Anyone used Embio in Athen for IVF/PGD?

[Hilnik]

Has anyone been successful with ivf pgd at Embio in Athen or is in treatment there?
I am trying to decide between going to Genesis or Embio to do ivf pgd for a baby girl. l'd like to hear other experiences to make the best decision for me. I'm old (43) and I can only afford one cycle. I know it is impossible, but I'd like to try just once before quitting the hope to have a most desired daughter.

[chocolate]

I haven't heard about this place, anyone else?

I saw this on there site though: Participation in the clinical trial is limited to married couples with a documented history of gender-linked disease or to those who meet the criteria for MicroSort®’s family balancing component.


Wonder what the criteria is and if un-married couples can still do it?

[lisvna]

Are you ging to cycle with your own eggs or donor eggs? One cycle with 43 is maybe a bit optimistic? I do hope you will succeed and :fingers: you will be a OHW!

[chocolate]

lisvna - have you heard of this place before? New to me but the prices seem less??


I agree one cycle is a lot to cope with emotionally even in your 20's ..... I am doing pgd but we can do a few cycles, not sure I could only do 1, but then again, if you know the stats and want to give it your all then yes I would want to try because you never know.

If I had only enough for one cycle, I would want the best clinic ... not sure which that is though

[lisvna]

I did hear of this clinic. In fact in 2011 I had contact with them but then they didn't perform Microsort. The did an other kind of spermsort if I recollect right. If you check the website of Microsort Athen isn't on it.

I right now wrote Microsort and Athen a mail with this question. If its really Microsort or not. Because if it is its really a good opportunity to all the girls in Europe.

[Hilnik]

I know they don't do Microsort in Athen, but neither Genesis nor **** does it. I don't care for Microsort I care for the result (a healthy baby girl).

[lisvna]

But on their website it looks like they advertise with Microsort so I want to straight that out!

Genesis performs spermsort for me it was a deal breaker back in 2011 so maybe for other women too. I know a lot of ladies with just a few eggs who have had benefit form the spermsort.

As far as I know no one of this forum or ingender went to embio. So maybe you will be the first one? Stalking you then ;)

[glory]

I looked at their website and it looks good, maybe too good? Their success rates are very high and this to me seems to be a bit odd, even the best clinics in the world don't boast 70% success.

But in saying that what they wrote about PGD is very up to date and this is good.

I personally don't think a spermsort is always the best thing, even with microsort there is concerns about what it did to the quality of the sperm. I would prefer a NT than a transfer with an embryo that was never going to make a baby (I know obviously this is a personal decision and not everyone feels this way).

Hilnik, Lisvna does have a point though, I think it is great you are going to try PGD at 43, but realistically being a OHW is going to be hard at that age. Have you considered donor eggs? After one cycle are you going to be able to give up on your dream? I know I wasn't able to :( Good luck, if you do decide to go there, please keep us updated, would love to know how you got on.

[lisvna]

Glory my embies did made it, in fact I had a baby and he is lying in his baby swing:). There are many healthy baby's born from Microsort in the US. So I think its possible with ms or spermsort of Genesis but yes I don't know what the quality was if I didn't do the sort.

I still consider not to do a sort this time and let's see what this cycle brings. On the other hand, I tweaked my protocol and I take some suplements so that's already different from my other cycle so its not really a compare hihihihihi.

[glory]

I don't think the babies from Microsort or Ericsson or Genesis sort are un healthy at all (nor that they can't make babies), please don't think that. I just mean't that while you may get a higher portion of the gender you do desire, it may just lead to transfers that you may not have had if you didn't have the sort.

It is true the IUI's with Microsort do not have the same pregnancy rates as normal IUI, so it has to have something in it.

When I first started on this journey I did not think my dh made girls at all, I think we all think this! But I have seen that most do end with a 50:50 split. For me a sort is not essential but then saying that if I was going to Gensis, I probably would use it!

Like I said I would prefer a NT, wheras I know people just want a transfer to know that they actually had a chance. BUt I had 3 chemicals and that was devastating, it took longer to get over them, rather than the NT's I had which I was down a couple of days and then got back on the horse. So my perspective on that is different.

The first chemical I had was on a 5 probe embryo and everyone said that it probably wasn't normal, if I hadn't then used full chromosome testing I would not have worked out that I had a clotting issue that needed treatment, I would of kept getting chemicals with no explanation.

[nuthinbutpink]

Whatever percentage a clinic advertises is usually for the youngest age bracket. 70% success is very strong. I do see them quoting 15% to an inquiry to a 39 year old woman so that seems realistic to me.

