According to WHO, every fifth couple faces the problem of infertility.
An effective solution for those who aspire to become parents, but do not have such an opportunity, has become in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is an assisted reproductive technology, which is based on the artificial insemination of the egg in the laboratory.
Many couples from countries of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, after many years of unsuccessful infertility treatment in their countries, choose IVF abroad. According to the reviews of patients after IVF abroad, they managed to achieve pregnancy on the first attempt.
The success rate of IVF abroad
IVF has a long history abroad – more than 40 years. During this time, about 8 million children were born. According to statistics, the average success rate of IVF abroad is 55-65%, and in some cases, it reaches and even exceeds 80%.
Among the leading countries where IVF procedures are successfully performed are Turkey, Israel, Spain, Germany, and South Korea. The effectiveness of infertility treatment in Turkey is about 87%, in Germany – 86-87%, and in Israel – 89-92%.
For a successful pregnancy, several IVF attempts are sometimes necessary. Thanks to the achievements of foreign medicine, specialists manage to achieve successful results in most patients for the first time.
Benefits of IVF Abroad
The main advantage of artificial insemination is the possibility of pregnancy with complete infertility, followed by the birth of a healthy child.
High rates of infertility treatment abroad are due to the following factors:
- Skills, knowledge, and experience of doctors, many of whom are world experts in the field of reproduction.
- Availability of advanced technologies and laboratories for 100% accurate diagnosis and procedure.
- The possibility of carrying out procedures using assisted reproductive technologies and additional services. For example, cryopreservation of embryos, genetic diagnostics, and assisted hatching.
- Availability of egg and sperm donor banks.
- Affordable cost. Many clinics have developed special programs of the “all-inclusive” type.
- Medical centers are accredited according to JCI standards, which guarantee a high level of medical services.
- Most clinics are located in ecologically clean resort areas, which allows to combine an ECO tour abroad with a vacation.
Particular attention should be paid to follow-up after IVF abroad. Pregnancy should be managed by an experienced obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in the management of pregnancies after IVF.
Indications for IVF abroad
The absence of pregnancy in 35% of cases is associated with female infertility, in 25% with male infertility, in 30% with infertility of both spouses. Doctors talk about infertility in the absence of pregnancy for at least 12 months with regular sexual activity.
It is recommended to seek medical help in the absence of pregnancy:
- if the woman is under 35 years old – for at least one year;
- from 35 years – after 6 months;
- older than 40 years – immediately after an unsuccessful conception.
The IVF procedure abroad is used when conservative therapy has not led to pregnancy.
Artificial insemination is shown as the only chance to get rid of infertility in pathologies when natural insemination is impossible:
- in severe endometriosis;
- due to obstruction or absence of fallopian tubes;
- with low sperm quality: low mobility, morphological abnormalities, low concentration of normal spermatozoa in the ejaculate;
- at high risks of genetic abnormalities: during IVF by the ICSI method, genetic analysis of the embryo is available;
- in the presence of antibodies to spermatozoa;
- with unexplained fertility problems – 15% of cases.
Infertility treatment abroad involves a thorough examination of the couple and the preparation of an individual therapy regimen. It includes artificial insemination using advanced techniques.
Also, IVF abroad is resorted to:
- single women who want to have a child out of wedlock (using donor sperm);
- single men who have a desire to become a father (under the program of surrogate motherhood).
Contraindications for IVF abroad
The procedure of artificial insemination cannot be carried out with a number of pathologies:
- in oncological diseases of any organs;
- due to acquired deformities of the body of the uterus;
- due to congenital malformations of the uterus;
- with benign formations of the ovaries and uterus;
- with severe mental disorders.
Relative contraindications include an acute inflammatory process of any localization in the body. In this case, preliminary therapy is carried out using sparing modern drugs.
How IVF is carried out abroad?
