# Where do I begin!!!



## pruflo (May 3, 2005)

Hi ladies, I am after abit of help if I can. We recieved a lovely letter from the local PCT today stating that they werenot funding IVF at all this year so after a year on the list we find ourselves having to wait another 2 years for treatment!!! Anyway we have decided to have one go at IVF (self funded) and are looking into the possibility of going abroad but I really dont know where to start so wonder if you could answer a few questions for me.

What are the relative costs of going abroad??
Do you need to start treatment over here and then go over??
How do you decide which clinic to use??

Ill stop there for now - here's hoping someone can help. 

Cheers
Kate


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## Penelope Positive (Sep 12, 2005)

Hi Kate,

Sorry to hear that there is no funding available for you to have treatment here. However, very glad to see you posting here and I am sure you will get lots of responses. My knowledge is really based on donor cycles and I dont know what the cost difference is but I suspect it is not that different. I am happy to kick things off for you and I am sure others will add there thoughts.

So, in order of the questions you ask...

*What are the relative costs of going abroad??*
This varies considerably depending on which clinic you use and your own personal circumstances. However as a guideline you are looking at between around £4,000 - £8,000 per cycle. Depending on clinic.This doesnt include the following: drugs, accomodation, flights, scans and blood tests needed in the UK.

*Do you need to start treatment over here and then go over??*
It is much easier if you do as you will need various scans, blood tests etc and its easier to get them here than keep flying over to do it. Some clinics abroad have a link with UK clinics. Again this varies depending on your location. For example. I use a clinic in Southampton (the Wessex) for my blood tests, scans etc and they work with my clinic Ceram in Spain. I know also that there is a clinic in Basingstoke who work with IM in Barcelona. I have tried to find a clinic in the UK prepared to work with other clinics abroad but without success as they make little money from it and there first priority is to there UK patients. However, having said that I know there are clinics in London/Cambridge etc where you just pay for a scan/test as required and they are happy to support. Where abouts are you based and do you have a clinic in mind yet?

*How do you decide which clinic to use??*
Deciding which clinc to use is a very personal thing. We based our decision on:

Waiting List, Cost, location, ease of access to airports etc, recommendations, and there response to initial enquiries.

There is stacks of info available on the various boards so have a look around.

I hope you manage to get the answers you need but please feel free to IM me if you need any more information and I will do my best to help.

Hope this is of some use.

Pen
xx


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## alanelaine (Sep 10, 2005)

There was some talk last year about having a sticky explaining just this although I am afraid that it has not been collated.

Indeed in the two years we've been on here this has been raised every six months but I suspect that things change so rapidly that keeping up-to-date would be the difficulty.

As you can imagine there is no quick simple answer.

Going abroad will cost from £2,500 (CERAM in Spain/Isida in Ukraine/Altra Vita in Moscow for example) rising to £5,000 to £6,000 for IVI or IM (clinics in Barcelona, Valencia and other parts of Spain).  You need to consider the downside of egg sharing at CERAM (if you consider it to be a downside) and also to think about accommodation and flights - you will probably be out twice; once for a consult then for 10 days for treatment.

Starting in the Uk usually means either taking pills or injections; you will also need ultrasound scans.

We initially chose CERAM for conveniance and price but the long waiting list (we have a rareish blood group) for blue/green eyes eventually meant that we switched to Altra Vita in Moscow which has given us a first class service (you can see a list of their current donors online and there is virtuallly no wait).  Best idea is to read the clinic reviews at the top of the page - they generally give decent advice and contain price information.

Hope this is helpful

A&E


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## alanelaine (Sep 10, 2005)

Also,

I posted this for someone new previously

There are a few threads asking similar questions so you could try the search function or scan older threads such as this one:

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=74031.msg1002623#msg1002623

We have said this previously:

Start with looking at clinic reviews

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=148.0

look at Spanish link

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=120.0

Spain is CERAM, IVI, IM; Eastern Europe is Altra Vita (Moscow), Invimed (Warsaw), Isida (Kiev)Fertimed (Czech Republic); southern europe is Pedios (Cyprus), Chania (Greece) but there are others in South Africa, USA and elsewhere.

Costs (outrageous attempt to summarise coming up) CERAM, Altra Vita, Pedios, Chania are all about 5,000 Euros; Invimed, Isida, Fertimed are a bit cheaper; IVI and IM are about twice the cost of CERAM but have no real waiting list (CERAM is the only clinic with a big waiting list).

Success rates depend on what the clinics publish Live Births or Clinical Pregnancy. CERAM share eggs (you get half the eggs collected) so their rates are marginally lower than those who don't. Egg sharing rates are in the low 50%ages those that don't share are around 60%. But it is a ballpark.

UK rates with your own eggs will be around 25%.

Diagnostics are most thorough at Altra Vita (some like this some find the tests a pain).

Think also about flights and accommodation from where you live but don't decide not to go to your preferred clinic because it is 3.5 hours (Moscow, say) and Spain is only 2.5 hours.

OK, I'm nearly back to where I was.

If you are starting IVF go for the initial consultation to your selected clinic (2 days) transfer should mean 8-10 days overseas. You will need to get Ultrasonic scans done here before you go and possible when you get back but the girls will tell you who is near you and who is best.

Have a look at the Abroadies thread for CERAM girls, see the other clinic threads to get an idea of what their patients think.

A&E


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## alanelaine (Sep 10, 2005)

Just realised that I am quoting myself quoting myself!


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## sammid (Sep 25, 2005)

Hi just as a quick guide CERAM will have a longer waiting list for people with blue eyes / blonde hair as they are in Southern Spain - I was quoted about 6 months worst case, but in the end went to Barcelona as I have dark hair and blue eyes which is more common in Barcelona due to the French influence. There is only a few weeks waiting list and that is to get first appt.
Hope this helps,
Sam


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## pruflo (May 3, 2005)

Hi All, just wanted to say thanks for all the info - its so baffling - LOL - will carry on regardless though.

Take care

Kate


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## alanelaine (Sep 10, 2005)

Kate,

Just realised that you're not going down the DE route so you can knock £200-£500 off the prices and there are no significant waiting lists.

I would be surprised if it were to be much more going privately in the UK (GRI charged us £2,700 for IVF  here) and you won't need to work with 2 clinics as you do going overseas.

I hope this is more helpful than my earlier blurb.

A&E


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