Why Are IVF Success Rates So Variable?

Why Are IVF Success Rates So Variable?

By: Peter Propp

Why do IVF success rates vary from doctor to doctor and clinic to clinic?

One of the first things that people notice when they start researching In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and other Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments is that success rates vary widely between different doctors and different clinics. While it stands to reason that there would be some variability, I wanted to take a few minutes to explain a few of the reasons that they vary as much as they do.

To keep the topic well-defined we will restrict our discussion to the following ART procedures: ICSI IVF, Donor Egg IVF and Donor Sperm IVF.

Sources of Average IVF Success Rate Data

While individual practitioners and clinics self-report their success rates, it is a difficult task to understand how those numbers correlate to the larger ART industry averages and, most importantly, how they relate to your individual chances of conception with an IVF treatment.

Fortunately, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is obliged to collect ART outcomes data for each clinic in the nation. Even better, the data is publicly-accessible and is broken down by the age bracket of the patient, the treatment type and the specific clinic reporting the outcomes. This gives you all the tools you need to find out how your local clinic measures up, and not just in terms of averages, but with specificity to your chosen treatment (ICSI IVF, for example) and your age bracket. You also get to see the number of patients who received that treatment, broken down by age group. The most recent data, for 2007, is available at http://www.cdc.gov/art/ART2007/index.htm in this report. Do keep in mind, however, that the data are self-reported. This will be important if you consider traveling internationally for IVF treatment because those outcomes are self-reported as well so you can be confident that you are comparing apples to apples.

What does all this mean?

So just by looking at the data we can clearly see that age is a factor in success rates. But there is more to it than that. In fact, there are organizations that have done years of research across the world to identify that one of the most important factors that many couples miss is how well the treatment is tuned to the patient's menstrual cycle. You see, many clinics follow a cookie-cutter treatment protocol, specifying that you come in on a certain day of your cycle for your first treatment, a fixed number of days later for implantation, etc.

It's probably not a secret to anyone that each person's biorhythms are unique. It certainly isn't a secret to the IVF doctors who blow away the average success rates. A good clinic will monitor your cycle and will treat and implant embryos only when your body is ready to receive them. This is a very key factor in the success of any ART procedure.

How do I find the best clinic at the best price?

The high cost of any IVF procedure has led many couples to consider Medical Tourism from the USA in order to get access to ICSI IVF and other ART procedures, but that's not the whole story. As it turns out, many of the doctors boasting the best success rates in the world are found in places like Panama and Turkey.

Providers like InVitroGlobe help provide easy, concierge-class access to these low cost, high quality clinics. InVitroGlobe's Patient Advocates work with our clients to build a complete Assisted Reproductive Technology experience. Their full-service approach ensures that alocal representatives is always nearby to assist with any needs throughout the trip. Case managers build a seamless travel plan, including a complete plan for the critical times before and after the medical procedure.

About the Author

Peter Propp is the Chief Marketing Officer of HealthGlobe.

(ArticlesBase SC #3266714)

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