It should be understood that IVF abroad is not a procedure but a whole range of medical measures aimed at achieving a healthy physiological pregnancy. In-vitro insemination is the basic IVF procedure abroad. On average, the cycle usually takes 15-25 days. It consists of the main stages:
- Taking hormonal drugs for 8-12 days to improve ovarian function. Doctors monitor hormone levels and the production of mature eggs using ultrasound and blood tests.
- Egg retrieval. This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, in which a gynecologist removes a woman’s eggs. It is performed under ultrasound guidance and under local anesthesia.
- Insemination. In the laboratory, the obtained eggs are combined with spermatozoa. Specialists carefully monitor the formation of embryos in fertilized eggs.
- Transfer of one or more embryos to the uterus after 3-5 days. The procedure is painless.
Implantation of multiple embryos can lead to multiple pregnancies. Unused embryos are frozen. In the future, they can be used for a second attempt or given to a donor bank.
Pregnancy occurs if at least one of the embryos manages to successfully attach to the uterine mucosa. After 2 weeks, the woman takes a pregnancy test.
Advanced IVF Technologies
To increase the chances of pregnancy, doctors may use additional reproductive techniques:
- ICSI. With the immobility of spermatozoa, the doctor introduces them into the egg using microsurgical instruments. This technology is used in 70% of cases. The ICSI method fertilizes up to 80% of the eggs, while with conventional IVF – 50%.
- IMSI. In case of violation of the formation of spermatozoa, doctors select the strongest and most mobile spermatozoa using a microscope with 6,000 magnifications.
- TESA. In the absence or low concentration of spermatozoa, a preliminary testicular puncture is performed.
- Auxiliary hatching. Destruction of the shell around the embryo to facilitate its transfer to the uterus.
In case of an unsuccessful attempt, doctors give the woman time to rest and repeat the procedure after 4-6 months, taking into account the experience of the failed attempt.
What are the chances of pregnancy with IVF abroad?
Every year, about 2 million couples undergo IVF procedures abroad.
The result is the birth of more than 500,000 healthy babies. The success of IVF abroad directly depends on the age, health, and lifestyle of a woman. Women who have given birth before are more likely to become pregnant.
According to the SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology), the average IVF effectiveness depending on age, without taking into account the method of treatment is:
- women under 35 have the highest chances – 55.6%;
- patients 35-40 years old – 27-40%;
- women over 40 years old – 12%.
IVF medical centers abroad have higher rates in all categories. For example, 65% or more first-attempt pregnancies and successful pregnancies in older patients.
Leading Countries for IVF Abroad
According to the reviews of patients of Experts Medical who have undergone IVF abroad, the best IVF clinics in the world are located in Turkey, Spain, Israel, Germany, Austria, India, and South Korea. These countries are leaders in the field of reproductive medicine. It has all the necessary equipment and qualified personnel for the accurate detection of fertility disorders, as well as the most effective treatment.
Turkey
The choice of patients in favor of Turkey is explained by the high success rate of IVF and the affordable price. According to the general data of Turkish clinics, the effectiveness of the procedure for women under 35 years old reaches 71%, for 35-40 years old – 65%, for 40-45 years old – 54%, which significantly exceeds the world average.
Many hospitals collaborate with university hospitals in the United States. This allows doctors to learn and improve their skills, and patients to receive advanced treatment. Among the most popular clinics:
- Memorial Clinic Network is the introduction of microinjections of sperm into the egg that can increase the chances of pregnancy up to 95%.
- Anadolu Hospital. The success of the procedure is 13% higher than in the United States. Among the technologies are the selection of active spermatozoa under the TESE microscope and the genetic analysis of PDG embryos.
- Medipol Hospital. Turkey’s leading IVF specialists work here, the success rate is above average (65%), all modern technologies are available, and the “Standard IVF Program” package is in effect.
However, it should be borne in mind that the IVF procedure in Turkey is available only to officially registered couples. It is also forbidden to use donor material here.
