How To Choose The Best Fertility Centers

To find the best fertility clinic, it is important to take time to research any clinic one considers. Do not just choose the first place that returns your call. Since there are so many places specializing in similar treatments, one needs to first weed through their options by doing online research or calling the clinic directly. Choosing a fertility clinic is personal and subjective. The best clinic for your friend may or may not be the best clinic for you. If you feel comfortable, reach out to local moms' groups, doctors, friends, insurance company and ask if anyone has had a positive experience. If patients are struggling with infertility and have decided to get help from a fertility clinic, being clear on what they need clinically, logistically and emotionally can help make a balanced decision. (1) Understanding your chance of taking home a baby at the end of treatment can empower decision-making, help you actively participate with your physician in developing a treatment plan, and identify realistic goals and limits. Be sure to ask for written information on the clinic’s success rates that you can take home and review at your leisure. Many clinics also post statistics on their web site. (2) Also make sure to factor in things like travel-time, one’s comfort level with a fertility doctor. As every patient is different, it is important to start with a clear picture of everything they are looking for in a fertility clinic. Find out more about how to choose a clinic, preparing for your appointment and what to do if something goes wrong. (3)

In this article, we will look at:

• What are the important questions to consider when looking for the best fertility centers?
• Which is the best fertility center in India? 
• What is the scenario of the Indian IVF services market?

1. Important Factors and Questions to Consider While Looking for the Best Fertility Centers

Below are some questions one should consider while looking for the best fertility center:

1. Questions to Consider About the Fertility Specialists: Depending on how the clinic operates, a patient may be assigned one particular doctor or may see a few different doctors on a rotating basis. Here are some of the questions to consider when choosing a doctor:

• Do they take time to answer your questions? Can you ask questions via email during treatment and testing? If they are not willing to meet with you before you choose them, then they may not have time for you when you are a patient. Not being willing to answer your questions up front is not a good sign.
• When and where were they trained? Are they board-certified reproductive endocrinologists? How long has the center been working with infertility patients?
  
  
   
• Does their clinic have an andrologist on staff? If the center is dealing with male infertility issues, having an andrologist is important. Or if they are dealing with endometriosis or any structural issues, a reproductive surgeon is a plus and possibly a must.
• Which hospitals are they affiliated with? Does that hospital take insurance? 
• How long has the director been with the clinic? What about the other staff members? The longer patients stay with the clinic, the more likely the working environment runs smoothly.
• How many reproductive endocrinologists work at the clinic? Will the patient’s case be handled by one doctor or a team? If the patient’s case is complicated, having a team can be beneficial. The need to deal with a different doctor at every appointment can feel impersonal.

Finding the best IVF doctor with high success rate is very important when going through fertility treatments. It is always very important to make sure patients feel that their doctor is always giving them the best advice based on their individual needs. They should always feel confident that their physician is honest, trustworthy, and well respected in the community. Making sure that their doctor keeps up with the latest medical advances is also very important. With the medical world constantly changing, it is important to choose a doctor that keeps up with the most advanced forms of treatment and techniques. Looking at the level of experience in their fertility specialists is a great way to see how they keep up with the latest medical advances. (4)

2. Questions to Ask About Financing: Most clinics have a staff that handles the financial aspects of testing and treatment. They should be able to answer patient’s question like what is the cost of IUI and what are the payment plans. Here are some of the questions to consider regarding financing:

• What type of insurance is accepted? Does the staff handle insurance claims? If not, does the center provide patients with the necessary paperwork to pursue insurance coverage?
• How much does hysteroscopy cost ? Are any of the tests or treatments covered by insurance? 
• Do they have a payment program? Are patients required to pay anything in advance? 
• Does the clinic work with any national infertility financing programs? 
• Does the center offer an IVF refund program? These are programs that require a large upfront fee but promise some of the money back in case IVF is not successful.
• What is the cost of laparoscopic-surgery for infertility? 
• How much does embryo freezing and storage cost? What about a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle?
• If the clinic is far from home, does the clinic offer any discounted options for lodging? Maybe deals with local hotels.

