Text by Alison Hope

Medical tourism is one of those topics that crops up in the British media time and time again -whether it is the story of a dental patient let down by NHS provisions and unable to afford dental care in a private clinic, who saves thousands of pounds by heading off to Poland for crowns and implants, or whether it is a feature in a glossy magazine that shows how skilled surgeons in Poland can perform procedures such as rhinoplasty (nose correction) or breast reduction at a fraction of the price that they would cost at private clinics in the United Kingdom and Ireland. There are very few accounts of couples who head to Poland for fertility treatment, yet private clinics in Poland are giving hope to more and more couples from outside of Poland.

Why are couples travelling to Poland for fertility treatment? The most common reason is the fact that treatment such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) and ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) is not always available on the NHS. This means that couples having difficulty in conceiving naturally have no alternative but to seek treatment at a private clinic, which is often an expensive option – in many cases, a prohibitively expensive option. A spokeswoman for the InviMed European Centre of Motherhood in Warsaw agrees that the cost of treatment is one of the reasons why couples decide to travel to Poland for treatment, and adds, “the patient is also able to see a specialist very quickly. Doctors are usually available within a week of registering, and diagnosis can be made swiftly and accurately”. She also explains, “Another important factor is that we can provide treatment to women who are over the age of 37.”

Internet groups and discussion forums for couples trying to conceive such as www.fertilityfriends.co.uk are not only a source of emotional support, but practical advice and information too. There are several instances of women who have successfully given birth following treatment in Poland, and they are keen to share their experience and help others. Forums like these are often the first step to seeking fertility treatment in Poland. Clinics looking to attract patients from outside of Poland are also investing in their websites, making sure that they are available in other languages such as English, German and French, and that they are easily picked up by the popular internet search engines.
The InviMed European Centre of Motherhood in Warsaw is one of the clinics that is frequently mentioned in fertility support forums on account of its success rates, which are some of the best in the world, as a spokeswoman explains, “the results achieved by InviMed Clinic are at some of the highest in the world. For IVF, the average percentage of successful transfers at our clinic is 47% (IVF and ICSI cycles), 25-35% in the case of the thawed embryos transfer, and 35-40% in the case of the egg donation cycle”

The clinic welcomes approximately 130 couples from the United Kingdom and Ireland every year – this is about 4% of all patients treated at the clinic. Located in a quiet suburb of the capital city, its reception area and waiting room are bright and welcoming, with an entire wall covered in photographs of newborn babies – each one a tiny miracle. Reception staff and fertility specialists speak perfect English, and the clinic has adapted to the needs of patients from outside of Poland, by preparing contracts in English, and extending the opening hours in order to fit in with patients’ travel plans. InviMed also has clinics in Poznań and Wrocław.

The Gameta Fertility Treatment Centre, which has clinics in Warsaw and Łódź is also a highly regarded clinic that is a popular choice for couples from outside Poland. The clinic is led by Dr. Jerzy Radwan who has spent a number of years working with leaders in the field of fertility treatment in France and the United States, with whom he has remained in contact, keeping up to date with the latest developments in assisted conception. He also played a part in the birth of the first baby to be born in Poland as a result of IVF in 1987. Dr. Radwan and his team are experienced in working with couples from outside of Poland.

Couples seeking fertility treatment in Poland can take advantage of the low-cost airlines that now connect cities around the United Kingdom to destinations across Poland, as several short visits are necessary, as the spokeswoman from the InviMed clinic explains, “Each case is of course dependant on each individual case, however the patient will receive the drugs and treatment plan during the initial consultation with the specialist. At the next appointment, the patient is invited when she starts stimulation. Then two or possibly three further visits are recommended during the stimulation, followed shortly by the egg collection procedure and embryo transfer procedure.”
With careful planning, undergoing fertility treatment in Poland can be a viable option, and need not be a daunting experience. Hundreds – if not thousands – of couples who have travelled to Poland have been able to conceive thanks to the dedication and skill of some of Europe’s most highly regarded specialists. Behind every positive statistic published by the fertility clinics is a brand new life entering the world.
 

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