What is treatment like at UZ Gent?

[U_K]

Hello,

Sorry for posting in English, British people are really bad at languages! I'll try to translate my text but I don't know how much sense it will make.

I will translate if you don't want to reply in English.

After three failed ICSI cycles in the UK we have had to come to UZ Gent for a special technique.

My treatment cycle will start in August and I just have some questions if anyone could please help.

I have been told to take Microgynon 50 for at least 14 days before I stop taking them to bleed and they don't often prescribe this for UK treatment. Has anyone else taken this? How long did you take it for? How many days later did you bleed?

At UZ Gent, what is the egg collection like with sedation? Are you awake? Do you remember what happens? Do you feel the pain?

Does anyone have any positive or negative opinions of UZ Gent?

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to reply xx

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Hallo

Sorry zijn voor het posten in Engelse, Britse mensen echt slecht op talen! : oops: Ik zal proberen om mijn tekst te vertalen, maar ik weet niet hoe veel zin zal maken.

Ik zal als u niet wilt beantwoorden in het Engels vertalen.

Na drie ICSI cycli in het Verenigd Koninkrijk mislukte hebben we voor een speciale techniek naar UZ Gent te komen.

Mijn cyclus behandeling zal starten in augustus en ik heb enkele vragen als iemand kon alstublieft helpen.

Ik heb verteld te nemen Microgynon 50 gedurende ten minste 14 dagen voordat ik met hen stoppen te bloeden en zij dit vaak niet voor UK behandeling voorschrijven. Heeft iedereen anders dit genomen? Hoe lang voordat u het voor? Hoeveel dagen later u bloeden?

Bij UZ Gent, wat is de eicelpunctie zoals met sedatie? Ben je wakker? Herinnert u wat er gebeurt? Voel je de pijn?

Doet ieder zijn eventuele positieve of negatieve adviezen van UZ Gent?

Dank aan iedereen die neemt de tijd om te antwoorden xx

[flien]

Hi uk,
welcome the this belgium site.
Belgium is known for its advanced fertility treatments. A lot of our Norther neighbours from the Netherlands have their treatment over here to.
I also go to the UZ Gent. Very friendly people. And the gyneacologist who does the pick ups is super... he has a funny operation hat on with lions and other jungle animals.

It is normal that you first need to take contraceptive. This stops your ouwn hormons and then the stimulation afterwords would be better. In my case I never need to take it, but don't ask me why. I think that every gyneacologist has their own way of working.

In UZ Gent, they normally do the pick ups under local anaestesia which is tolerable (had 2 myself). About 2 ours after the pick up, you can go 'home'.
The gyn gives a lot of explanation and you can follow everything on screen. You feel a bit high but you don't see pink elephants...(I'm joking), you feel the puncture but it doesn't hurts. So don't be scarred for it. And if you have a brave husbund, he can join you. They first do the anaestetic and they then call him. Unfortunately my husband is from the type, big mouth but small heart, so he doesn't go with me.

The transfer is then 3 or 5 days later. That depends on how many folikels you have. If the number is below 9, it will be day 3. When more then the transfer is on day 5.

My third pick up will be end of next week (I suppose).
I've been stimulation now for 9 days and my next echo is next wednesday.
Wish you all the best and of course a baby where is put on 'made in belgium'...

[Beccie]

Hello UK,

I'm a dutch women and I have almost finhisd my first ICSI cycle in UZgent.
To bad it did'nt worked out good.This morning my monthly bleedings came.

We went to Belgium because our dutch gynaecoloog said to us that we will never have children togheter.(its a problem whit my husbands sperm.)
In UZgent the give us Hope back!in may I started whit microgynon 50, this is to make sure that there won't be any cystes left on your ovairy, so you're stimulation will be better ( I had decapeptyl, Gonal F). I've also heard that whit this method the can plan better, because there are many coupels in treatment.
At the end we had 11 good embryo's. One of them is placed back (14 juni)..and 5 became cryo's.
So our next treatment will be whit a cryo.

