Planning To Go for IVF?
Getting IVF Treatment in India Can Be a Great Decision
Infertility is a growing problem in today’s scenario of stressful life with both husband and wife working in growing career ambitions. Eventually when the couple plans for a baby, it turns out to be a prolonged battle. Usually in desperation, the couple is ready to take any step to fulfil their dream of having a child. Most of these couples with difficulty in getting pregnant are referred for an IVF treatment.
The last 20 years have seen an exponential growth of infertility clinics across the globe and the IVF industry in India is burgeoning with professional expertise. India, being at the forefront of reproductive medicine, has become a Mecca for all the IVF treatments available around the world. The Indian IVF sector accounts to around five billion dollars and has 500 plus IVF clinics across the country. The key drivers for its growth being the increasing number of infertility cases in the country and growing number of people from abroad who flock to India seeking high-end treatments that come at a fraction of the price that they have to pay abroad.
IVF Procedures
With IVF, a method of assisted reproduction, a man’s sperm and the woman’s egg are combined in a laboratory dish, where fertilization occurs. The resulting embryo or embryos is/are then transferred to the woman’s uterus (womb) to implant and develop naturally. Usually, two to four embryos are placed in the woman’s uterus at one time. Each attempt is called a cycle.
IVF can be used to treat infertility with the following patients:
- Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
- Male factor infertility including decreased sperm count or sperm motility
- Women with ovulation disorders, premature ovarian failure, uterine fibroids
- Women who have had their fallopian tubes removed
- Individuals with a genetic disorder
- Unexplained infertility
There are five basic steps in the IVF and embryo transfer process:
- Monitor and stimulate the development of healthy egg(s) in the ovaries.
- Collect the eggs.
- Secure the sperm.
- Combine the eggs and sperm together in the laboratory and provide the appropriate environment for fertilization and early embryo growth.
- Transfer embryos into the uterus.
India and Fertility Tourism
According to the medical tourism website of the Government of India, the combination of the low cost of infertility treatment in India - nearly one-quarter of the cost in developed nations - and the modern ART available here make India a top choice for infertility treatments. Fertility clinics in countries like United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, France, Spain, and Denmark are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the demand for donor eggs and hence turning to India. Further on, benefits associated with fertility tourism are numerous. To name a few, fertility tourism brings in more income, creates jobs, improves lives and contributes to overall economic development. For, success rate of Infertility Clinics depends on key factors like: age of patients, expertise of doctors, infra and equipment available and the like. In India, the doctors have decades of experience and the clinics are surprisingly well equipped with all advanced equipment.
The average IVF cost in India is Rs. 2,50,000 ($4,000) for one cycle, but it can be as much as Rs. 4,50,000 or more. It may be as low as Rs. 1,50,000 ($2,400), but it’s rarely lower than that. These prices are for one cycle of IVF. If a fertility clinic tells you that their IVF costs less than Rs. 1,50,000 ($2,400), they are probably leaving something out from their price quote. Ask them if their price quote includes everything, including fertility drug purchases, ultrasound and monitoring costs, blood work, and any options they consider “extra”.
While basic IVF costs around Rs. 2,50,000 ($4,000) for one cycle, if you need additional assisted reproductive technologies, the cost will be higher. For example, ICSI treatment (where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg) may be an additional Rs. 1,50,000 – Rs. 2,50,000 ($2,400 - $4,000). If you have frozen embryos from a previous cycle and want to use them, doing so is significantly cheaper than doing a complete IVF cycle with fresh embryos. The average cost for a frozen embryo transfer (FET), is about Rs. 1,20,000 ($1,900).
Medicines used during IVF cyle, like any drugs you take, come with potential risks and side effects. Reading about potential risks can increase your anxiety during treatment and increase the failure rate in IVF. While you should be educated about the risks, the goal isn’t to scare you out of going through with treatments. Ideally, you should take what you learn here and use the information to make smarter decisions about your treatment.
The use of fertility drugs during IVF cycles may lead to a multiple pregnancy. Your risk of multiples is dependent on a number of factors, including which medication you’re taking, what dosage, and how sensitive your body is to the drugs. If you’re taking medications that mimic the hormones FSH and LH, even with monitoring, your risk of getting pregnant with multiples is higher. As many as 30% of pregnancies from these fertility drugs are multiple pregnancies.
Another risk that comes with fertility drug use is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS occurs when the ovaries become unusually enlarged, filling with fluid. When ovulation occurs, the fluid is released into the body, causing complications.
Choosing the Best IVF Clinic
If you are looking for infertility treatment, India offers you treatment options in abundance. No matter what your selection criteria is: doctor's expertise, cost, success records, geographic location, climate or more - India can offer you IVF treatment options meeting all your needs.
Bourn Hall Clinic in Kochi was originally founded in Bourn, Cambridge, England, and is one of the world’s best clinics for the treatment of infertility. Co-founder of Bourn Hall Clinic, Professor Sir Edwards, known affectionately as "the father of IVF", was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2010. Their state of the art patient-friendly infertility clinics for IVF is equipped with the latest technology and staffed by qualified, specialist doctors who will guide you at every stage of the journey towards the new life you’re creating.
Here is the range of treatments they offer at Bourn Hall Clinic, for women and men:
- IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)
- ICSI/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
- Blastocyst Culture
- FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer)
- IUI (Intrauterine Insemination
- Egg Donation/Egg Sharing
- Surrogacy/ IVF Surrogacy
- Embryo Freezing
- Sperm Donation
- Sperm Freezing
- PESA (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration)
- TESA/TESE (Testicular Sperm Aspiration)
- Micro-TESE (Microsurgical Sperm Retrieval from the Testicle)
- Secondary Infertility – for couples who already have a child
When you’re ready to start, simply contact Bourn Hall Clinic and they will talk through the detailed timings of your treatment and arrange your next appointment. You will have plenty of opportunity to ask any questions about your treatment all the way through your journey with the clinic.
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