Twelve questions to Nela Vaculcikova of IVF Clinic Zlin

1. Where is located the clinic IVF Zlin, is it easy access from the airport? 

IVF Zlín is located about 2,5 hours from the airport of Wien, Austria. There is an easy connection from the airport to Zlin by train, or you can take advantage of our transportation service which is included in our special packages. Our coordinators are happy to assist patients when organising their journey.

The clinic itself lies in a peaceful area up the hill, a few steps from the forest, offering a spectacular view of the regional town of Zlín. One of the biggest advantages of our clinic which needs to be highlighted is the fact that patients can find everything under one roof – not only the clinic but also a 4-star hotel, cosy restaurant, pharmacy and wellness centre. An ideal place for relaxation.

2. Can you tell me about the patient's journey.

The whole treatment starts with getting in touch with our clinic, usually by filling in a contact form which can be found on our website. When we receive the patient’s message, he or she is contacted by one of our coordinators with all the important information and they are asked to fill in the medical questionnaire and complete the obligatory exams.

There is no waiting time and the dates are scheduled with respect to the patient’s cycle and availability. Once the patient’s medical file is complete, the dates of the treatment are booked and a personalised treatment plan is prescribed. If necessary, there is a virtual consultation with one of our doctors prior to the treatment.

The length of the treatment depends on its type but in general, the procedure begins in the patient’s home country, and the stay at the clinic is kept to a minimum.

In case of egg donation treatment, the couple needs to stay for one week during which there is the donor’s egg retrieval, sperm collection, fertilisation followed by a five-day embryo cultivation and finally, there is the embryo transfer. We recommend that the patients leave the day after the transfer. If donor sperm is needed, suffices to stay only for two days.

When it comes to IVF treatment using own eggs, the patients are required to stay longer, typically for 2 to 3 weeks, as the doctors need to follow the patient’s stimulation carefully to be able to ensure the best possible chances for success.

3. What fertility treatments do you offer? 

IVF Zlín provides all the available and up-to-date treatments and embryological methods. The clinic is specialised in donation program and has a large database of egg and sperm donors at its disposal. The clinic offers also a social freezing program for women who wish to preserve their fertility. 

4. How do you assess fertility issues, and what tests will the patient need?

At the very beginning of the treatment, the patients are kindly asked to fill in the first virtual visit questionnaire and provide all the important details about their medical and fertility history, including their previous treatments and analyses results. In addition, there are several obligatory and recommended exams, depending on the type of their treatment. In conformity with the Czech legislation, every patient needs to complete the STD (sexually transmitted diseases) test. To assess the patient’s fertility, the most recent hormonal profile taken on day 2 or 3 of the patient’s cycle is required if using own eggs. The partners are asked for a sperm analysis thanks to which the most convenient method for a pre-selection of the sperm is recommended.

After having studied the patients’ medical file, our team of experts recommends the most convenient type of treatment and methods to optimise the patients’ chances.

5. What are the cost of the fertility treatments, and what is included in the packages?

IVF Zlin maintains affordable prices while keeping high-quality service and care.

The complete IVF treatment with own eggs costs €2,500 (medications not included).

The basic price for the egg donation treatment is €5,100, 2 blastocysts guaranteed.

Additionally, we offer various packages that include supplementary embryological methods, accommodation in our four-star hotel, breakfast, dinners and transport from the airport. For the members of the Storks of Hope, the price of the packages starts at €5,890.

6. What is your policy on egg/sperm donation and how do you ensure donor anonymity and quality? 

Our donors are carefully selected and their admission into our database is in conformity with the Czech legislation. We accept women and girls between 18 and 34 who have to undergo a hormonal and genetic testing, ultrasound scan, several STD tests and an interview with a psychologist. Most of the egg donors are either university students or mothers who wish to help other women to experience the joys of motherhood.

The donation in the Czech Republic is strictly and mutually anonymous. Neither the donors, nor the recipient couples have access to information that could lead to each other’s identity.

7. What support services do you provide during the treatment process? 

Our aim is to make the treatment for our foreign patients as smooth and easy as possible. Since the trust plays an important role, during all the treatment the patient is accompanied by one coordinator who is always ready to answer the questions, support and explain each step. The coordinator also assists during the patient’s consultations at our clinic, to interpret and thus make the communication smooth and stressless.  

8. How do you monitor progress during the treatment cycle, and how often will a patient need to visit the clinic? 

The patient is kindly asked to send every exam or ultrasound result to the coordinator who consults them with the IVF specialist of the clinic. Based on the exams, the treatment plan may be adjusted if necessary.

In case of IVF treatment with own eggs, we recommend that the patient stays in Zlín during the whole ovarian stimulation during which there are several check-ups before the egg retrieval. As for the egg donation, the patients are required to visit the clinic only twice, the day of donor egg retrieval and the day of embryo transfer.

9. What is your policy on embryo storage and freezing, and how long can embryos be stored? 

We freeze only high-quality embryos at blastocyst stage to ensure their survival during the freezing and thawing process without reducing their viability. The cost of embryo freezing is €300 and includes 1-2 straws and storage for the first year. After the first year, patients can prolong the storage by paying an annual fee. The embryos are stored in the clinic’s cryobank as long as the patients want to keep them. If the patients do not wish to prolong the storage, they are asked to sign the informed consent with the embryo disposal.

10. What are your clinic’s policies regarding patient privacy and confidentiality?

At our clinic, an absolute confidentiality and professionalism are taken. Confidential data protection is secured in accordance with the Czech Legislation and with the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. The personal data is collected directly from the patient, only to the extent necessary for the IVF treatment, and is treated by the clinic’s information system with a strict level of security. 

11. Why would English patients come to the Czech Republic? 

The Czech Republic is a favourite destination in medical tourism as it offers a high standard medical care while maintaining reasonable prices. The Czech medical facilities are equipped with up-to-date laboratories and latest generation devices and meet strict hygienic standards. The Czech medical experts are famous all over the world. In addition, there is usually no waiting time. The combination of all this makes our country very attractive for patients from abroad.

12. Do you have a lot of English patients? 

Each year our clinic is proud to help English-speaking patients from the US, Canada and other foreign countries. We have English-speaking nurses, doctors and coordinators thanks to which the communication can be smooth and easy. To conclude, our clinic is ready to welcome more English-speaking patients from all over the world and all our team is prepared to do their best to help more couples to make their dream of having a family come true.