I have answered the questions you presented as fully as possible. For more detailed information please see our website www.lifeclinic.gr or contact the clinic directly on (0030) 210 00 631.
Just to correct you that our clinic is based in Athens, Greece and not in Turkey as you wrote on your email.
Life Clinic is a newly established IVF clinic in Greece. In Life clinic, in contrast with other traditional clinics in this field, we try see and treat infertility not only by producing and transferring embryos but also by trying to find and correct underlying problems that may stop a woman from becoming pregnant.
Our clinical director, Dr Dimitri Papanikolaou, worked until 2 years ago as deputy clinical director in the UK’s most successful IVF clinic in London (ARGC), returning to Greece to establish a clinic in Athens using the same proven fertility techniques.
Having worked with the pioneers in immune related infertility problems, we have a vast experience in unexplained infertility and we offer comprehensive investigation and management in this field.
· What is the current success rate for your clinic? (preferably by age as I know that the success rate will be much lower for somebody of my age)
Our overall clinical success rates for live birth are:
Under 35yrs: 51%.
35-39yrs: 39%
40-42yrs: 18%
43-44yrs: 7%
At Life Clinic we prefer to individualise the success rate for each patient in order to be as honest as possible with our patients. Success rates for IVF vary and are dependent on many factors such as the woman’s age, cause of infertility and presence of additional factors.
· How many cycles do you perform per year at the clinic?
On 2008 we had 152 cycles.
· What is the maximum age that you treat?
We are restricted by Greek regulations to a maximum of 50 years of age.
· Are there any fertility conditions that you will not treat?
All fertility conditions are treated at Life Clinic with the exception of HIV positive patients. This includes egg and sperm donations and reproductive immunological treatment.
· What is your embryo transfer policy? How many embryos will you replace at one time?
Up to 4 embryos can be transferred for women under 40 years of age and 3 embryos for over 40 years of age.
· What is the cost of IVF treatment?
The cost of an IVF cycle is 2.900 EUR. This includes initial and follow-up consultations, ultrasound scans, theatre charges, anaesthetic charges and doctor’s fees. All our prices are listed on our website at www.lifeclinic.gr
There are additional costs for medications and any blood tests that are required. Medication costs vary for each patient (depending mainly on the woman’s age and how easy she responds to stimulation), which is usually between 1.000 – 2.000+ EUR. Costs for blood tests during the stimulation are less than 400 EUR.
· What happens to the costs if the cycle has to be abandoned?
If in the unlikely event that a cycle needs to be cancelled prior to the egg collection, minimal charges are incurred. These will be the costs of the cycle up to the point of cancelling (i.e. blood tests) and a small medical fee.
· How long would I need to be in Greece for?
This depends on the individual patient’s preferences especially for overseas patients.
We prefer two visits in Athens, one for the initial consultation and check up in order to plan the treatment and one for the actual treatment.
However, most overseas patients prefer to have the first consultation over the telephone and to monitor the progress of their treatment in the earlier stages locally (with blood tests and ultrasound scans) which is then followed by a visit to the clinic in Athens for the embryo transfer.
We prefer patients to arrive a few days prior to embryo transfer in order to be sure that everything runs smoothly with their treatment and to stay at least 1 day post the procedure.
· Who deals with the logistics of flights and accommodation?
We provide all the information needed on flights and accommodation in Athens. If preferred, an agent can arrange everything for you at very competitive prices. Usually, however, patients prefer to arrange this themselves.
· How is the pre-treatment carried out?
The best way is for this to be conducted in our clinic in Athens. However, for overseas patients this can be done at local clinics or through their GP locally with instructions from Life Clinic.
· How do I get medication?
You can buy them from every pharmacy in Athens or we can arrange to send you a prescription so you can get them locally. In the UK, GP’ s are sometimes very helpful with this.
· How will I be monitored?
During the stimulation, regular vaginal ultrasound scans and daily blood tests are required.
For overseas patients who prefer to arrive in Athens for the later stages of the treatment only, i.e. the embryo transfer, must find a clinic locally in which to have these blood tests and ensure that blood test results are forwarded on to us the same day. The doctor uses this information to determine the patient’s response to treatment and if required adjust the daily dosage of medications in order to maximise the patient’s chances of success.
· How will I know that I am not being under / over stimulated?
The close monitoring we suggest and support is the best way to avoid the above situations.
All patients are monitored closely enough through their treatment with ultrasound scans and daily blood tests.
· If I have a problem whilst in the UK who would I go to?
Patients would contact their doctor at Life Clinic (we are on-call 24 hrs). In addition, we maintain links with private IVF clinics in Europe (including London), so in the unlikely event that the patient requires immediate treatment/procedures externally to Life Clinic then these clinics would be consulted.
· Is the clinic registered with any regulatory body?
Life Clinic is under the regulation of the Greek national authorities including the General Medical Council and the Hellenic Authority of Assisted Reproduction (equivalent to HFEA in the UK).
· How long is the waiting list for IVF treatment?
Our current waiting time for consultation is less than a month. For IVF treatment cycles there is no waiting list.
