Curious!

[Shil11]

A lot of ladies on here mention flying to Greece for IVF. Just wondering as to why that is? Are the treatments better there?

[Cinderella5]

I can only give you my reasons behind it. Main ones being its cheaper than the UK and a few other european countries like Spain and I was using DE so a lot cheaper and there is no waiting lists. I also know of a few ladies having had success out there. Now for the random reasons, its sunny and I love the sun so felt that it would be of benefit for my well being having treatment somewhere I felt relaxed and have a holiday into the cost of treatment.xx

[Shil11 in reply to Cinderella5]

It does sound like a nice place to relax! Thankyou for your msg

[MofM]

I also can just give my reason It is mostly faster than waiting for the NHS (no waiting list versus 7+ months) and cheaper than going private in the UK. Plus my partner is Greek, so it feels like going back home!

[Shil11 in reply to MofM]

I had no idea you guys had to wait that long to start! That is horrible specially when you trying so long!! Here insurance does not cover any of it hence find a doctor or our choice and start right away, it does cost alooot!!

[MofM in reply to Shil11]

Also in Greece is not super cheap (but still considerably cheaper than the UK, or at least it seems to me).

Our clinic asked €3400 (which includes ICSI, if needed), plus a few quids for extra tests (no more than €100, we have been told), and €250 for embryo freezing (if we are lucky enough, 🤞). Medication should be between €600-1200. according to the protocol, which we don't know yet. All of this sums up to €5000.

It is a considerable amount, but, honestly, the NHS was driving me nuts. Hundreds of calls with no one picking up, or calling back if I left a voicemail. Moreover, when investigating IVF clinics before asking for NHS funding, we have been told by "ours" that their waiting time was 4 to 6 weeks to the first appointment and then that we could start immediately. It ended up being 20 weeks to the first appointment, plus 2+ months waiting time after that.

We contacted two clinics in Greece at the end of September, met the doctor of the first one in London in early October, started the pre-treatment today (hurray!) and going to fly to Thessaloniki next week. Hopefully, I will not regret this choice (and the money spent which could have been saved).

[Shil11 in reply to MofM]

Oh I agree anything that saves us time money and the stress of not having any answers is totally worth it!! All the best for your upcoming treatment!! 🤞

[MofM in reply to Shil11]

Thank you very much! Have fun on your Babymoon, Greece is amazing!

[Tugsgirl]

It’s faster (no nhs waiting lists), it’s cheaper and you can have a holiday at the same time xx

[Shil11 in reply to Tugsgirl]

Glad you are back!! Just caught up to all the previous posts.

[CatDV]

I didn’t go to Greece but my reasons for going abroad were:

1) no waiting list. I had an outburst when after almost a year of waiting to be seen at the fertility clinic I receive a letter from them saying that I am finally on their waiting list and my first cycle would start in 9 months!!! On that same day I started contacting clinics abroad and my treatment started on the following cycle.

2) price!!! For less than 3000£ I had ICSI (it’s default in my clinic) and 2 other procedure to select the best of the best sperm. My husband doesn’t even has low count. I truly believe that’s thanks to that that I ended up with 8 high quality blastocysts

[Shil11]

That does sound a lot cheaper! Thankyou for your reply!! I wish you the best!!

[Tomorrow_1]

I’m also getting treatment in Greece, and like MofM, my husband is from Thessaloniki, so we have family to stay with. The main thing for me is the lack of waiting lists. The NHS was driving me nuts, not just with waiting, but also because of incompetent doctors. We don’t qualify for funding (because I’m Australian), so because we would have to pay anyway, we decided we wanted better value for money. Healthcare in NE England is s**t. But my clinic in Greece is amazing. No regrets at all.

[CBOO1]

We don’t qualify for any treatment on the NHS due to my OH already having a child from a previous relationship - whoever made up that rule is an ar$ehole!!!! Anyway, treatment in the UK was going to cost us upwards of £17,000, we went to Athens last week & I had an operation that they don’t do in this country to remove scar tissue & a build up of dead tissue from my uterus. When my OH asked our consultant if we had of gone ahead & paid all that money in UK for IVF would it of worked without this operation, she said definitely not because with all the dead tissue there’s no blood supply & without blood supply an embryo won’t be able to attach & grow. She said my Uterus would of been like trying to plant a flower in concrete! So I can’t recommend our clinic enough - we go back next month for our first cycle 🤞🤞🤞 and added to this even with all the flights & accomodation it’s still so much cheaper than UK! Good luck to you xx

[Shil11 in reply to CBOO1]

17k?? Oh my god that is steep!! I am glad you are happy with the clinic I wish you the best!