Israel
One of the best countries for infertility treatment abroad. The medical staff of the hospitals includes world-famous IVF specialists. The most popular hospitals include:
- Assuta Clinic in Tel Aviv is one of the TOP-5 hospitals in the world. More than 7,000 IVF procedures are performed annually. This is 25% in the country. To identify genetic abnormalities, doctors conduct a DNA chip analysis. It is 50 times more accurate than conventional prenatal testing. An incubator-embryoscope with a high-resolution camera is installed to monitor the embryo, which transmits images to a computer in real-time. According to the clinic, every second couple gets pregnant after 1 attempt. Dr. Shai Elitzur, who specializes in the cryopreservation of spermatozoa, eggs, embryos, and co-director of the clinic Daniel Seidman, and gynecologist Adrian Shulman, work here.
- Herzliya Medical Center. The clinic received the highest rating from the Israeli Ministry of Health for the quality and safety of medical services – 100 points. Diplomats from 64 embassies and UN agencies are served here. The head of the IVF center is Professor Ami Amit. He is the best obstetrician-gynecologist in Israel, the founder of the first IVF clinic in the country. The doctor specializes in the treatment of diseases of the reproductive system, the prevention of the development of pathologies in the fetus, IVF. According to hospital statistics, 9,000 babies have been born thanks to IVF in Herzliya.
- Beilinson Medical Center has its own sperm bank, andrological laboratory, in which the male material is examined as accurately as possible. Genetic study of the embryo using PGD technology allows for successful fertilization in 95% of cases. The hospital has methods to preserve the reproductive function of patients with cancer.
- Sourasky Clinic (Ichilov). A package (In Vitro Fertilization – IVF) with donor sperm is developed. The procedure is carried out by reproductive specialists Professor Ami Amit and Dr. Azam Fouad.
Israel’s unique geographic location allows couples to combine treatment and relaxation. Therapeutic mud of the Dead Sea promotes healing from many inflammatory processes in the reproductive sphere, which can also be the cause of fertility disorders.
Spain
For IVF in Spain, the following are popular among patients:
- Clinics of the Kiron Salud network are the country’s leading reproductive centers where the use of donor material and the choice of the sex of the child by future parents are available. Also, the procedure is carried out for single women who are not married. A unique method, the tandem IVF cycle, is used in the hospital. This is the fertilization of the own and donor eggs. This combination significantly increases the chances of success due to the possibility of choosing the highest quality embryos for replanting.
- Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona. The hospital has its own donor bank and the Dona-Dóna donor program, thanks to which women with an insufficient number of eggs can become mothers. According to Teknon statistics, the success rate of IVF in the clinic at the first attempt is 59%.
Many patients from Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, choose Spain not only for IVF abroad but also for the subsequent management of pregnancy and childbirth. In addition to excellent medical care, this is an opportunity for a future baby to obtain citizenship under a simplified scheme at the age of 18.
IVF prices abroad
The cost of IVF abroad depends on a number of factors:
- selected country and clinic level;
- the complexity of the manipulations performed in each specific case;
- doctor’s qualifications;
- additional non-medical expenses.
The average IVF price in Turkey is $2800-3800, in Israel $9000-10000, in Spain €6400. With donor material, the cost is 30-40% more expensive.
To find out where it is better to do IVF, you should contact the coordinators-doctors of Experts Medical.
How to go for IVF abroad?
It is difficult to choose which clinic is best for IVF and how to plan the process on your own. This requires the knowledge of experts. Therefore, it is reasonable to entrust the organization of the trip to a reliable company Experts Medical. It cooperates with the best certified medical centers and will help organize IVF abroad in a short time, at no extra cost.
Coordinators-doctors of Experts Medical will advise future parents in which country to do IVF and help choose a clinic and an attending doctor with whom they will organize a preliminary consultation.
Experts Medical’s additional services include assistance in preparing medical documents, booking hotel rooms and air tickets, and transfer.
The material was checked and approved by Erica Igonina, a medical author at Experts Medical.
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