In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a manual, artificial process of pregnancy wherein the eggs from the ovaries are combined with the sperm outside the womb. Couples with fertility problems will need to consult with fertility doctors from IVF clinics to determine which options they can take in order to have a successful conception. One of the options is the IVF, although this is offered only if other methods of artificial reproduction have failed. The process involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries, obtaining sperm cells from either the male partner or a donor, combining the egg and sperm under artificial medium, carefully monitoring the fertilization process, and then transferring back to the woman's uterus those embryos that have been successfully fertilized.
There are a number of infertility clinics found in the US that provide IVF treatment. They can be either public or private clinics. They offer a variety of programs such as in vitro fertilization, diagnosis and testing, infertility surgery, ICSI, donor egg and embryo freezing.
Choosing the right IVF Clinics
When couples visit IVF clinics, they will have to look into the details and costs of the different fertility programs. The prices also differ from one clinic to another. So it is imperative to do some legwork before deciding on which IVF clinic to work with. Below are some of the questions that might be helpful in choosing the right one.
When it comes to details:
- How many doctors will be present in the care of the female patient?
- Who can the female patient call during the night or day when she encounters a problem?
- What kinds of support and counseling services do the IVF clinics offer?
- Do the methods include cryopreservation?
- Are donor sperm cells or eggs available in the IVF program?
- How many embryos or eggs are going to be transferred?
- Does the program consider ICSI? If yes, when? How much is the cost?
When it comes to convenience and cost of IVF clinics:
- How much does the screening for pre-cycle tests cost and is the insurance applicable in covering the test?
- How much is the payment if the cycle for treatment is canceled before egg retrieval or before the transfer of embryo?
- What are the prices for the freezing, storage and transferring of the embryo?
- Do the IVF clinics help in arranging low-cost lodging if possible?
- What are the modes of payment? Does the patient need to pay in advance?
- If the patients have work, how many days, weeks or months will they miss?
Private IVF clinics may be a bit expensive compared to public ones but it will be up to the couple to choose which clinic to go with. In vitro fertilization success rate is not solely dependent on the IVF clinics. In fact, it largely depends on the age of the female patient because it affects the fertility process. The older the woman gets the lesser the chances of making the treatment successful because of the dwindling number of mature eggs that the woman can produce. Younger women tend to produce healthier eggs compared to older women.