Reproductive Medicine

Our cooperating clinic is a leader in reproductive medicine. For more then 20 years it has been among the leading fertility clinics in Europe.

Top professionals, state of the art equipment, as well as personalized, case-by-case approach are the key components that make this clinic special. The thousands of babies born through the assistance of IVF and their happy families are a testament of its efforts and success.

Conception is feasible via three fundamental directions, which are chosen according to the seriousness of a variety of factors that prevent natural conception. Doctors will discuss your situation with you and together you will choose the procedure that gives you the best chance at resolving the problem.

Clinic is a fully fledged clinic that offers gynecology, urology and infertility diagnosis (investigation of infertility factors) 

Start to become familiar with terms so you can discuss them in detail with your doctor at the clinic. They will gladly advise which one is the most suitable for you.

TERMS AND TREATMENTS

Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

Intrauterine insemination is the oldest and simplest method of infertility treatment. Conditions for use of this method are man’s healthy sperm cells, passable fallopian tubes, and proven ovulation in the woman.

In vitro fertilization (IVF)

This method is about highly specialized lab micromanipulation techniques when sperm in a special solution is added to the retrieved eggs in a special media. Sperm have to penetrate the individual eggs by themselves. It is a matter of coincidence which sperm penetrates which oocytes.

Sperm injection (ICSI)

ICSI has become one of the most reliable and modern methods. During egg injection, we choose the highest quality sperm cell and inject it directly into an egg cytoplasm.

Infertility treatments at Clinic are:

a) IVF treatment with:

– own sperm and own oocytes

– own sperm & donated oocytes

– own oocytes & donated sperm

– donated oocytes + donated sperm

b) Genetics /pre-implantatory genetic tests (PGT) on embryos – with next generation sequencing (NGS) :

– PGT-A: genetic screening of embryos for aneuplodoity (excluding risk of chromosomal abnormality)

– PGT-M: genetic diagnostic for monogenic disease to prevent genetic hereditary diseases to be passed on to child

c) Social freezing – fertility preservation

– oocytes and sperm cryo preservation for: – future family planing OR

– for oncology patients

FAQ

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FERTILITY TREATMENT?

A possible complication of hormonal ovarian stimulation is known as “disproportionate and excessive reaction of ovaries”, also known as “hyperstimulation syndrome”. Ovaries respond to the medication even after patients stop taking it and after egg retrieval has been completed. Ovaries are still enlarged and women feel pressure in her lower abdomen (“abdomen fullness”). In these cases, a patient returns for check-ups while starting a new treatment to improve her condition and reverse the symptoms. In most cases, the excessive ovarian reaction to the stimulation stops on its own. According to the literature, 1-2 % of patients suffer from hyperstimulation syndrome. It is also important to note that this condition does not endanger a woman’s fertility.

Due to the monitoring and precision of the treatment specifically carried out at our clinic, there have only been 2 reported cases of hyperstimulation syndrome since 2010 (both very mild cases). No cases have been reported since 2012. As a result, our patients avoid the discomfort associated with this condition and no cycles are cancelled, which in part contributes to our high success rates.

IS OVARIAN STIMULATION USING HORMONES SAFE?

Ovarian stimulation has been used in fertility treatment for over 30 years. All around the world teams of doctors have been trying to verify whether this stimulation increases the risk of tumorous diseases in ovaries. The largest and most wide ranging study took place in Israel and lasted over 20 years. The outcome and this study as well as all other existing studies indicate that there is no increased risk of tumorous diseases from using hormonal ovarian stimulation.

Ovarian stimulation is considered to be a safe medical procedure, which does not influence a woman’s health or fertility.

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF TREATMENT?

Treatment expenses at Clinic differ according to treatment type and may be different for every individual couple depending on their situation. Coordinators and doctors will gladly inform you about treatment types and their pricing. If your treatment is eligible for insurance reimbursement, our in house team will prepare all the requisite documentation which can be completed directly by the insurance company itself.

We are happy to provide you with a price quote after we receive preliminary information about what your treatment at Clinic may entail. The price of treatment begins at EUR 3900 for the package with guarantee. See our price list.

IS TREATMENT LIMITED BY AGE?

According to the Czech legislature, woman may undergo fertility treatment up until the age of 49. The average patient at Clinic is over the age of 40 years.