Having an answer to these questions can be quite comforting at the end as it would make you financially prepared for the times to come in the treatment journey. The cost of fertility treatment vary from clinic to clinic, and it is important to think carefully about how one should finance for the treatment before starting on this route. Some clinics may suggest undergoing extra tests or treatments and again this can cause the bill to mount rapidly. It is important to remember that every patient has different needs and that the treatment cost for each patient will vary. (5)

3. Fertility Treatments Offered: If the doctor or specialist has suggested a certain type of treatment, it is worth asking the prospective fertility clinics if they carry out similar procedures.

Typical treatments available are:

• Donor Insemination (DI)
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Insemination (ICSI)
• Embryo freezing
• Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
• Pre-implantation Genetic Screening for Aneuploidy (PGS)
• Gamete Intra-fallopian Transfer (GIFT) with donor sperm 
• ZIFT or Zygote IntraFallopian Transfer

If a patient decides to freeze eggs or embryos, it is worth finding out what storage facilities the fertility clinic has and whether it has access to donor sperm, eggs or embryos. Most clinics promote IVF ( In Vitro Fertilization ) as first-line therapy for patients with almost all types of infertility, while other clinics reserve it for cases where all other therapies have failed. In the case of male factor infertility, patients should find out if the fertility centre offers treatment for male factor infertility. Raising such a question is particularly important for couples who already know that the male partner has a fertility problem. Male factor contributes to approximately half of all cases of infertility. (6)

4. Clinic Location:While having fertility treatment, patients need to visit the clinic regularly and it is important to decide how they can get there and how long it will take. It is a good idea to visit the clinic to make a more informed decision. Does it seem friendly? Is the staff helpful and willing to answer questions about the treatment? Do you feel comfortable there? At such an emotionally and physically stressful time, it is important that patients are happy with the clinic they choose. Patients should think carefully before choosing a fertility clinic which is a long way from their home. Sometimes this can work very well and it may be the only option available for them, but remember that need to visit the clinic frequently during their treatment. (7)

5. Success Rate of the Fertility Center: Another important point to consider is the clinic's success rate. Having the highest success rate does not necessarily mean the clinic is the best. Some clinics avoid taking on hard cases or refuse treatment to women above 40 years with their own eggs. This can obviously skew the statistics. What patients should be looking for if the clinic's success rates are greater than the national average? Patients should look at the live birth statistics for their age, and not just the pregnancy statistics (which will include miscarriages). They should also compare their multiple pregnancy statistics to the national average. Ask about the live birth success rates particular to the treatments being suggested. A doctor should have the experience to help patients decide if the treatments are worth the financial and emotional investment. Small percentage differences in success are not always meaningful, but the important thing to check is consistency with the national average as this shows how each individual clinic compares with all the other clinics. (8)

6. Support services: Fertility treatment is an emotional process. Most clinics offer psychological counseling for any patient who requests it, or they can recommend a good psychologist. Many clinics offer support groups enabling patients undergoing the process to talk and meet in a safe and confidential environment with others facing similar challenges. Support services like counseling should be offered in all licensed clinics, but they do not all have a counselor available on site. Find out whether counseling is included in the cost of treatment as some clinics include it while others expect patients to pay for any counseling support that they need on top of the price of their treatment. (9)

