# Egg Donation Abroad - where to start? Barcelona? Athens?



## marshall92 (May 21, 2009)

Hi,

I'm new on here and I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but here goes...

My partner and I have recently discovered that we both have fertility problems. Having undergone tests at James Paget hospital we have discovered that I suffer from low sperm count and motility, whilst my partners' FSH results apparently suggest that she is probably quite close to the menopause (although she has no family history of early menopause). I am 35 in July, she's 40 in November.
As you may imagine, the results of these tests have rendered us ineligible for NHS treatment. However, one thing that was suggested to us was egg donation. It seems the waiting lists over here are incredibly long so we're seriously considering going abroad - Barcelona (Eugin?) or Athens (Serum?) seem to be on the top of our list of potentials at the moment but it is all a bit confusing at this stage!

Could anyone offer any practical advice on this? Namely (and I'm sure I'll think of something else as soon as I've posted this!):

1. Do you usually have to travel over for a consultation and then return weeks or months later for the treatment?
2. Do they take credit cards or cheques normally?
3. What is the best way of making initial contact? Telephone? Letter? E-mail? We did that online form on the Eugin website and received a reply within the hour with a quote, but I would imagine that's very much a ballpark figure - I guess we may also need to speak to someone at whichever clinic we choose about whether our chances would be significantly increased by sperm donation too as my 'soldiers' aren't as fightling fit as they could be and we want to give ourselves the best chance we can.
4. Do the foreign clinics tell you what tests you need to get done before your consultation so that you can get them done here and take the results with you?

I'm sorry that this is such a rambling post but it feels like we're diving into some new and confusing world - there's so much info out there that our heads are swimming to some extent!

If anyone can offer any advice on this we'd be _really_ grateful.

Thanks in advance

marshall92


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## PeeBum (Dec 18, 2008)

Hello

I know exactly how you feel having gone through all the same questions last year. Luckily I found someone who had already been through it all who spoke to me on the phone about their experiences (I had chosen IM Barcelona) and this really helped ... so if you and your partner would like to call me - PM me and I'll give you my number ... glad to share my experiences.

I am also suffering from POF (early menopause) and after 2 failed donor egg cycles we are now about to start a 3rd having had more involved sperm tests which suggest there might be a slight male factor too.

But to answer your specific questions - these all relate to IM Barcelona which I opted for as it was recommended and has no waiting lists .... but this comes at a cost :
1) I went over for an initial consultant once I had had most of my questions answered over email. IM assign you a "patient coordinator" and I sent lots of emails before deciding IM was the one for me and arranged the first appointment. This is done with no obligation (you pay for it as a one off) - but you can arrange to have tests / leave sperm samples etc at the same time.
2) IM only take cash or bank transfers ... and they expect the transfer to have been sent and received prior to them doing the transfer. Cash gives you a bit of a discount ... but personally, I don't like the idea of walking around with thousands of euros in my pocket so have always opted for a bank transfer (which has been quite easy to arrange)
3) For me it was email .... but they will also talk to you over the phone. IM will give you a schedule of costs for the different treatment options. IM are apprently very "hot" on the male factor issues and may have some suggestions on techniques before you decide to go for sperm donation (they also have a sperm bank - so this is an easy option with them too if you decide on that route !)
4) Yes, I got all the pre screening tests done in the UK and they were happy with this ... they will email you what they need ... and I think they need to be less that 6 months old

Hope you get the answers you need !
PeeBum
x


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## Penelope Positive (Sep 12, 2005)

Hi Marshall,

Firstly let me say how sorry I am to hear of your infertility problems. It can be quite difficult to come to terms with but you are amongst friends here on FF.  I have had to use donor eggs also and would be happy to help where I can.  I did go to Eugin a few times but found their communication so dreadful (and no positive results) that I 'binned' them and actually went back to my original clinic Ceram in Marbella where I am so glad to report we had our BFP and I am now 25 weeks pregnant.

I have heard many posiitve things about Serum and I know they are having some great successes but havent been there myself.

In terms of your questions, I will answer what I can for you but know lots of other will be able to add their experiences too. There are no short answers unfortunately but hopefully you can bear with me. In order....

1 - Do you usually have to travel over for a consultation and then return weeks or months later for the treatment?

Some clinics (I know Ceram do) will do initial enquiries via forms which you can email and discuss over the phone. However, we did choose to have a quick visit out to them as we had a ton of questions and were looking for some reassurance so I would recommend doing that initial trip. It will also give you a chance to see the facilities, try out local hotels etc but it is not always essential.  Waiting lists for donors vary dramatically from clinic to clinic and will depend on your personal characteristics i.e. blood type, eye colour, heights etc - presuming you are hoping to match these as closely as possible, that will depend on whether you intend to tell any child conceived in this way that they are from a donor egg. That is a very personal decision and one that causes heated debate....

2 - Do they take credit cards or cheques normally?

Most clinics do take credit cards although Ceram prefer to have a bank transfer. They will occasionally accept a card but ask you to pay the fees. Eugin did take cards but not over the phone so you have to pay there (and in advance to 'secure' your donor - another reason I didnt like them) or do a transfer of funds. Dont know about Serum but would think they would.