HOW LONG HAS CLINIC BEEN PERFORMING TREATMENT USING DONOR EGGS?

Clinic began offering oocyte donation treatment in 2003. As such, we have a long-standing and successful experience with this procedure. It was perfected in cooperation with the specialists at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem (a leading Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic in Israel), whose patients eventually underwent treatment at Clinic. Since 2014, Clinic has been in association with McGill University in Montreal.

IS TREATMENT WITH DONOR EGGS ANONYMOUS?

Act no. 373/2011 Sb., regarding Specific Care Services, states that reproductive cells must be donated by an anonymous male/female for fertility treatment.

A clinic authorized to offer methods and procedures in assisted reproduction is obligated to ensure the maintenance of mutual anonymity between a donor and an infertile couple and between a donor and a child born thanks to the assisted reproduction treatment. A clinic that has performed health eligibility in an anonymous donor is obligated to store the data about the health condition of the donor for the period of 30 years since the fertility treatment. The Clinic is obligated to issue information about donor health condition to an infertile couple or a person in legally full age born based on assisted reproduction treatment while following the anonymity principle.

Donation is thus fully anonymous in the Czech Republic whereby the law simultaneously sets criteria for all potential donors. Clinic’s internal rules for donor selection are however considerably stricter compared to those set by the Law – Clinic only allows women aged between 18 to 33 years of age (they are typically university students – for more information, see question “Who is an egg donor at Clinic clinic”) compared to 35 years old which is the upper age limit set by Czech law.

WHO CAN BE A RECIPIENT OF DONOR EGGS?

Most often the patients are women who do not produce quality eggs naturally. That being said, recipients of donated eggs may also be:
– Women who repetitively went through treatment using IVF methods and no quality eggs were retrieved or only non-quality embryos developed.
– Women who are in an age category where statistics show they currently produce only lower quality eggs unable of being fertilized, or emerged embryos are defective and unable of perfect development.
– Women whose ovaries were not developed or were removed during surgery.
– Women who suffered from premature ovarian failure (menopause) and no longer menstruate.
– Women who have undergone genetic testing and are shown to possess a chromosomal defect that may be transmitted to an offspring.

In the Czech Republic woman may undergo fertility treatment up until the date of their 49th birthday.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR EGG DONOR?

Clinic has a dedicated donor center conveniently located in Prague where donor examinations are taken place and donors are selected.

Donor selection respects blood type, Rh factor as well as physical features including eye and hair color. Above all, we try to respect all individual requests of our patients to the extent possible, such as a particular talent, character, education etc.

Based on these requests we usually select 3 to 4 of the most suitable donors from our database from which the patients ultimately make their final decision. The donor selection process is thus a collaborative process between Clinic and the patient.

Oocyte donation is legal in the Czech Republic in which donation must be fully anonymous (for more information, see “What does the Czech legislature say about the egg donation treatment?”).

During donor selection and treatment planning, the patient’s coordinator is present and always available to answer question in the patients language of preference.

HOW MANY VISITS DOES CLINIC REQUIRE DURING THE  TREATMENT?

Receiving a treatment from Clinic usually requires 2 visits:
– Visit by the male partner to collect sperm. This visit occurs on the day the oocyte is retrieved from the egg donor. Presence of the female partner is not necessary for this visit.
– Visit by the female recipient for transfer of the embryo, after the embryo has been cultivated for several days (typically 5 days). The male partner does not necessarily need to be present for this visit.

It is possible to organize to visit the clinic for a consultation before the beginning of the treatment. This visit is not mandatory and can be done by phone or videoconference. If the consultation takes place in person, the sperm sample of the partner can be cryopreserved. The advantage of this is that it is not necessary to travel to the clinic on day of the ovarian puncture in the donor.

The typical visit of our patients involves a week long trip to the Czech Republic. The male usually donates his sperm at the beginning of this week and then return to the clinic 3-5 days later to transfer the embryo into the female patient. During these 3-5 days (in between sperm collection and embryo transfer) there are various techniques that can be applied to increase the chances of success of becoming pregnant.

WHAT IS THE WAITING TIME FOR DONOR EGGS?

Treatment using donor eggs can be started immediately, without any waiting time. Thanks to our long-term experience with oocyte donation and our reputation of providing the best possible donor care (for more information, see question “Who is the donor?”) we have a sufficient amount of young women registered in our donor database who are willing to help immediately. These donors are properly tested and ready to be paired with a matching recipient to ensure their availability and eligibility to become donors.

WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE OF EGG DONATION TREATMENT?

Since the embryos originate from oocytes obtained from young women, the success rates are very high, even during the first cycle. Based on sperm quality, more than 50 % of patients conceive during the first cycle.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT PROCESS THAT EGG DONORS UNDERGO?

Ovarian stimulation of the donor is synchronized with the preparation of the mom to-be. All matured eggs obtained from one donor are granted to one recipient. In the laboratory the eggs are then fertilized with the recipient’s partner’s sperm, which is done using the most modern and safe techniques available in the industry. After several days an embryo is transferred into the uterus of the expecting mom who then carries her pregnancy until the day she gives birth.

Hormones & process safety

The word hormone already causes fear and concerns in many women – it may be fear of weight gain, cancer, or other unpredictable and undesirable effects. This is the reason why it is so important to clarify that an adverse influence on a woman may be caused by oestrogens, which are not used during ovarian stimulation. Oestrogens directly influence mammary glands in the breast and a uterine lining, thus the menstrual cycle. In some circumstances, a tumorous growth in these tissues may be provoked. Other hormones do not pose any danger to women. During our ovarian stimulation, women do not receive any oestrogens.

In a natural menstrual cycle, an oocyte maturates in a tiny sac, so-called follicle, under an influence of the pituitary hormone FSH – follicle-stimulating hormone. The growing follicle produces the female hormone oestradiol. The oestradiol influences uterine lining growth. When a follicle reaches size of about 25mm, it ruptures and an egg is released, ovulation takes place while oestrogen production stops. The oestradiol level thus drops and in some women the oestradiol drop may co-occur with a slight spotting. A ruptured follicle forms a corpus luteum, which produces progesterone, a hormone present in the second half of the menstrual cycle.

In order to obtain oocytes during ovarian stimulation for an in vitro fertilization imitates the natural menstrual cycle. Ovaries are just stimulated by a higher amount of FSH in order to support maturation of more oocytes. The thing is that when more oocytes are fertilized, the probability of quality embryo rises, which also means higher probability of conception. The stimulation procedure is the same in the case of a woman using the retrieved eggs for her own pregnancy or if she donates them to another woman.

During this controlled stimulation, more follicles mature on the ovaries and those follicles produce a proportionally higher amount of oestradiol. The stimulation itself lasts approximately 10 days. Follicles are then punctured under ultrasound guidance and suction is gently applied to aspirate oocytes and follicular fluid. At this moment, the oestradiol production terminates and the oestradiol level rapidly drops.

A woman is thus only exposed to higher oestradiol level for 6 days, which does not have any significant influence on her organism.

If a woman conceives and everything develops with success, the placenta produces a hundred times higher oestradiol level than the one produced during the course of ovarian stimulation and a woman is exposed to its influence during two thirds of the pregnancy, thus for six months. The single risk emerges only with a long-standing oestradiol intake in menopause treatment.

Weight gain, a risk of uterine, or breast cancer does not pose any threat during several days of oestradiol intake either. The whole process is therefore completely safe.

HOW DOES THE PREPARATION OF THE DONOR EGGS RECIPIENT LOOK IN PRACTICE?

Recipients are treated with the appropriate amount of oestrogen with special attention given to their uterine lining. There is no stimulation treatment. Hormonal doses and medicine are tailored to each individual patient. We look to replicate as close as possible the woman’s natural process. Preparation of every patient is tailored based on individual needs in order to prepare the endometrium to be as healthy as possible for the transfer.

HOW MANY DONOR EGGS DOES A RECIPIENT RECEIVE?

All eggs obtained from the donor are given to the matching recipient. We always pair one recipient with one donor. Typically, this represents between 10 to 12 mature eggs. Following fertilization, the embryos are cultivated in the laboratory via a treatment known as prolonged cultivation.

During the five-day cultivation, most defective embryos typically stop developing which leaves only the healthiest embryos ready and available for transfer and which have the highest chances for successful development.

WHAT IS THE FERTILIZATION PROCESS OF DONOR EGGS?

