# How do I pick a clinic? Barcelona/Athens/London



## LabLover (Sep 11, 2008)

This is so hard.  When we started down the IVF journey we picked the clinic close to home that had better than average results.  We have been generally happy with it BUT after 4 attempts they have failed us, including a DE cycle with just one embryo resulting from a donor who was not a match in any way shape or form.

We cannot afford to wait any longer so are trying to find the shortest wait with the best results for DE cycles.

It doesn't help that I think we will need to use frozen sperm that is currently here in UK.

Our choices I think are Serum Athens, Eugin Barcelona, IM Barcelona or CRM London.

London - expensive for UK (£7000 approx)  but easier logistics; short wait, less than 3 months; egg sharers so may only get 3 eggs again; easy to move frozen sperm

Athens - totally unknown quantity, never been to Greece but good results?  no wait  

Eugin - very reasonable cost, no wait, some people on here have been disappointed with communication; good results - 60% ?

IM - relatively expensive (£7650) good results at 60% ? no reported wait although some people on here have waited?  Poor communication at times?

Please could I have some opinions please and experiences.  We never really researched clinics before in UK so are finding this very difficult.  Thankyou

H


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## butterflywings (Jul 9, 2007)

*Hiya...
A difficult one..But im sure if you posted on the international threads so many ladys who have had experience of treatment abroad can give you lots of info on the clinics abroad that way you can compile a list of individual clinics...good and bad points etc.... and hopefully whittle it down to 3 clinics..then liase with each of the 3 clinics and go by personal recommendation and gut feeling, when choosing out of the 3..

i have had treatment at CRM London .. Jinemed Istanbul and Chania in Crete...
Without a shadow of a doubt id go back to Chania, Having treatment abroad is much cheaper than here..but you do have to take into account your flights accomadation.. expenses whilst abroad etc... whilst you do get a holiday it can financially work out more or less the same as clinics priced here, However if having donor treatment i think you can go abroad for as little as 3 days in some instances, which would be very cost effective..
Good luck in your search and i hope you find the right clinic for you
love
Helen
xxx *


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## jess p (Sep 25, 2004)

I just can't recommend Serum, Athens highly enough!

I was terrified of going abroad for donor eggs but knew it was my last realistic option.  I'd read some great reports about Penny, "the angel" doctor and decided that what I really needed was the personal touch and moral support.  Plus the results looked great and there was no wait involved.

I am so glad I made this choice!

Sadly, our first attempt ended in a dissolving ectopic at 6+5 weeks, however Penny was straight on the phone to me encouraging me to go again - not for the money I hasten to add - she told me "Pay me what you like and only if you get pregnant"!!!!

I had my scans at ISIS, Colchester & was ovulating immediately after the m/c & my lining was fine so we went again straight after my m/c!

It was definitely the right decision.  Penny had started 2 donors for me (she picked up the tab for the donor we didn't use - how amazing is that?!!) to ensure that one coincided with my cycle as we were doing what she calls a "natural cycle" - no use of oestrogen, just a Pregnyl jab and ET after ovulation.

The donors are all young - mine was Polish and 21 - all the info you are allowed under Greek law.

Cost was 5000 euros (including 1500 euros for donor)

Penny gave me her home number, her personal email and her mobile number - I got a ticking off if I didn't phone her regularly on my 2ww as she was desperate to hear of "symptoms"!!  She's just the loveliest, most genuine person you could ever wish to meet.  She still emails me all the time now - she's fab!


As you can see from my ticker, the result was perfect!  I can never thank Penny, or my donor enough - DH and I just have to keep pinching ourselves after 6.5 years of trying we are now half way through our pregnancy!

Good luck with whatever you decide.
Love Jess xxx


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## deborahfrances (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi, we recently had treatment (donor egg used) with IM Barcelona and could not fault the staff or the clinic.  No problems with the language - lots of translators.  They were not always quick to respond to emails but all was needed was a quick telephone call.  Cost was E8,600 (I think).  No waiting list when we went - had a total of 2 visits - one initial appointment and other for the transfer.  Can happily report my treatment was successful and I'm now 11 weeks pregnant.  Barcelona is easy to travel to and was the best choice for us.  Good luck with your treatment.


