IVF abroad

[RafflesMaidenSister]

Hi, we've been having fertility investigation and it turns out my partner has Chernobyl balls - low sperm count, slightly lower than average motility and slightly higher than average DNA fragmentation. We've been recommended to go for IVF with ICSI and IMSI. Problem is we have been to a couple of clinics and I hate them. We've been in touch with a number of others and I think what I don't like is going to be replicated. for this reason, and the cost, we are contemplating having treatment abroad - most likely Spain or Greece. Does anyone have any experience of this? What questions should I be asking in picking a clinic? Can anyone recommend one? Thanks in advance.

Hi,

It's hard to choose a clinic abroad I think as you might only have to go by what it says on their websites/limited personal reviews and maybe a phone call/emails/video call. For me, I only really felt confident after actually visiting the clinic we had treatment at and I was lucky in that I had a personal recommendation from a friend.

We had successful treatment at AKESO in Athens, and if I could I would shout from the rooftops how impressed I was by everything there

All I can advise is to do as much research as you can, not just about the clinic but also the Dr's who will be treating you and take any offer of phone calls/video calls if you cannot make it out to the clinic to visit.

You should be speaking to the Dr who will be deciding your treatment plan and asking him/her about their experience especially in the areas where you have issues, what they would advise for you, what are the costs etc.

We're currently attending Gennet in Prague. They are amazing, the service is so good, they're quick to respond and so so so helpful.

There's loads of threads on other sites about them and the overall feedback was good - that's why we chose them.

Thanks for the replies - the whole thing is overwhelming! Feel bizarrely much happier having decided to go abroad - though obviously a whole heap of questions there! At the moment we are looking at Akeso and Serum in Athens and Marbella IVF in Spain, but will definitely look at Gennet too. We have found service so poor in London, and the last doctor (having been switched twice in the course of diagnostic tests) couldn't adequately answer any questions.

Raffles, I'm very interested to hear you are looking at Akeso as they are not very well known here in the UK.

As I said in my previous post I would highly recommend this clinic. Dr Tsirigotis is fantastic and as it is his own business has a real interest in the success and care of his patients.

If you want to know more on this clinic or Athens please just ask

Ivi in Madrid. 5th attempt over all but 3rd there and finally got preg after ttc 10yrs and now 10w preg

Def cheaper abroad but think how easy to fly there. We did in a day for fet. Talk to staff there. Ideally fly over for face to face consultation and see their premises etc

Reprofit in Brno, Czech Republic. Had my first ever round of icsi with them (am currently 26 weeks) due to male factor issues (although I also turned out to have low AMH) it was cheap, they specialise in icsi and I could add on PICSI (an addition technique to pick the best sperm) for an extra £100.

They were brilliant and the place looks exactly like their clinic tour on the website shows.

Try the fertility friends website for more info, ladies there are amazing!

I can recommend going to the big fertility show in London in a couple of months' time for a chance to meet folk from lots of different foreign clinics in one go. You can usually get free consults on the day and there are usually show offers and interesting talks.

I can second reprofit in Czech Republic. Prices are great, clinic is very clean, staff professional and friendly. Cheap flights, food and hotels!

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond. It is all food for thought and definitely helpful to us. Good luck to all of you with your pregnancies/treatment.

A friend of mine did a ton of research on overseas clinics and ended up traveling Polish Invicta.

How do I go about going IVF abroad?

Look at different clinics on the internet

Fill out form and they should email info and prices

Prague and serum Athens get mentioned a lot on these boards as good

I did MADRID

Friend did Barcelona

Blondes - how was your experience there?

We don't have great hopes of success so trying to treat this very casually, so actually picking a little bit on the basis of destination - where we'd like to visit. I know it's not a picnic, but may as well make the best of a non-ideal situation.

I spent a lot of time in Poland in the 90s so think I may have an inaccurate impression of the place now!

Thanks once again to everyone for their input.

Honestly. Amazing. Even tho our 3rd cycle failed / tho 1st there. I felt that they did everything they could

Where as the 2 cycles we had in uk at the time I thought was good as never had ivf before

Once we did a cycle in Madrid then reliesed how awful the uk clinic was

For example. Madrid did a mock transfer to make sure could get up the cervix. U.K. Didn't

Madrid tested for cf. U.K. Didn't

Madrid made DF and me wear surgical scrubs. U.K. Didn't

Madrid once did transfer then slid me over to trolley. Pushed me to my private room with sofa bed and en suite and slid me to bed and made me lie with legs bent for think 15mins then rest in bed for an hour. U.K. I walked from table to room next door and sat in chair for 10mins and then told I could go home

Madrid and many abroad clinics have better frozen results

We flew over for a consultation and did blood and tests etc and DF a sperm sample which they then froze / incase when fly over for ec and the man can't perform 😉

Thanks - once again. Also know Prague is in Czech Republic not Poland. Originally said Eastern Europe and thought that sounded a bit old-fashioned. Still geography never my strong point!

Blondes, I totally agree with you there, I found my treatment in Athens to be way ahead of that of my friend who had hers one month later in the UK. It makes me very sad to think that people are paying a lot of money over here for a programme which is not up to other clinics standards.

sparrow it is sad :(

Did you and your friend have success?

Abroad is def much more advanced and cheaper then uk

Tho also scary putting your faith and flying to unknown clinic without checking it out first

But I would always say to people try abroad before uk. Eep if paying

I had success but unfortunately my friend did not. I can't help thinking if she had gone to a clinic similar to the one I did, where the treatment was very personalised for me and not just a 'one size fits all', then the outcome may have been different.

I agree. NHS and private should be the same

But often think private does look after you better

IVI Alicante. We have a 20 month old son now

vetla from the U.K., but can only write in pigeon English, pull the other one. Do just fuck off with your spam.