Donor eggs are fertilized with sperm provided by the recipient’s partner on the day of the ovarian puncture in the donor. However, the partner can have his sperm cells frozen and stored at our cryobank, in which case he does not need to come on the day of the puncture. In the case sperm cells have been frozen, they are then thawed and used for egg fertilization. The recipient arrives at the clinic directly for the embryo transfer. To keep the chances of pregnancy as high as possible, individual eggs are fertilized with the selected sperm using the ICSI method. If sperm analysis indicates additional complications, our doctors may recommend using PICSI or IMSI, which are two special fertilization methods which can increase the chances of pregnancy.

WHEN DOES THE EMBRYO TRANSFER TAKE PLACE IN RELATION TO EGG RETRIEVAL?

Embryos are developed for 5 days and are transferred on that same day into the uterus of the recipient. In the large majority of cases, we transfer one embryo, but have the ability to transfer up to a maximum of two embryos.

WHEN CAN I GO HOME AFTER THE EMBRYO TRANSFER? IS LONG JOURNEY SAFE?

We recommend that you change as little as possible in your daily routine after embryo transfer. There is no indication or proof that bed rest increases the chances of treatment success. Our clinic does, however, recommend 3 days of decreased physical activity (no sports, no intercourse etc.)

HOW MANY EMBRYOS USING DONOR EGG ARE TRANSFERRED?

It is always the couple being treated who decides on how many embryos are to be transferred. We typically transfer one embryo. If the couple wishes we can transfer up to two embryos (in the case 2 embryos are transferred there is the possibility of having twins).

CAN THE EMBRYOS FROM EGG DONATION BE FROZEN?

It is possible to freeze non-transferred embryos, if the number “healthy embryos” on day 5 allows for it. This process of cryopreserving embryos is known as vitrification. If the first transfer is not successful, the couple may have a second transfer from the original cycle using embryos that were initially frozen.
Conception success when transferring thawed embryos is lower when compared to transferring fresh embryos (it is about 25-45%) as some of the embryos may have been damaged during the vitrification process.

PRICE LIST

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IVF Treatment
Price List for IVF Treatment Cycle
Procedures/Methods					Included in package
Consultation with doctor / preparation of treatment					yes
Detailed sperm analysis + preparation					yes
Stimulation, monitoring (ultraounds)					yes
Test for Infectious diseases (STD) – requiered by the Czech law 2x					yes
ICSI method					yes
Laser Assisted Hatching					yes
Prolonged embryo cultivation (up to blastocyst stage)					yes
Anesthesia during the egg collection					yes
Egg retrieval, fertilization,					yes
Embryo transfer					yes
Timelapse (Emryo-monitoring method – EmbryoScope/ESCO)					yes
PICSI (Physiological Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)					yes
Sperm Freezing (incl. 2 years of storage)					yes
Freezing of non-transferred embryos (incl. 2 years of storage)					yes
VIP service support – 24/7 transport from the airport to the hotel, transport to the clinic, 24/7″on phone” translator.					yes
PACKAGE PRICE					€ 3 900

Procedures / Methods					DESCRIPTION
Consultation with doctor					Consultation at the clinic (or via Skype) with all necessary gynecology examinations
STD test					Mandatory by Czech law, includes HIV, Hep B, C and Syphilis , performed for the male partner (performed at the clinic)
ICSI method					ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) – micromanipulation method in which one sperm cell is transferred to each egg
Laser Assisted Hatching					Thinning of the embryo shell helping embryo implantation in uterus. Increases the chances of implantation of the fertilized egg and of subsequent pregnancy
Prolonged embryo cultivation					Prolonged cultivation allows selection of embryos with the highest development potential
Timelapse					Non-invasive method for monitoring development of healthy embryos, performed through EmbryoScope/ESCO
PICSI					Preselected Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection – using hyaluron this method binds only mature, healthy sperm – selection of most suitable sperm for egg fertilization

 

Payment conditions

Deposit payment of € 1.500 payable to the Clinic upon confirmation of treatment

Remaining amount (balance) payable latest on the day of egg collection of the donor

Additional laboratory methods and remaining costs payable on the day of embryo-transfer

Payment methods: online payment (secured payment gate), bank transfer, payment cards (Visa, Visa electron, Mastercard, Maestro) or in cash (EUR)

 

