Judging fertility clinics abroad on the basis of their success rates is one of the most widely used methods patients use to help them choose their ideal IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinic but unfortunately, it is not always the wisest one. You might ask why this is so but in fact success rates are not solely achieved by the actions of the clinic but rather they are the result of a number of interrelated factors. The clinic plays a large part as a result of the professionalism and experience of its fertility team and the technologies employed in fertility treatments but so too do patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the majority of cases it is a patient\u2019s individual situation, their fertility problems, and medical history which influence the final result of the treatment rather than the clinic itself. A woman’s age, genetic factors or various reasons for infertility play a crucial role in determining IVF success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is highly advisable to do your own research prior to choosing the best fertility clinic abroad<\/a>. Always analyse all the medical and psychological aspects that the IVF treatment process entails and only choose to proceed if you ready to commit financially to what can be a substantial investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is not a standard and accepted way for treatment providers to share information regarding success rates of IVF. Comparing IVF treatment success rates between clinics in the same country can be challenging sometimes but when you attempt to compare rates between different countries the task becomes even harder. Defining, calculating and reporting IVF procedure success rates varies between clinics and as a patient you should be aware that the criteria used to define these rates will impact greatly on the final figures quoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help you distinguish between the various criteria clinics employ to report success rates we have illustrated some of the benchmarks used to present and calculate rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IVF success rates presentation involves various benchmarks and methods used by clinics to report and calculate their success rates. These methods can include success rates per start of the cycle, per embryo transfer, and cumulative success rates over multiple cycles. Understanding these different criteria can help patients better interpret the figures and assess their chances of achieving pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This method of reporting success rates is based on the chances of success with repeated cycles rather than on one cycle. This criterion is useful for patients who are assessing their overall chance of achieving pregnancy and is a very accurate tool if it is combined with age or a patient’s medical condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This reporting method is usually calculated on the basis of the number of patients reaching the stage of having embryos that are ready to be transferred. This rate does not refer to clinical pregnancy rates or live birth rates that can vary from this baseline figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This method is used to reflect the overall effectiveness of a particular treatment over a specific number of cycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IVF success rates calculation can vary significantly based on different outcomes such as biochemical pregnancies, pregnancies at week 12, and live births. These variations make it challenging for patients to analyze and compare success rates effectively, especially when clinics use different criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A biochemical pregnancy refers to a miscarriage within the first four or five weeks of the embryo implanting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is usually when the first ultrasound takes place and is the moment when the foetus is fully formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This calculation is triggered when a baby is born and displays signs of life whatever gestational age it has reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is easy to see therefore why so many patients find trying to analyse and compare success rates so difficult when they are presented in different ways and calculated on the basis of different outcomes. The IVF success rates you will see on clinic websites will invariably be generic, that is to say, they will be measured against patients with different treatment requirements which could be as diverse as male factor infertility or ovulatory disfunction. It may also be difficult to compare a generic clinic with one that helps patients with a specific condition like low ovarian reserve \u2013 the latter may be more successful at treating such patients than generic clinics but due to the nature of the condition it follows that their overall success rate may appear low in comparison with other providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are differences in IVF outcomes between popular countries. It is not recommended, however, to assess the treatment quality between countries solely based on IVF success rates. Differences in IVF success rates between countries may not reflect differences in the quality of IVF treatment between countries \u2013 and the same rule applies when comparing the IVF clinics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The effectiveness of IVF treatment with own eggs will vary significantly depending on the age of a female patient. Additionally, there are many other parameters that influence the effectiveness of treatment. These include, amongst others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why it is so important to always ask about your own individual chances and not about average IVF success rate of a clinic. When publishing data on treatment effectiveness, the best clinics<\/a> will take different patients\u2019 age groups into account. However, this still might not be sufficient to be able to effectively compare success rates between IVF clinics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The risk is known to increase with maternal age. Pre-implantation screening can improve implantation and pregnancy rates and maximises the opportunity of transferring only euploid (chromosomally equal) embryos. The aneuploidy testing follows an embryo biopsy, where a small number of cells are removed and then analysed.<\/p>\nDr. Yadira Pall\u00e1s G\u00e1lvez, an embryologist from the Reproduction Unit of Hospital Cl\u00ednica Vistahermosa<\/a> explains<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The following table draws upon data collected from European registries by ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) and provides a really useful comparison of live birth rates by patient age and shown as percentages. The first thing you will notice about the data is that there is a substantial decrease in IVF success rates for women over 40 with the exception of one country. The optimum age for IVF with own eggs is under 34 and success rates can fluctuate anywhere between 25% and 30% and there is also a smaller decrease in success rates for those women aged between 35 and 39 compared to their younger peers. The exception to most of these figures is Lettland<\/a> but with only five clinics and a smaller number of cycles being carried out in the country compared to somewhere like Spain you would expect to see rather different results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This comparison table is a useful starting point but as we shall see throughout this article, success rates are subject to complex variables and are collated and presented in different ways.<\/p>\n\n\nHow IVF success rates are calculated and presented by fertility clinics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
IVF success rates presentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
IVF success rates per start of the cycle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
IVF success rates per embryo transfer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cumulative IVF success rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
IVF success rates calculation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A biochemical pregnancy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pregnancy at week 12<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Live birth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
IVF success rates by country\u2014a comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Success rates of IVF by age\u2014European IVF clinics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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