Medical Tourism & Infertility Treatment In India

The basic concept of medical tourism is traveling abroad for medical treatment and touring famous tourist spots at the same time. In most western countries, medical treatments and procedures have become very expensive and unaffordable. Covering such a huge expense without medical insurance is simply impossible. Specialized treatments and procedures like In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive techniques are very expensive. In addition, many insurance companies do not cover or offer only limited benefit, thus making infertility treatments beyod normal reach. It is here that SurgeryPlanet pitches in, giving options of destinations that offer this treatment at much cheaper rates. Even after taking into account, travel and medical expenses, the total package works out to be far more cheaper while maintaining standards compareable and in certain cases superior than those found in western countries. Other compelling reasons for seeking alternative treatment abroad are, long waiting period and other legal constraints that are there in western countries. In the recent years, India has emerged as a top destination for medical tourists amongst many other countries. It offers world class treatment without any waiting period and at much cheaper prices. We, at SurgeryPlanet strive to give you the best deals of modern treatment at affordable costs. With our large network of hospitals in India, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, etc we are able to offer the best packages for this procedure.

WHAT IS INFERTILITY?

Infertility is defined as the failure to concieve after at least a year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Inability to carry a pregnancy to term is also considered as infertility. An average woman experiences peak fertility in her twenties and fertility begins to drop slowly in the early thirties and more steeply in the late thirties. After forty, the chances of getting pregnant without medical assistance is very remote

Infertility generally leads to depression and disappointment amongst couples. For a medical traveller, in need of an IVF procedure, India would be a preferred destination. World Class diagnostic and therapeutic centers for treating infertility located in major cities in India, use a variety of assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs). ART signifies a medical technique of obtaining a pregnancy by ways other than sexual intercourse. A few of the institutions in India that offer various methods of ART are Apollo Hospitals, Max Health Care, Wockhardt Hospitals, Fortis Health Care, Metro Hospitals, Dr. Rama's Institute of Fertility, Lifeline Fertility Clinic, Delhi IVF & Fertility Research Centre etc.

The prevailing myth and misconception about female factors being the exclusive reason of infertility is not true at all. Infertilty might be due to male as well as female factors. As per statistics, female and male factors contribute to 50% and 35-40% of cases respectively. Remaining cases are either unexplained or due to both factors. Therefore, it makes sense to evaluate and examine both partners, not only female, to decide upon the most appropriate treatment plan.

MALE FACTOR INFERTILITY

Varicocele, hydrocele, penile and testicular defects/dysfunction, erectile and ejaculation defects, presence of antisperm antibodies, oligo/azoospermia, chronic bacterial infection, hormonal imbalance, certain drugs, excessive smoking and alcohol are identified as most common offending factors behind male infertility. Male fertility screening can be done through the semen anlysis using a Computer Assisted Sperm Analyzer, post coital test and sperm invasion test. An infertile man can successfully be managed by identifying and treating the underlying cause. Microsurgical Testicular Sperm Extraction (Micro TESE) is frequently used method for managing male factor infertility.

FEMALE FACTOR INFERTILITY

Infertility in female is multifactorial in origin. Several genetic, hormonal, utero-ovarian as well as local factors are related to female infertility. Hence, medical history and physical examination forms the base of diagnosis, followed by clinical tests. Investigations include endometrial biopsy, hormonal testing during menstruation, thyroid fuction tests, laproscopy, pap smear, pelvic examination, post coital tests and special X-rays/ultra sonography. Accoding to etiology, different medicines, ARTs and surgery can effectively be used in treatment of infertility.

In India, various ARTs are conducted such as Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) & Embryo Transfer (ET), Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer (GIFT), Zygote Intra Fallopian Transfer (ZIFT), Egg Pick up and Embryo Transfer, Blastocyst Culture, Testicular Sperm Extraction and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (TESE/ICSI), Pecutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (PESA/ICSI), Laser Assisted Embryo Hatching, Embryo Cryopreservation, Surrogacy etc. Out of them, IUI and IVF are often used with promising results.

IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination) is a technique wherein processed semen is placed directly in the uterus with the help of a catheter. IUI is usually preceded by ovulation induction using appropriate fertility enhancing drugs to get better results. Artificial insemination can be done with husband's sperm (AIH) or with anonymous donor's sperm (AID). In IVF & ET technique, an ovum is fertilized outside the body and embryo is consequently transfered into the uterus of the woman. It is popularly known as 'Test Tube Baby'. IVF is amongst the most preferred assisted conception method used.

Rarely, necessity of surgery arises in the course of infertility treatment. Sometimes, fallopian tubes may need to be widened or ovarian cysts might need to be removed. These surgical treatments are minimally invasive and require very little recovery time. But occasionally, treatment can be lengthy and repeat monitoring are necessary to carry a pregnancy to term.

SUCCESS RATE

Success rate of infertility treatment, which is determined by the number of successful pregnancies achieved, has steadily increased with newer technology adopted in state of the art fertility. Since many individual variables are involved, it is very difficult to ascertain the exact success rate of ART outcome in India. Success of the procedure depends on the woman's age, the underlying factors, the number of eggs/embryos transferred, the type and quality of ART services adopted, the expertise of the doctor and so on. On an average 35-40% of women below 35 years of age and 25-30% of women between 36-40 years of age have reported successful pregnancies. There is a low success rate for those above 40in the order of 10-15%. Apollo Hospitals, which is one among the prefered hospitals of SurgeryPlanet claim 30-40% pregnacy rate per attempt.