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## MillyFlower (Apr 6, 2007)

I went to Serum too and can only echo the words of Jess. Penny is an angel and is the most sensitive, kind and genuine doctor that you could ever meet. We did not pay a for our treatment until we got back to the UK as she would not let me do a bank transfer before the cycle as she said that money should not concern me! 

The clinic is small and friendly. We actually made the trip into a bit of a holiday and spent some time in a nearby island. It was wonderful.

As you can see we got our BFP first time. But if we hadn't there would be no other clinic that I would go to. 

Milly xxx


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## warbabe (Aug 17, 2005)

Hi,
I hope you don't mind me posting on here, but I've been thinking the same thing i.e. how do you pick a clinic...
Could I just ask, of those that have had treatment in Athens what is the first step about have treatment there? Do you need to be at a clinic in the UK or be referred, or can you contact them yourself and how?
I've got high FSH and a poor responder, and are looking into options for DE.
Thanks,
Warbabe


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## Penelope Positive (Sep 12, 2005)

Adding my two-pence worth in, hope it will help.

It is a very personal decision as the others say and you have to factor in logistics, ease of travel etc as all that stuff does add to the stress levels but ulimately you will choose based on your gut feel I suspect.

I have used Eugin three times and Ceram in Spain (who are not on your list) but are wonderful and I couldn't recommend highly enough if you wanted to add another to the list!

Eugin, despite being relatively cheap and having short/no waiting lists have the absolutely worst communication style in history. I frequently had to wait 2 weeks for an answer to emails despite many chases, was not allowed to phone them I could only leave a message with an administrator and they would phone me back and the really did treat us like a number, in fact they wouldn't talk to us unless we gave them our number each time.  Would never ever go back to them and just because of this would not recommend.  They do have great facilities and a reasonable success rate but for me the added stress of not being able to speak with them or having any emotional support or interest from their staff means a complete no no for me now.

Hope this helps

Pen
xx


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

I'm at IVI Barcelona and the clinic is very clean, seem good have 65% results for DE, the communication is ok by email or phone usually get an answer that day or the next day- one of the co-ordinator(translator) is worse than the others for getting back to you. I'm working on E10,000 for the cycle but we need ICSI as well.

It is a minefield deciding my consultant recommended any of the IVI clinics when it was decided that DE's was our next step
L x


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## jess p (Sep 25, 2004)

Our cost of 5000 euros at Serum included icsi!

The communication is def a major factor.  I looked at Altra Vita (sp?!) in Moscow but the communication was much trickier and the transport costs/accommodation were huge & varied so much at different times of year.

The success rates that Penny quotes are a minimum of 65% but she says these are conservative as she doesn't want to get peoples hopes up - although when we went in June she had done 40 cycles and only 3 had failed!!!  That's 92.5% success!!!

Penny also works closely with other doctors in Athens & has discovered that several of the ladies from the UK who have had lots of cycles in the UK & even had lap & dyes have actually got septums in their uterus - these need removing or the chance of successful implantation is greatly reduced & m/c is likely.

Penny works 7 days a week for 11 months of the year and then has August off - she is so dedicated & has been known to send emails out at midnight on a Sunday!  In fact our ET was on a Sunday - imagine that happening in the UK!

Also, I was a bit sceptical about cleanliness & hygiene in another country!!!  No idea why when you look at some UK hospitals!!  Well, I needn't have worried!  It's so modern, although small & really clean.

Check out the details on the International boards under Greece.

Penny can be contacted direct by email on [email protected] (it is Penny with 1 "n"!) 

My UK clinic, ISIS at Colchester, were so impressed with Penny that they met up with her at a conference in Barcelona & have since sent other patients over to see her!

I had scans done in the Uk before I went out there and when I got back.  For my 2nd cycle, DH and I flew out separately as he couldn't get any more time off work (Penny even left the clinic to put us on the right bus to the airport as she didn't want us to pay the taxi prices!!) - we both only stayed one night.  I flew home a few hours after ET!


Good luck with where ever you decide,

Love Jess xxx


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