• Question: what happens if the ivf treatment dosn't work? and how much does it cost?

    Asked by chinesenoodles to Claire, Greg, Jane, Jo, Nuruz, Vicki on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Vicki Onions

      Vicki Onions answered on 19 Jun 2010:

      Hi again chinese
      If IVF treatment doesn’t work, this either means that non of the eggs fertilised and so no embryos would be produced to put back, or it can mean that non of the embryos that we put back implanted in the womb and caused a pregnancy. This, unfortunately is relatively common in IVF and is one of the reasons it is so emotionally demanding for the couples going through it.
      It costsa lot of money, £1000’s per cycle – i don’t know exactly but some of the other scientists will know more accurately

    • Photo: Claire O'Donnell

      Claire O'Donnell answered on 19 Jun 2010:

      Hello again noodles 🙂 if the fertilisation doesn’t work there isn’t an embryo to replace in the woman’s womb and if you do get an embryo but it doesn’t implant or it dies soon after, then the woman has a period same as normal and the embryo is passed out. It’s only microscopic so you wouldn’t be able to see it.
      One cycle of treatment – that’s drugs,all the lab stuff to make the embryo, put it back and then if it doesn’t work, put back any other embryos that there might be stored frozen- costs about £4000 but the costs do vary between clinics .

    • Photo: Jo Broadbent

      Jo Broadbent answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      When a couple have ivf usually several embryos are made and 1 or2 are put in the woman’s womb. The rest can be frozen so if it doesn’t work the first time the frozen embryos can be used. Lots of people have several tries at ivf before it works because it only works about 1 time out of 4. As each try can cost 4 or 5 thousand pounds, this can cost a lot of money if you pay for it yourself.
      The nhs pays for lots of people to have ivf but only for those who have the best chance of it working and only for 3 tries.

    • Photo: Jane Cleal

      Jane Cleal answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      The first meeting to discuss ivf costs £500 and then it is £3500 for the treatment. If this doesn’t work, which it sometimes doesn’t first time, you have it again.

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