Egg Donation Cycle with Guarantee
Price List for Egg Donation Cycle with Guarantee
Procedures / Methods					Included in package
Consultation with doctor					yes
Test for Infectious diseases (STD) – requiered by the Czech law					yes
Donor preparation, medication, compensation					yes
Detailed sperm analysis (min. 2x SPG)+ preparation					yes
ICSI method for fertilization					yes
Laser Assisted Hatching					yes
Prolonged embryo cultivation (up to blastocyst stage)					yes
Embryo-transfer					yes
Timelapse (Emryo-monitoring method – EmbryoScope/ESCO)					yes
PICSI (Physiological Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)					yes
Sperm Freezing (2 years of storage)					yes
Freezing of non-transferred embryos (2 years of storage)					yes
Selection from 3 donor candidates					yes
VIP service support – 24/7 transport from the airport to the hotel, transport to the clinic, 24/7″on phone” translator.					yes
PACKAGE PRICE					€ 6 700

PROCEDURES / METHODS					DESCRIPTION
Consultation with doctor					Consultation at the clinic (or via Skype) with all necessary gynecology examinations
Donor preparation and cycle synchronization					Medical, genetic, psychological testing of the donor, monitoring of donor’s cycle and egg collection Reimbursement of the donor and medication for the donor
STD test					Mandatory by Czech law, includes HIV, Hep B, C and Syphilis , performed for the male partner (performed at the clinic)
Detailed sperm analysis + preparation					Detailed spermiogram and lab preparation for fertilization (2x)
ICSI method					ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) – micromanipulation method in which one sperm cell is transferred to each egg
Laser Assisted Hatching					Thinning of the embryo shell helping embryo implantation in uterus. Increases the chances of implantation of the fertilized egg and of subsequent pregnancy
Prolonged embryo cultivation					Prolonged cultivation allows selection of embryos with the highest development potential
Timelapse					Non-invasive method for monitoring development of healthy embryos, performed through EmbryoScope/ESCO
PICSI					Preselected Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection – using hyaluron this method binds only mature, healthy sperm – selection of most suitable sperm for egg fertilization
Selection from 3 donor candidates					Patient chooses from 3 different matching donor candidates

Treatment Guarantee

The Clinic guarantee a minimum of 8 retrieved eggs

The Clinic guarantee at least 2 high-quality embryos

In the case only 1 embryo develops during cultivation, your future cycle will include 50% price reduction

If no quality embryo is ready for the embryo transfer, you will receive the next cycle free of charge

We will provide the fourth treatment cycle free of charge if there are no clinical pregnancy in three complete cycles

The offer of the guarantee applies only if the sperm is of good quality. If fertilization fails dues to the poor quality of sperm, we regret that there is no other free cycle to offer. In case of low quality of the sperm, the doctor will inform the patients prior to the initiation of the treatment

Payment conditions

Deposit payment of € 1.500 payable to the Clinic upon confirmation of treatment

Remaining amount (balance) payable latest on the day of egg collection of the donor

Additional laboratory methods and remaining costs payable on the day of embryo-transfer

Payment methods: online payment (secured payment gate), bank transfer, payment cards (Visa, Visa electron, Mastercard, Maestro) or in cash (EUR)

 

Social Freezing Cycle – Price List for IVF
Price List for freezing oocytes in hormonal stimulation cycle
Procedures/Methods						Included in package
Consultation with doctor / preparation of treatment						yes
Detailed fertility assesment (diagnostics)						yes
Test for Infectious diseases (STD) – requiered by the Czech law						yes
Stimulation and monitoring						yes
Egg retrieval, egg preparation for fertilization						yes
Anesthesia during the egg collection						yes
Freezing of oocytes (incl. 2 years of storage)						yes
VIP service support – 24/7 transport from the airport to the hotel, transport to the clinic, 24/7″on phone” translator.						yes
PACKAGE PRICE						€ 2.950
* Special cancellation policy in case of emergency: patient will not be charged freezing oocytes/embryos and thawing of frozen-embryo-transfer cycle
Payment conditions
Deposit payment of € 1.500 payable to the Clinic upon confirmation of treatment
Remaining amount (balance) payable latest on the day of egg collection of the donor
Additional laboratory methods and remaining costs payable on the day of embryo-transfer
Payment methods: online payment (secured payment gate), bank transfer, payment cards (Visa, Visa electron, Mastercard, Maestro) or in cash (EUR)