. US$391)
Embryo Freezing 500 € (approx. US$630)
Sperm Bank 310 € (approx. US$391)

Guide for the oocytes reception

When by diverse reasons a woman cannot produce oocytes, or these are of insufficient
quality to obtain embryos, the possibility of the anonymous donation of oocytes exists.
This process consists of the fertilization of the donor oocytes with semen of your
husband (or coming from semen bank, if it were necessary) so that the embryos that are
obtained will be transferred into the uterus. So, we will prescribe a medical treatment,
that will allow the development of endometrium (place in which is going to implant the
embryo) so that it will be available to receive the embryos later and can support the
pregnancy.

How we do an In Vitro Fertilization with donor eggs:

- From IREMA we will indicate you with what menstruation you must to begin
the treatment.

- Hormonal treatment will be started around first day of the cycle, once we have
done an hormonal analysis and an ultrasound scan. . Hormonal treatment takes
about 7-12 days, depending on donor’s response, because we have to sincronice
both cycles.

- Frequent controls (Ultrasound and hormone) will be done.

- On donor egg extraction day, the man has to bring us a semen sample. It will be
delivered in the laboratory. We recommend an abstinence sexual period of three
days.

- Two or three days after egg extraction, the embryo transfer will be done. We
will inform previously the couple about number and quality embryos that we
have obtained, and all together will decide the embryo number to transfer and to
cryopreserve.

- We introduce a small catheter through the vagina to perform the embryo
transfer. The embryos will be placed in the uterus. No sedation needed nor
admittance of the patient. About one hour later, the patient can leave the
hospital.

- From one to three embryos can be transferred. It depends on the desire of the
future parents, on the age of the patient, on the number of realized treatments,
and on the embryo quality.

- After embryo transfer, the patient has to place a medication in the vagina bottom
every night before going to sleep, and to continue with the medication until
doctor indicates. (al least 15 days)

- You will follow light duties during the following days.

- You should not have sexual relations until pregnancy test day.

- After 15 days of embryo transfer, you will have an appointment to do the
pregnancy test. This appointment will be fixed on transference day.

- If the pregnancy is not achieved, after a resting period of one month, a new
treatment can be started. We can start, also, a cryopreserved embryos cycle if
there were cryopreserved embryos.

- Sometimes, light bleeding can take place before doing the pregnancy test, but
you must not stop the medication. If you are in this situation contact with
IREMA.

- If you are pregnant, we will have a new appointment after two weeks, for doing
an ultrasound scan and to see the embryo development in the firsts weeks.

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No prices were given and there are no prices on the website – it states that you can get the prices by mail or fax but even thought I directly asked the question in my mail it was not answered. The contact details for the clinic are at the end of the reply.

Thank you for contacting us. My name is Massimiliano Pani and I am one of the twelve Patient Assistants in the Institut Marquès’ International Team. From now on, I will be your contact person providing you with all the information that you need and if you decide to come to our centre I will be there to help you. If for some reason I’m not here, my colleague Carmen Calò will attend you, he/she will always be aware of your case and needs.

Find below some information that will help you get to know us better:

Institut Marquès is a European fertility centre par excellence that has achieved positive results for 95 % of the patients who choose our centre, including couples who have undergone previous unsuccessful treatments. We are currently treating a great number of patients from Europe, America and Australia.

How do we achieve these excellent results?

-          No waiting list: You decide when you would like to start.

-          Careful selection and matching of egg and semen donors (if needed) to recipients – thanks to the high number of donors that we have (the majority are young university students).

-          We guarantee a minimum of 6 mature oocytes from each donor. If it is not possible to fulfil this condition, we would carry on the treatment with a backup donor within the same cycle at no extra cost.

-          We trust our work & results. Therefore we offer you the Refunding contract, according to which we will refund you 70 % of the total price of the treatment if the patient does not achieve a viable pregnancy after three treatments of oocyte donation

-          Personalized assistance – a patient assistant will be assigned to you.

-          Assistance provided in the following languages: English, Italian, German, French, Russian, Swedish, Polish and Portuguese.

-          Emergency number 24 hours, seven days a week

-          Our centre remains open every month of the year.

-          Emotional Support: We offer you  free assistance from our psychologists to help you deal with the stress & anxiety that an assisted reproduction treatment can cause. http://www.institutomarques.com/en_tensteps.html

-          Free use of the exclusive O2 Wellness Centre: available if you cannot stay in Barcelona overnight and intend to fly back the same evening. It allows you to rest in this distinguished health & spa centre. This resting area also offers  free nursery for childcare.  

-          Detailed estimate that includes:

-          Cost of the medication for the patient

-          In the case of egg donation, cost of the donor’s selection, treatment and compensation for the donor

-          In the case of egg donation, medication for the donor

-          ICSI

More information is available at www.institutomarques.com. Here you will find a video available in your own language which describes the different stages of the treatment. This way you will have a very clear idea of how the treatment works and on the first visit we will supply much more information that allows you to understand the process.

In order to initially assess your case prior to the first visit and allow us  to schedule  any special tests if required, we would be grateful if you could send us the following information:

·        Have either of you any children within this relationship or with a different partner?

·        Have you had a previous miscarriage?

·        How long have you been trying to  become pregnant?

.        Your age and that of your partner

.        Is there any history of genetic disease in your family ?

·       Details of your medical history, in particular any information that you might have about previous fertility treatments (Date, number of eggs collected, number of eggs successfully fertilised, number of embryos transferred, number of embryos frozen).

.  In case you have previously undergone an Assisted Reproduction treatment cycle. Please supply us with the centre(s) and doctor(s)’ name.

We would like to thank your for your interest and look forward to your answers.

Kind regards,

Massimiliano Pani

• If you would like us to contact you, please give your mobile phone number.

• Due to our interest in protecting your private life and data privacy, we wish to inform you that from now on you will be assigned a unique identifying code _______ that you will have to use every time you contact us. We recommend you to mention this code in the SUBJECT field of your future e-mails

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