Research & innovation
Sydney IVF has the world best research and development program in IVF and PGD. The synergy of Sydney IVF’s latest technology with some of Thailand’s finest infertility experts will provide a superior level of infertility and genetic treatment.
From the development and refinement of the Day 5 blastocyst transfer technology, through to our evaluation of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, our research has increased IVF live birth rates generally and aims to considerably improve your chance of having a healthy baby through assisted conception.
Latest technologies
Here are some of the latest technologies in which our research and development has played a major part.
Incubators
Our laboratories are the most modern in the world. We have developed mini-incubators that have revolutionised pregnancy rates. These incubators simulate the natural environment of human fallopian tubes by using low oxygen levels.
They also feature just the right amount of carbon dioxide needed to help embryos grow
Culture media
Inside these incubators, embryos are grown in a type of fluid called a culture medium. The quality of this culture medium is crucial to the success of an IVF cycle.
That's why we use the Sydney IVF-developed special culture media - which are now distributed to over 45 countries.
Blastocyst culture
We are the world-leaders in Day 5 blastocyst transfer, a technique that allows embryos to grow a little longer before being transferred back to the mother, letting us better determine which embryos have the most developmental potential. This has revolutionised IVF live birth rates.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
We are one of the few centres in Asia Pacific with facilities to perform pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) successfully. PGD allows us to choose which embryos will be transferred to the uterus based on the results of genetic tests, excluding those with an obvious genetic abnormality. The testing can increase both the chance of a genetically normal pregnancy and your chance of having a baby.
Frozen embryo storage
We are also able to offer you the chance to freeze any apparently healthy embryos left over from an IVF cycle. By freezing these embryos you have the chance to attempt pregnancy more than once after only one stimulated cycle.
Please note - not all unused embryos are suitable for freezing.
We employ the latest technology in embryo freezing. Vitrification is an alternative method to the traditional slow controlled rate freezing of blastocysts. Vitrification is an ultra-rapid cooling procedure which avoids damage to blastocyst cells caused by ice crystal formation. Using vitrification has increased the survival rate of frozen blastocysts and increased the pregnancy rate following embryo transfer of frozen embryos.
Getting pregnant
Pregnancy is a complicated process that depends on many factors:
- The production of healthy sperm by the man and healthy eggs by the woman
- Unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg
- The sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet
- A genetically healthy embryo The ability of the embryo to implant in the uterus.
Repeatedly encountering difficulty at any of these steps can lead to infertility.
The reality is that human reproduction is a fairly inefficient process. In one cycle for the average fertile couple, the chance of fertilisation from any particular meeting of egg and sperm can be about 80%, but by the time of the expected menstrual period roughly half of the early embryos have already failed to develop.
Many of these lost embryos are fundamentally abnormal and are unable to survive. In fact, the menstrual period might not even be delayed and the couple not realise that an early pregnancy has been lost. If a menstrual period is missed, a quarter or more of the remaining embryos can still fail later.
Various clinical studies have calculated the chance of pregnancy among population groups who do not use contraception, and indicate that the probability of a live birth after exposure in any one month averages about 1 in 5, or a 20% chance.
The age factor
As you can see from the graph below, by age 36 a normal woman's chances of conceiving per month is decreased by half. The downward slope continues until by age 45 the average natural fertility rate per month is approximately 1%.
Cost of treatment
We know that comparing costs of treatment at different centres can be confusing. Our nurse coordinator will discuss with you what you can expect to pay based on the treatment you are having.
These are guideline prices and may alter after consultaion with your doctor and a treatment plan is decided.
Our example fees- These are not including medication needed.
| Treatment | Cost of treatment
(ThB) |
| IVF | 164,000 |
| ICSI | 184,000 |
| PGD for aneuploidy screening | 80,000 |
| PGD for single gene disorder | 150,000 |
| PGD for translocation | 150,000 |
| Frozen ET | 30,000 |
Included:
- ovarian stimulation
- egg pick up (OPU)
- sperm preparation
- embryo culture to blastocyst stage
- embryo transfer
- doctor's fee
- standard medication in long protocol
- hormone and blood tests
- ultrasound
- monitoring
- anesthesia
- operation theater
Terms of payment
Fee's need to be paid in full before you start treatment. Detailed prices are available from our accounts department for each kind of treatment.
If you live outside Thailand and are interested in assisted conception treatment, see our contact information page.
Medicare cover
Infertility treatment is not subsidized by the Thai government health system. However, if you have your government or private health insurance at home, it is possible that you could get a partial refund from them. You should check with your health fund beforehand to see if they will cover your treatment in Thailand