The only way they offer MicroSort is through one of the locations with an actual machine- in other words, they would have to send your DH's sample frozen to North Cyprus, sort it, refeeze and ship it back.

They don't have MicroSort onsite. The MicroSort page can tell you that. And the freezing, refreezing cannot be done with MS sperm so that's out too.

Everyone else can only do an Ericsson type sort. There's no other sorting technology out there and there is no clear info on if it really works and doesn't affect the embryos negatively.

I understand wanting to try with your own eggs. 70% is not your stat but if you have the means financially to try and this clinic is close to you, go for it!

[chocolate]

Nuthinbutpink ..... any advice for me? Stick to what we know .... Genesis with spermsort, or try this clinic with Microsort? My concern with Genesis is they don't publish stats ..... and on this board its a bit hit and miss with success .... but then again with this clinic we don't know how many people from these boards would be successful.
Ill be almost 29 when we do the first cycle.

[chocolate]

Just read what you said about the freezing of sported sperm ..... that could be an issue if I wanted to return and use frozen sperm with a fresh cycle just on my own.

So does Genesis do it on site? And the sorted sperm could be frozen there?

[lisvna]

I think the reason why IUI with sort doesn't work is because of less sperm because you discard 50 percent of the sperm (not desired gender). Another reason is they stop the machine after many rounds of sort so they sort not everything (that's the explanation of a doctor who worked with ms and iui). I know this because I asked about if before I did IVF because I preferred (like many others) iui because its less invasive.

[lisvna]

Ok so I asked them about the testing technique, Microsort and prices.

I got answer but not at my questions!!!! It's an Advertisment how great they are and how my PGD vacation would look like. No answers at my questions at all!!!!

I don't like such clinics, I want straight answers not selling talk!

[nuthinbutpink]

I would look into this clinic but it can't be Microsort. They are not a collaborating doctor and they do not have a MS machine.

None of us US gals use a sort and we do well with IVF. IMO, the sort is way overrated. If they can't get you pregnant, who cares what the gender split is.

I'd go where they have the best success rates because they do matter. Genesis has not proven themselves. It will take multiple tries there if it even works at all. If this clinic has a legitimate business(there are many other International clinics), I would atleast pursue it for now.

Your best option is to come to the US.

[lisvna]

But If the US Isn't an option (and for many Dutch girls that isnt) then we must try to find clinics in Europe who are reliable!

US girls do fine without the sort I agree but its always nice to have a choice in life so if there is a choice then you can choose with or without sort.

[nuthinbutpink]

I wish the International gals would try more of the various International clinics. There are several out there. I just think the "sort" is very overrated. What matters is can a clinic get me pregnant. It's unfortunate that there seems to be no accountability for any international clinic in regards to number of procedures, pregnancy statistics, etc. we rule out US clinics with statistics everyday. The international clinics should be held to those same standards but they just aren't.

Most internationals are still traveling somewhere. 4 cycles at an international clinic has to be more than one US trip.

[chocolate]

Nuthinbutpink, I can't travel to the US because we are doing this secretly and its a long way to go with such young children. However, if it doesn't work out at closer clinics, once the boys are older we would go to the US for our last attempt/s.


Lisvna, your reply sounds similar to the one I got. I think its a standard copy and paste type one they email to everyone. I asked about the sort and was told: A similar centrifugation technique that produces same results is available, it is not charged extra.
Kind regards,
So it isn't microsort, but the website implies that is what they use?

I have emailed back asking exactly what the sort is and why does it say microsort on the site. Ive also asked what probes they use/fish/how they determine gender and success rates just for gender selection, as advised on the private board.

Im still intrigued though as the success rates do seem good ..... but how do you know its all the truth you know?

[lisvna]

Really I don't believe this clinic anymore because on their website they talk clearly about Microsort! So thats exactly what I thought is that they don't have Microsort but they want to sail on the succes of Microsort (don't know it its a good expression in English but it is in Dutch hihihihihi).

NBP ofcourse is the US an option but also in the US you don't have a guarantee you are OHW. We have had in de past at this forum a Dutch girl in her 20th. She could afford 1 cycle with Potter of multiple with Savvas (or any other clinic in Europe). She had very good pretesting and everybody thought she would come back pregnant. She didn't unfortunate and now she regrets her decision to go to the US because she has no money for another cycle. So it was defenetly not a good example for the Dutch girls.....

It's such a hard decision were to cycle. I think you must follow your hart. Talk to different doctors look at you own financial and family situation and then decide were to cycle. Unfortunate you have no guarantees in life.

My husband and I have decided to try as many times as we can and want in Europe. If we not succeed we go to the us at the end. For me its extra hard to change doctor because in the end he did get me pregnant........