Ark IVF Athens

[Partcoffee]

Hello, I was just wondering if anyone has gone with Ark IVF in Athens for IVF with donor eggs? We were happy with them during the initial consultation etc but it’s been 10 weeks now since we signed the paperwork and they still haven’t had a suitable donor, and can’t give us any indication of timeline.

How long on average did people need to wait to be matched with an egg donor? I feel like all these clinics market themselves as having no waiting lists, then once they get you through the door and on their systems it’s a different story.

[Serendipity24]

Hi @Partcoffee I have no experience of Ark but we are going through DE cycle in Spain. As soon as we signed the paperwork and submitted the forms/ photos etc they shortlisted a few donors for us. As we opted for a comprehensive genetic compatibility test, it took another 5 weeks before we could start our mock cycle. The genetic compatibility test result itself takes about 4 weeks, so I would say they were pretty quick in matching us with a donor.

We had a DE consultation with Newlife in Greece before and they said they needed 3/4 months to find a matching donor. So I guess the timeframe in Greece perhaps is around that?

Best of luck in your DE journey 🍀

[Partcoffee]

They’ve just contacted me today so say we have a donor to consider. Hopefully this is it.
Good luck with your cycle in Spain 🤞

[Lulu106]

@Partcoffee we head out to Athens next week to start the donor egg process with Ark. Would love to know how things are for you. Any tips on how to navigate this clinic? I'm getting a little concerned that they're getting rather busy and standards might be slipping.

[Partcoffee]

@Lulu106 the doctor has been amazing and he really knows what he’s talking about. We’ve done 3 rounds of ivf with my eggs at UK and Irish clinics and although we’re getting lots of eggs and a good fertilisation rate the embryos aren’t developing normally so donor eggs seemed like the best next step. The doctor at Ark seems really invested in our case and has been very supportive.

They do seem a bit disorganised but when it came to our appointment everything was fine, although the doctor was 45 minutes late as he’s also an obstetrician at the attached maternity hospital and was on call.

We had our first consultation online in November and had to get some tests done here, then we flew over in January for an appointment. The actually appointment in the clinic took about 2 hours as there was a lot of paperwork to go through. My husband had to give a sample for freezing and I had to have an ultrasound too.

They said the average wait for a donor was about 8 weeks and contacted us just before the 10 week mark to say they had matched us with a donor and sent us through her profile. We had a couple of days to decide if we wanted to go ahead and she has now started stims and should be going for egg collection next week. The plan is to fertilise her eggs with my husband’s frozen sample and then freeze any embryos. All going well they’ve said I can go over for transfer on my next period.

I can post updates and let you know how it all goes. Good luck with your treatment. Athens is a lovely city.

[Lulu106]

Hi @Partcoffee thank you for the reply. Sorry for my lateness but it's been a crazily busy couple of weeks. We're in Athens right now and due to see the doctor in a couple of hours. I hope he isn't too late as we've brought my 9 year old stepson with us and turned this into a little holiday, otherwise our finances wont stretch to taking him away too.

We had same issues in 2 other clinics, UK and Spain, in that our embryos didn't make it to day 5. I'm glad you feel that they've been good with you. I'm so cautious now that I don't trust anyone.

We're likely to have to come and give another sample as my partners stress levels have been through the roof with work the last few weeks. I nearly thought we would have to cancel.

I would really appreciate your updates. Have to private message on here if that would help? Many thanks 🌈💫

[Partcoffee]

@Lulu106 I hope your appointment went well and you’re getting a nice break in Athens. Feel free to private message me.
Our donor had egg collection Sunday and they contacted us on Monday to say 12 had fertilised, then on Wednesday to say they were all developing so far.
We were hoping to get a day 5 update today but I think it might be Easter weekend in Greece and they might be on holiday so not sure when we will hear. It’s all so nerve wracking.

[Partcoffee]

We just had an update, all 12 have made it to blastocyst. I’m in total shock

[Lulu106]

Wow! Congratulations. That's amazing. I've messaged you.

[Serendipity24]

@Partcoffee that's amazing! Congratulations when are you transferring? 😊

Edited because sent before completing message

[Partcoffee]

@Serendipity24 thanks, they’ve said we should be able to transfer on my next period so hoping that will be May