2. Best Fertility Centres in India

Owing to its tremendous success, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has gained immense momentum in India. Many aspiring parents have taken the aid of IVF treatment to fulfill their desire to have children. IVF treatment is flourishing as it is an extremely safe and result driven procedure. Looking at the growth trajectory, it is safe to resolve that the IVF market is here to stay in India and undergo exponential growth. The best IVF centers in India depends on their numerous high-quality infrastructure, patients review, success rate including their IVF laboratory as a key factor. The IVF laboratory or the test tube baby lab is the heart of every infertility center. A developing country like India has become a boon to many childless or infertile couples. Some of the IVF centers in India which are successful in producing the highest success rates are: (10)

a) Bloom IVF Clinic

Located in the city of Mumbai, the clinic is quite popular among foreign patients from the USA, UK, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Netherlands, Sweden, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The success rate of pregnancy is sixty percent. They have been best in their work due to the following factors:

• An ISO 9001: 2000 certified clinic
• Number of incubators in the lab
• The egg donors and surrogates are rigorously screened as per international guidelines
• Their Motto: Be cost-effective without jeopardizing patient safety & success

b) Max Healthcare Hospital

Max Healthcare is India's first provider of comprehensive, seamlessly integrated and world-class healthcare services. The organization has 12 facilities in North India, offering services in over 32 medical disciplines. With a network of 14 hospitals, Max Healthcare offers treatment across all 29 specialties. The center is renowned to have 2300+ leading fertility specialists and gynecologists with international level expertise who are committed to providing the highest standards of medical excellence at a fraction of international costs. With the most advanced technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure, Max Healthcare is one of the leading chains of hospitals in India. (11) According to Economic times, Max Healthcare is bringing its domain expertise in patient care to people within the environs of their homes with the launch of its new vertical [email protected] Under the new portfolio, the healthcare major plans to offer a total of 17 types of services, out of which it has launched nine in the first phase, including patient care attendants, nursing and pathology services. It plans to cover the whole spectrum from wellness to curative, backed by Max Healthcare's hospital network. For technology platform, the company has partnered with WiproNSE 1.59 percent. The new spectrum is a completely mobile-based platform. (12)

c) The Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre

The Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre is one of the oldest tertiary care, multi-specialty Trust hospitals in India. The former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the hospital on 6th July 1973. Jaslok Hospital is situated at Dr. G Deshmukh Marg., Peddar Road that is the main artery of South Mumbai and overlooks the Arabian Sea. The hospital is a private, full-fledged multi-specialty hospital with 352 beds of which 75 are ICU beds. Jaslok Hospital has qualified nurses and the hospital provides state-of-the-art endoscopy surgery services, both laparoscopically and hysteroscopically. Services in almost every specialty and super specialty are available with the most renowned Consultants in the country practicing at the hospital. Jaslok Hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and manned by trained & dedicated staff, many of whom now run training programs. (13)

3. India IVF Services Market Overview

The Indian IVF Services Market was valued at $256.0 million in 2016 and is estimated to reach $829.5 million by the year 2023, registering a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 18.2 percent from 2017-2023. The Indian IVF services market is developing steadily and is projected to grow at a high rate, owing to increase in awareness among the populace with respect to infertility and programs that are projected to develop patient confidence. High success rates of conception associated with IVF also accelerate market growth. Furthermore, a high prevalence of infertility among the population, growth in acceptance of ART and IVF, change in lifestyle and increase in awareness about IVF among the non-metro regions have driven the adoption of IVF services in India. However, ethical and legal issues related to embryotransfer and surrogacy majorly restrain the market. In addition, the lack of established regulations with respect to IVF also impedes market growth. Likewise, high potential for improvement of healthcare service penetration in India presents lucrative opportunities for the overall development of the IVF market in India. (14) 

Fertility treatment can be a frustrating or emotionally challenging experience. By choosing a reliable fertility center with a proven track record and good reputation, a patient can be assured that they are receiving the best possible care. Good communication is important with clear explanations of the cause, its treatment and the opportunity to follow up with additional questions when they arise. With confidence in the physician and the clinic, a patient can focus on achieving success.

We hope you are receiving information you are looking for through this article. Call Elawoman today and you can view fertility treatments, opening hours, patient ratings, success rates and more all in one place. Reach us at +918929020600 - Elawoman.