Contents
Choosing a medical institution and a doctor can be a real problem. Today, there are a large number of clinics on the market, both private and public. The success of the procedure in which you invest time, effort and health depends on the right choice of clinic and specialist. How to make the right choice?
1. Clinic private or public
The state clinic is a great experience, the effectiveness of treatment, compliance with standards. But also a large flow of patients, like a conveyor belt. Unfortunately, doctors may not have time to tell the patient in detail about this or that method of treatment, to listen, to reassure and encourage. At the same time, the cost of services in public and private clinics does not differ; it will not be possible to save in this way.
In private clinics, the doctor can devote much more time to the patient. Here, much more attention is paid to the comfort of those who applied. However, there is a big chance to run into a clinic with low-quality equipment, low efficiency, and waste your money and time in vain.
2. Clinic statistics
The main indicator of the effectiveness of the clinic is the percentage of successful IVF cycles. In different clinics, it can vary from 30% to 60% after one transfer. But these figures must be treated with caution. Not the fact that they reflect reality. Physicians may resort to various tricks to achieve results. For example, take patients with uncomplicated cases and good prospects for a successful transplant. And in more complex cases, such a clinic will not be able to help.
There is another way to improve statistics – replanting several embryos at once in one IVF protocol. This is an illegal practice. To date, no more than two embryos are allowed to be transferred at a time. More responsible physicians believe that no more than one embryo should be transferred (1). Multiple pregnancies are associated with higher risks for both mother and babies. When replanting two embryos at once, there is always a chance that both will take root.
3. Clinic equipment
Half of the success of the IVF procedure depends on the equipment of the laboratory. Cells and embryos are very sensitive. They react to the slightest changes in the environment, temperature and air in the laboratory. The ingress of bacteria, an insignificant amount of chemicals, odors can be detrimental to cells.
High-quality laboratories are equipped with special filters that renew the air almost every minute. Such equipment is possible only if the laboratory is located in a special building. Installation of specialized equipment in a clinic located, for example, in a business center, is not possible.
4. Professional competence of the doctor
It is necessary to study the biographies of the doctors of the clinic. What university did you graduate from, where did you work? Do they have a degree, do they train abroad? A reproductive specialist should be versed in related specialties – endocrinology, surgery and psychology, possess the skills of ultrasound diagnostics. A specialist must practice daily, regularly improve their skills, participate in national and foreign conferences.
Specialized forums can provide more information about reproductologists. On them, patients share their impressions about the doctor and the clinic as a whole. About what studies and analyzes they had to take. How they achieved or why they did not achieve the desired result. Lively and emotional stories are usually told by real patients. Template positive reviews are almost always paid advertisements for clinics.
5. Psychological comfort at the reception
It is important to focus on your own psychological comfort at the doctor’s appointment. The doctor should inspire confidence, answer your questions in detail, be able to calm, set in a positive way.
In many medical centers, the initial consultation with a doctor is free. Therefore, you can choose several clinics for comparison, get a free consultation on CHI or VHI. The style of the clinic will become clear to you at the first visit. In some clinics, everything is on stream. Private clinics differ in an individual approach to each patient. Choose the option that is more suitable for you, in which atmosphere you will feel more comfortable.
Expert Commentary
Modern high-tech reproductive technologies are very complex and require expensive preparations, equipment, tools, nutrient media for culturing embryos, etc. (2) Therefore, low prices for the IVF procedure should be alarming. If you do not have enough money to pay for the IVF procedure, you must contact the antenatal clinic in order to issue a quota for free treatment at the expense of the state.
Popular questions and answers
The choice of a clinic and a reproductive specialist is a responsible task. We will answer popular questions that worry many couples.
When should you contact a fertility specialist?
The absence of pregnancy in a couple without contraception. Up to 35 years within 1 year, after 35 years within 6 months.
• Violation of spermatogenesis or spermopathy in a man.
• Obstruction or absence of fallopian tubes.
• Violation of ovulation or the presence of endocrine pathology.
• Absence of a sexual partner in a woman. In this case, donor sperm is used.
• A history of miscarriages or missed pregnancies.
• Genetic diseases in a married couple or children with genetic diseases born earlier to at least one of the spouses.
• Pathology of the uterus or other genital organs in a woman.
Couples over 30-35 years old are recommended to undergo even a routine examination of their reproductive health in order to plan a pregnancy with a specialist. It is very important not to delay the visit to the doctor, because a woman’s reproductive age is limited. In men, the reproductive function is longer, but over the years, the quality of spermatozoa also decreases. (3)
You need a fertility doctor. Where to find it?
How to choose a center if there are a lot of them?
What to take with you to the first appointment with the doctor?
It would be nice for a man to come to an appointment with the results of a spermogram.
You will have a long talk with the doctor. Your fertility doctor will ask you about any medical conditions you have or are currently suffering from. About previous possible pregnancies, abortions. About the results of gynecological and urological examinations. Be prepared to answer frankly questions about your sexual life! Yes, it may seem inconvenient, but we will have to talk about it. Believe that no doctor will ask a single question out of curiosity. Everything a fertility specialist asks has a lot to do with making a diagnosis—and for future success.
Sources of
- Yakovenko E.M., Yakovenko S.A., In vitro fertilization (IVF) and other methods of overcoming infertility / 2016
- Savvina O.V. childbearing: From former taboos to human enhancement technology: past, present and future of medical interventions in human reproduction / 2018
- Kulakov V.I. In vitro fertilization and its new directions in the treatment of female and male infertility (theoretical and practical approaches) / 2000