# IVF Cost in Dubai - My Experiance



## michellecg (Oct 8, 2017)

I thought I’d write a bit of information and my experience of an IVF cycle in Dubai for all, who like me, scour the internet for information when thinking about starting and going through the IVF process. 

I did a bit of research on which clinics offered IVF in Dubai and opted for the Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic, as they have the historic backing of being the 1st clinic to successful deliver an IVF baby back in the 1970s. At least this was the only distinguishing factor at the time. Other clinics were mentioned on several blogs, such as Fakih, Amal Alias, Orchid etc. Actually once I started the process; I began to notice there are many clinics dotted around Dubai, so there is a lot of choice. I saw Amal Alias clinic quoted an AED46k package (including medication) in the Google answers of their profile on Google. When I called Bourn Hall to set up an appointment they mentioned their base package was AED 24k excluding medication. 

The appointment day was 2 days after the call, and it is free (considering the amount of money you will be investing in the process, its only right that it is to be honest!). The doctor gave an over view of the process and what additional test and procedures he would undertake during the IVF cycle and once we agreed to the idea and understood the estimated price of the cycle, we were ready to begin. As I was on cycle day 2, I started that day, with my first shot of Menopur in the clinic, was given a blood test and sent home with 2 days of medication that I would inject until my next follow up to monitor the growth of my follicles. It was all very quick. 

So the additional cost!...

The base line price of AED 24,000 included the consultation and follow ups with the doctor, pelvic scan and blood test at each visit and until egg retrieval day. What was not included was the medication. You pay as you go and they only give you enough medication to last the days in-between visits (prudent and helps to ensure over zealous couples don’t try to double dose I assume). My protocol i.e. The regime of medication I would be put on to stimulate my follicles, was a daily combination of Menopur and Centrotide. The first round of medication I took home cost AED 3,134. Not included was my initial blood test; an extended tests of hormone profile, vitamin D Hydroxyl, progesterone assay and infection profile. Cost AED 1,275. My husband’s tests were also not included in the AED24k, so blood test and a semen analysis test was an additional charge of AED 300 and AED 300. So after paying the AED 24k we also paid AED 4,409 at the start of the process. 

My follow up medication cost after the check up 3 days later was AED 1,339, with slight adjustments to the dosage and the check up 3 days after this, medication was tweaked again, and this time cost AED 1,686. The final check up before egg retrieval I was taken off the Menopur, remained on the Centrotide and was given the drugs for the trigger shot, which is the last bit of medication you take in the stimulation process. That cost AED 250. So in total, the drugs for the IVF process, based on my specific protocol cost AED 6,409. With the additional test, it came up to AED 8,284. The protocol you are put on by your doctor will be to your circumstances and according to many internet boards, my dosage was pretty high, so I give the cost just as a guide and not as the standard cost for the medication. In the initial consultation the doctor said it ranges AED 5k to 7k.

Our doctor, during our consultation, said that they prefer and if I recall correctly, only do Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET). This has shown better results vs. a fresh transfer and if you are considering IVF, you should read up on the details. The kicker for us was that was again not included in the AED 24k. So a process, which has better results and seemingly is the preferred and practised method at the clinic, is an additional charge. Cost AED 10k. To be fair, I guess this way it gives a couple the right to opt in or opt out but it was put to us as strongly recommended\ way things are done here, and fresh transfer were not really discussed. Another good thing with the doing a FET is that it gives the opportunity to do testing on the embryos, again another thing to research before you start, as things move pretty quickly from day 1. Pre-Genetic Screening (PGS) test are performed on 5-day-old embryos and results are given 7-10 days after. After reading about the outcomes of PGS tested embryos prior, we were already sure we wanted to do this and knew it would be an additional cost. We chose to do PGT-A test at a cost of AED 12k. 

On our last follow up after egg retrieval, the doctor unexpectedly began talk of doing a second cycle i.e. another 24k + meds! This by the way is called Embryo Banking; collecting many eggs or embryos to be used in the future in an effort to ensure a successful outcome over many attempts. Honestly I’m still shocked by this, as it was never a topic until this late stage. We thought we would go in and have a full IVF cycle with hopes of a ‘live birth’ at the end of it. The argument presented was that given my age, and the 6 good quality embryos currently on ice, we should consider another cycle before trying for a pregnancy, which by his count would delay this by 2 years, and by which time I’m knocking on 40, which is a huge factor in the quantity and quality of eggs a woman has. Fair point but there were a lot of assumption in there, like the assumption that this cycle would be successful, and that the embryos on ice would not give enough attempts for a future successful transfer. Mostly I felt frustrated to be suggested this at this late stage of the process given that they have reduced cost packages when taking 2 or more IVF cycles. Had we been approached with the option initially, we could have considered it then. The cost saving would have been substantial, although it should be noted they would want all the money upfront. Regardless, we decided to not do another round of stimulation and egg collection and I’m preparing for my FET in a few days. 

In the end, a round of IVF at Bourn Hall cost us *AED 54,284*, including IVF, additional but necessary test, PGS testing and Freezing. We will still have to pay a fee to keep the remaining embryos on ice while we wait to see if our 1st transfer will be successful and this is an annual subscription of AED 2.5k. 

An important thing to note and one of the things that prompted me to write this overview and share my information, was that a few days ago I Goggled my doctor at Bourn Hall (odd that I hadn’t at any other time in the process, its usually the 1st thing I do! But there was a lot going on as the schedule consumes you). Our doctor seems to have been at several other clinics in Dubai over the last 10 years, which prompted the thought that the reputation of the clinic itself is only a function of good marketing. Another couple a few years earlier would have received equal level of medical attention by the same doctor at another clinic where perhaps the cost would have varied. So does the clinic’s reputation really matter if medical staff, the doctors, are bouncing from one to the next, offering the same level of care at each?

Food for thought.

I felt the need to write this review as so often people posting asking for information, reviews and advice online and the response are not always forth coming and the threads are out of date and archived. I hope what I have written here can give someone seeking information some clarity. For others reading this and going through the process, please give the expat community a bit of insight and keep the thread alive.:fingerscrossed:


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## macs30 (May 6, 2018)

thank you for sharing. We did try with BH last year, two cycles with embryo freeze, no PGT-A test for a total of around 40K AED. Unfortunately both cycle were not successful and lot of problems (i.e. pain) during the transfer.


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