3 - What is the best way of making initial contact?  Telephone?  Letter?  E-mail? We did that online form on the Eugin website and received a reply within the hour with a quote, but I would imagine that's very much a ballpark figure - I guess we may also need to speak to someone at whichever clinic we choose about whether our chances would be significantly increased by sperm donation too as my 'soldiers' aren't as fightling fit as they could be and we want to give ourselves the best chance we can.

Email is usually best. Eugin may have answered within an hour on your initial enquiry, they did that for us, but the 'pre-sales' team are much more efficient that the care team. However most other clinics are good with emails. The initial figure you are quoted will not include any tests - most clnics insist on at least some like 3-6 monthly infection screenings (including HIV) blood type etc. If your 'soldiers' cannot be used there will be extra costs there or alternatively they may choose to ICSI the egg with your sperm to give them a go which again will incur extra costs. Your clinic should be able to discuss all the options with you and do some tests or have you do them here in the UK.

4 - Do the foreign clinics tell you what tests you need to get done before your consultation so that you can get them done here and take the results with you?

Yes. Some clinics will want to do there own however or have additional ones that are not easy to get done here (or are very expensive here) Eugin have a standard list but most clinics will look at your history and suggest what is appropriate. You need the support either of your GP or a UK clinic or some people use STD clinics for things like infection screenings.

Gosh hope all this hasnt put you off. It really is quite straightforward once you get on the road but not without its ups and downs and challenges are of course there are never any guarantees. Having said that, an amazing amount of women do go on to conceive with donor help and it can be the answer for many couples.

You will need money, time, patience and determination and a strong relationship to survive it but if it gets you your dream it is worth every tear and penny spent.

Hope I have been able to help a little, do send me a message or post back here if I can help any further.

Good luck!

Pen
xxx


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## marshall92 (May 21, 2009)

Hi Peebum and Pen,

Thanks loads for getting back to us, it's really good of you and lots of help.  It's given us some more to think about. We're checking out a local clinic tomorrow (Isis in Colchester) as it has an open evening and we've never been to one before!  Looks like abroad will be the way forward though.

We're trying not to think about it this week as we're going to a wedding this weekend and I'm the best man so we're stressed about that too.  

Pen - congratulations on your 25 weeks!
Peebum - good luck with your 3rd cycle!

Thanks again for your help.  

Marshall92


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## annacameron (Dec 16, 2008)

Marshall - wow, exciting to be best man. it will be agreat day hopefully. 

re treatment, I had 3 thoughts:

1. I wldn't jump immediately to sperm donation - why not try ICSI first? the sperm are injected direct so they don't actually need to travel anywhere or be "fit"

2. reprofit getgs good results on here, from what others are reporting. they are also doing a "deal" - can you believe it? an ivf "deal" - which I seem to recall is 7500 euros. they are in the czech republic. 

3. lastly, foreign clinics are a big of a leap of faith at the outset but you can read a HUGE amount about them on FF and I personally believe the vast majority are every bit as good as if not better than ours here, both private and NHS. 

good luck!


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## Louella (Jan 1, 2007)

I was very lucky to be successfully treated in Cyprus.  i have posted on Cyprus link but below is copy of my post (but with corrected spelling!)

I have beautiful 11 week old baby boy/girl twins using donor eggs and I was treated at Pedieos by Dr Trokoudes.  It was my 4th IVF overall but my first at Pedieos Clinic Nicosia Cyprus.  I found the clinic staff very helpful and kind.  I only met Dr Trokoudes once, actually at the ET, but I thought he was lovely, very human and understanding.  I had explained to the clinic that I felt I had been unsuccessful before maybe partly because the transfer happened too late in my cycle, and that I was "kept going" waiting for the donor rather than it being based around me.  Staff discussed this with the Dr T and he agreed to try to make sure there were no delays, I had the transfer on the first possible day! 

Pluses for Pedieos: Efficient staff, kind, helpful with other advice (where to stay etc).  Dr T very kind, reassuring seems to have a fab track record, everyone knew him even the taxi driver's wife had been successfully treated by him.  Comparatively low cost. We paid 2300 euros plus about another 200 euros for drugs, and at the time there was a much better exchange rate than now.  This was an egg share and we were guaranteed a minimum of 6 eggs.  We paid through bank transfer in advance but this was our choice, we could have paid cash or I believe credit card

Minuses: not the poshest clinic! It could do with updating bigtime.  i also feel that although the staff were helpful our treatment was more successful because DH and I had already had a number of tries.  Staff did not give much lead-up/background info, you need to have researched (using FF) so you know a bit about what happens.  That said when I think about it it may just be that we didn't ask many questions and they knew our past history.  

Our previous experiences were at Limmasol clinic in Cyprus who i found to be not very communicative and we had a bit of a bad experience so I could not recommend, and IVI Alicante in Spain who were very professional, modern and efficient clinic but I felt like I was on a bit of a conveyor belt and a number rather than a person

Hope this helps, I'll try to check again very soon if you have any questions but as you can guess I have my hands pretty full at the moment.

I truly am blessed and am very grateful, I wish all the best for you.

Louella


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