The stork comes from sunny Spain

  • The Vistahermosa clinic in Costa Blanca offers an IVF treatment with an up to 70% chance of giving birth to a healthy baby

 

  • The Arrays CGH process enables selection of only healthy embryos before implantation

 

  • The technique minimizes the incidences of miscarriages, birth abnormalities and multiple pregnancies

 

 

London, 30 April 2013. Hundreds of women from all over the world –many of them British- fly every year to Alicante, Spain, to receive IVF treatment enhanced by Arrays CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridisation).

 

The Vistahermosa clinic is one of the few in Spain where this technique is performed with high rates of success. The centre is a member of Mediterranean Healthcare Group, which helps patients manage the whole process, including the travelling, the accomodation and the appointments with the doctors.

 

The IVF with Arrays CGH is only offered by a minority of private fertility centres in the UK and it is not funded by the NHS.  It has been proven that Arrays CGH increases the birth rate by up to 70% or up to 80% with two IVF cycles.  The average for IVF without Arrays CGH is 40%.

 

How does it work?

 

Arrays CGH examines all the chromosomes in a single cell to check for anomalies (known as aneuploidy), which cause the majority of embryo losses and therefore the failure of IVF treatment.

 

A biopsy of the embryos is performed on the third day of treatment and the results are available within 24 hours.  Then only the healthy embryos –if any-will be transferred to the recipient.

 

It is an invasive technique which needs qualified expertise to be performed and the latest technology in reproduction, which is why only a few centres can offer it in Europe. “Our centre Vistahermosa is a pioneer in Spain in this field and its genetic unit is highly qualified.  Our clinic is totally equipped and our medical team has the required expertise to guarantee that the process succeeds”, said Dr. Lopez Galvez, Head of Reproduction Unit.

 

Who is it for?

 

One in six couples in the UK, approximately 3.5 million people, suffer from fertility problems, according to the latest report published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2012.

 

Arrays CGH is recommended to couples in the following situations:

       -     Advanced age of the mother (over 38) receiving IVF

-          Multiple miscarriages

-          Severe factors in male, such as bad sperm quality and genetic alterations

-          Fish of altered spermatozoids

-          Failure in implantation of egg donation

 

50% of embryos in couples younger than 40 years of age without reproduction problems suffer from chromosome anomalies; the percentage increases with age - 85% of embryos might be affected in couples over 40 years - and it reaches up to 70% in couples receiving IVF treatment.

 

“Arrays CGH has brought hope for those couples who have suffered for years trying to conceive a baby. The technique, which allows doctors to select only the embryos without chromosone anomalies, increases the chances of getting pregnant and giving birth to a healthy baby by up to 70%  in Egg donantion treatments, no matter the age of the parents”, assured Dr. Lopez Galvez.

 

The technique minimizes the incidences of miscarriages, birth abnormalities and multiple pregnancies, traditionally associated with IVF treatments.

 

In the UK there are only 74 clinics licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to perform IVF treatment and the majority is located in London.  In 2011, they performed over 60,000 IVF cycles, with an overall live birth rate per cycle of 24.5%.

 

The NHS only covers a minority of IVF treatments and the cost of private treatment is expensive. For these reasons, together with long waiting lists in the NHS and a low live birth rate, thousands of British women decide to travel abroad to receive IVF treatment.  According to a report from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Spain performs more treatments to patients from abroad than any other country in Europe. Moreover, Spain performed 35-40% of all fertility treatments in Europe.

 

 

Vistahermosa clinic, Mediterranean Health Care guarantee

 

The Reproduction Unit in Vistahermosa clinic has a worldwide reputation built on the success of their treatments and the satisfaction of their patients.  They have been pioneers in fertility in Spain for the last 30 years and their staff is highly regarded internationally.

 

Also, the fact that the Reproduction clinic is within a hospital gives patients more safety and the guarantee of better care if needed.

 

They are prepared to treat women and couples from all over the world, receiving hundreds of patients every year from the rest of Europe, the US and Australia, attracted by the range of treatments,  the rates of success, more personalized attention and a safe environment provided by the resources of the Hospital.

 

By choosing Vistahermosa, in Alicante, thousands of women –many of them over 40 years old- have seen how their dreams of having a healthy baby have come true, avoiding long waiting lists, recurring failed IVF treatments and saving not only a lot of money –as the prices are far more competitive than in most private clinics in the UK- but also many years of suffering.

 

The IVF treatment with Arrays CGH does not require either a long stay in Alicante. Most patients –assuming thereare  no complications - just need to visit the clinic twice.  The first visit includes a complete consultation with a doctor as well as undergoing all examinations needed to start the process.  The second visit, the patient will have to stay for one week so the doctors can perform the embryo biopsy and later on the implantation of the healthy embryos, if any.

 

The Vistahermosa clinic is part of the Mediterranean Healthcare Group,  an association of seven prestigious private health care centres  in Costa Blanca in Spain offering patients the possibility to arrange their entire trip to Spain, from the appointment with the doctors to the flights, accommodation, transport, etc.

 

 

 

 

NOTES to Editors:

 

About Vistahermosa Clinic

 

The Vistahermosa Reproduction Unit is one of the most advanced of its kind in Spain and Europe. In addition to using all the latest techniques, teaching, research and training of professionals from abroad are central.  It is also one of the few centres in Spain performing Arrays CGH.

 

The Head of the Reproduction Unit in Vistahermosa Clinic, Dr. Lopez Galvez, is available for quotes and interviews.

 

www.urvistahermosa.com

 

 

About Mediterranean Healthcare Group

 

MHC is a Spanish organisation created to support international patients who want to benefit from the high quality and competitive prices of the Spanish healthcare. The hospitals that they represent have been selected for their international recognition and their long experience in their specialist fields as well as for their compliance to high standards in technical equipment and medical team. Being a member of the MHC is a guarantee of quality, efficiency and good management.

 

MHC acts as a one-point solution for international patients: they directly manage the whole process of booking and confirming medical specialist treatment, including hospital reservation and scheduling, patient pre and post- surgery care, rehabilitation and/or convalescence, and transport and lodging arrangements in Alicante. Moreover, they do not use intermediaries and they do not charge commission.

 

The Mediterranean Healthcare Group’s General Manager, Sandra Ruiz, is available for quotes and interviews.

 

www.mediterranean-healthcare.com

 

 

About health tourism in Spain

 

Spain has become a favourite destination in Europe for those women who want to receive fertility treatment abroad.

 

The quality of the health care system, well-equipped clinics and highly regarded professionals are among the main reasons to choose Spain.  There is also a wide variety of treatments some of which are not available in other countries due to certain restrictions, such as the age limit of the mother.

 

The cost savings, the low cost travel and an excellent environment also make Spain the perfect place to conceive a baby.

 

Moreover, in recent years, Spain, and in particular the Costa Blanca region , has been recognised as one of the top so-called medical tourism destinations, attracting patients from all over the world.

 

Within the Costa Blanca region, Alicante stands out as a favourite destination for hundred of thousands of foreigners to enjoy holidays or to live most of the year. Its climate, its beaches and excellent infrastructure - including the Spain’s 4th largest airport – make Alicante an ideal place for combining a medican treatment with a holiday.