Treatment abroad - experiences please

[Luckystarfour]

Hi

My husband and I have just had our third round of ICSI, this time with Array CGH and immune treatment - Clexane and Prednisolone. We miscarried two days after testing positive.

I have an excellent response to stimulation (using menopur and Cetrotide) usually 16 plus eggs and a good fertilisation rate, usually 12 eggs, 10 fertilised. We reach blastocyst and all the signs are very good, achieving grade 1s,2s and some 3s. Our treatment has been initiated due to a male factor fertility less than 2% morphology but high sperm count and good motility.

We are now seriously interested in our options abroad
a) because some will put more than 2 embryo's back
b) because we feel the rounds could be cheaper
c) because we hear the drugs can be cheaper
d) because we feel we constantly 'lead' our cycles here, if we don't ask we dont get even though we are paying.

We dont want to keep repeating cycle upon cycle changing minor factors to become another experiment. We would like to have ticked as many of the boxes as possible earlier, even if this costs us, to save ourselves the emotional and longer term expense of many failed cycles. We have only had Array CGH on round three as we pushed for this to happen.

What are others experiences of Europe and the US? We have family and hence accommodation in Spain - Barcelona or Alicante/Murcia so these could be options. However we are also interested in looking outside of Europe if they would transfer more than 2 for my age group (33)

Any thoughts/experiences would be most welcome.

Any thoughts - anyone???

Although this is second hand info, friends of ours had fertility treatment 3 times in a top London clinic. Nothing happened and they were devastated.

They decided to go to Barcelona (I genuinely don't know why they chose there, sorry) and it was immediately sucessful (twins). They were incredibly impressed by how much more orderly the treatment seemed and how much more professional and caring it was.
(Having said that, I've about 3 lots of friends who've had fert treat in the UK and ended up with a happy ending!)

Hope your search goes well

Have you looked at the Fertility Friends website - there are sections there for people going overseas for IVF with lots of info on clinics, waiting times, prices etc.

if you are having own egg IVF then by the time you've factored in travel expenses, insurance etc you probably don't save that much money - plus you have to deal with the stress of last minute travel, possible transport strikes, language barriers etc.

Most people who go overseas do so for donor eggs because there are no waiting lists and that is MUCH cheaper.

to sum up - own egg, I would stay in the UK - donor egg I would go abroad

I went to Spain, to IVI Valencia and we had egg donation treatment and were successful first time after 2 failed attempt using my own non existent eggs in the UK. I'm now 15 weeks.

I have to be honest I have been very disappointed with the interpersonal service from the clinic, we were never treated as people, just a patient number, our contact never seemed to recognise our name when we rang we always had to give our patient number. There were quite a few other things that upset me like them giving us the wrong time for our egg transfer, not telling us they were using frozen eggs until afterwards. I found the awful customer service really stressful, they just didn't seem to give a damn about my feelings at any point.

I believe that the problems are partially due to cultural and language barriers. If I was looking for a clinic now I would look for one who had native english speaking staff.

I have not found it to be any cheaper in Spain than in the UK so I would stay at home in your situation.

It sounds to me more like you have immune system issues than anything to do with the ICSI and stimulation problems and the Spanish clinics don't seem to be in the slightest interested in immune issues, I was treated through a UK doctor whilst going through the treatment in Spain as they didn't deal with immune issues.

Have you considered the Zita West clinic or the ARGC as they are leaders in immune issues?

Hi,

I had a great experience in the Czech republic (Zlin). I had my 3rd and. 4th cycles of donor egg ivf there and had a baby girl in April. In my experience Spain is still quite expensive and if u r looking at cheaper options u should look at Czech republic. There are lots of new clinics springing up, if u decided to use a newish clinic I would do a good bit of research into who runs the clinic. My feeling is a well established clinic with years of good results is hard to by pass. But I'd say u are likely to get more attention (for want of a better word) in a newly set up clinic.

Do loads of research and plague any potential clinic with questions, you have a lot of choice.

Czech rep is very close to Poland, for ivf abroad there won't be any significant difference to visit a good fertility clinic in Poland or Czech Rep. Both countries are low cost, ivf prices are very similar. Two best fertitlity clinics in Poland (independent ranking of a national newspaper 2015):

Novum (success rate 38% in 2014 (ESHRE), PGD screening PGD translocations, internationally certified

Invicta Gdansk (unbeatable in Poland PGD/PGD NGS, ivf success rate 45,50 % in 2014 (ESHRE), chromosome genetic screening, PGD chromosomal translocations, PGD monogenic diseases, eggs freezing , internationally certified

I have had own egg IVF in Czech Republic and it is MUCH cheaper than uk even by the time you factor in flights etc. I think you will struggle to find somewhere that will transfer more than 2 blasts at your age though. I don't think it's necessary and like somebody else said you should look into immune treatment. Good luck.

Hi Lucky. I got pregnant this year with uk ivf but had had the Chicago tests and had intralipids, have you had a reason for immunes or was it empirical treatment? I'll never know, but I feel they were an important addition. Do you have blasts in the freezer? Have you tried endo scratch? If you do have embryos left here could you try out variations using the above first? (Sorry if you don't I wasn't clear)

My next plan was going to be Serum in Athens. I felt they really looked at the whole picture and also it seemed like quite a personal approach from what I'd read and heard. They were lovely to me in emails. I wish you success very soon. You are in a good position with such an excellent response, it sounds like tweaks will get you there.

Oh and also, sticking my beak in here but I would be very hesitant about putting back more than two. I've had a very complicated pregnancy and even twins would have made it a lot more risky. At your age this is definitely not what I'd be trying next. I'm currently in hospital and have met lots of women pregnant with multiples and it has put the nhs/hfea guidance into clear focus for me. I had two out back so not bashing anyone who makes this decision but I wouldn't have two put back again.

I went abroad to Spain ivi after 2 failed cycles in uk

I went abroad as lost faith in my uk clinic and £12k and two mums I worked for as a maternity nanny had success there

I think abroad has better technology and our 5th attempt 2nd fet from 3rd fresh cycle worked

I finally got preg 10yrs after ttc and 4 failed ivf the 5th worked and our miracle daughter was born 10mths ago

Def worth going abroad - have a Skype chat or fly over and talk to then

I just found your post and even if it's old I decided to reply.

My partner and I went to Greece, in Athens and had ICSI at Embio's clinic with Doctor Thanos.

We had a baby girl which is the light of our lives. She was born in February 2017.

I am an older mother and had her at 44, my partner is 3 years older and the reason why we had ICSI is because his sperm count was very low.

Good luck.