Had problems with the clinic

by jolar on May 8, 2010

My partner and I recently went to India (April 2010) to under-go and IVF ICSI at a clinic. This clinic has a lot of recognition for it's research and work with surrogacy programs but it would appear that the clinic's reputation where donation is concerned is not so well factulised.

Our experience was a negative one. The facts are as follows: We are from Australia. A trip from our home country to India is a long way...about 24hrs on a plane and much expense is incurred due to travel costs, accomodation in India is not cheap contrary to what you may think....Accomodation is a costly as in European 1st World Countries...the clinic and donor costs, the additional costs of medications. All up it was $13,000.00AUD. When you consider the cost of the procedure, the travel, the physically taxing side of the whole adventure it is not a small cost on any front and not to achieve is a big blow.

We are an older couple. I am 46yrs and my partner is 53yrs old. The only thing missing for us is children between us. We have tried IVF in Australia using my own eggs but I am too old for this now and my eggs are no longer viable or resposive to IVF stimulation medication. We spent a lot of money on treatments with companies in Australia and we do emphasise the word...COMPANY. This is what they are..they are out to make money from you at any cost. You can wrap an IVF story or success up as prettily as you wish but underneath, dig just far enough and you will find a seedy side to this business of helping people make babies. If only there were more genuine COMPANIES in Australia and less Government involvement with legislation and medicare levies (or what is left of the rebates),...maybe we would continue to spend our money in our own country but alas...there will always be the government in your bedroom and the IVF Companies making money from the unfortunate and making it look like rocket science when it is little more than animal husbandry that has been practiced for many many years. Admitidley there are techniological advances that have been made by some very reputable IVF Doctors but the business / money making side of the machine always wins and technology advances have to be paid for by those who utilise the service and those who admisiter the service are not always as honest as we would like to think they are.

Back to our story......

We attended the clinic, paid our money. Our egg donor was 23yrs old, proven fertility with two of her own children and had previously (according to the clinic) donated successfully before but the clinic will not say if this resulted in only pregnancy being achieved or LIVE BIRTH.

Our donor gave 12 eggs when harvested. 8 fertilized, day 2 there were 7 eggs left and these were graded. 4 embryo's were A Grade and 3 were B Grade. We were pushed hard to a DAY 3 Transfer of these embryo's. We wanted a DAY 5 transfer to know what we were dealing with and the be armed with the knowledge of embryo's that had a good chance of making it.

We now regret allowing ourselves to be pushed into a DAY 3 transfer. Not one of these embryo's resulted in pregnancy. I was properly progesterised before implantation and afterward. There was absolutley nothing wrong with either myself or partner. We did nothing wrong to cause any of the embryo's to fail.

We were only given the explanation that their is no explanation.

We feel that the clinic knew something was not right with the donor's eggs and felt that they had promised to place 5 embryo's back and they essentially kept this promise.

For not one to survive after all the travel, the expense and not to mention that we do know what we are talking about. We are not babes in the woods when it comes to IVF ICSI treatments wether that be with my eggs or a donors eggs.

Quite simply put, we were pushed to accept a DAY 3 transfer. Of course we will never get the truth but the truth would have been nice at the time. If the clinic knew that there was a problem with the eggs, they should have told us. Not continued and used the tatics that were used.

I guess this clinic thought that we the patients are from Australia. What can we do about any of this when we are home.

We feel we were lied to and the donor had problems.

I would not recommend this clinic to others.