Te egg collection; you will be awake, you get a local sedation. I didnt feel a lot of pain. The are very nice en gentle to you.

My experience; ist a great hospital, the doctors, nurses they are really fantastic!

I'll Hope you can read my message, Speaking english is so much easyer dan writing it down!

I whis you good luck!!! and a..baby

XXXBeccie

[U_K]

Thank you for the replies, and answering in English

With my other pick ups they used local anaesthetic so you don't go to sleep, but you think you have been asleep because you forget what happened.

The women in the UK who can remember say that they were in a lot of pain so that is why I am worried, but I can tolerate some pain.

My husband will not come with me, he will probably faint

Flien - I wish you the best of luck with your pick up and embryos. A baby with 'made in Belgium' on it would be a very happy result

Beccie - I was also told by my UK doctors that we will never have our own children because of my husbands sperm but we had MOAT and will be having AOA to try and change that.

Can you remember how long you had to wait for a bleed after stopping Microgynon?

Good luck for your cryos

How many embryos will they put inside?

[flien]

hi U_K, can't answer on your question about how many days after the microgynon. Never needed to take this. But I think the bleed will start in a day or 2.
Because it is my 3 icsi now and I'm already 37. I can have 3 embryo's back and that's the number I'll ask too. There is a law in Belgium who sets the number of embryo's that can be put back.
How old are you (if I may ask).
Is it easy to organise this treatment of do you offer your holidays to it ?
I've got a collegue-friend in the uk who also did some attempts. The price she needed to pay in the UK was enormous. Here in Belgium we've got a very good care-system that cover almost all the costs for 6 attempts.

[U_K]

In the UK it depends on which region you live in, how much IVF you get with the care system.

We all pay the same tax, but some people get 3 free cycles of IVF, some 2, some 1 and some people get 0 free cycles - all because of where they live

It's a really bad system but some regions don't see infertility and not having children as a very important medical issue

I live in a region where we get 1 free cycle, where we pay nothing.

Then I have paid about £5000 for each ICSI including my drugs. I also paid £3000 for tests that the care system would not do.

In Belgium it is less money for the treatment but we have to pay for travel and take time off work and pay for accommodation so it is about the same.

I take the Microgynon and then have a day trip to Belgium for a scan and they tell me when to start Menopur and then I go back to Belgium for a follicle count and will stay in Belgium for about two weeks until they have put the embryos back.

I've booked a nice cottage near Michelbeke

I am 27 so i don't think they will want to give me a lot of embryos but I worry that they might not be good quality embryos and I really really really need it to work this time

Do they grade embryos and tell you how good they are?

xx

[flien]

Hi U_K: yes they do grade the embryo's and give you enough information. But sometimes (depending on who's doing the transfer) you need to ask for it.

I'm also stimulating with menopur wright now, unfortunatly it doesn't give the expected effect. Menopur is a bit stronger than puregon but my body don't react to it. Wednesday I've got my next counting, we'll see.

Yes coming to Belgium is a whole organisation. But to get a baby, you would do everyting hee. I'm also doing accupuncture to improve the icsi-attempts.
I live 30 minutes drive from the uz Gent. In Aalter there is 'the best' fertility center' of Belgium. But that's 1 hour drive. Getting that organised with my work would be very difficult, so going to an other country, waw !
Wish you all the best !

[lyse]

In the UK it depends on which region you live in, how much IVF you get with the care system.

We all pay the same tax, but some people get 3 free cycles of IVF, some 2, some 1 and some people get 0 free cycles - all because of where they live

OMG, that's really awful, so unfair!

Good luck with your ICSI attempt at UZ Ghent! I am a proud mom of ICSI twins myself. Hope you'll get there soon, too!

[U_K]

Thanks for the information flien

I'm sorry that you as not responding to the menopur How many follicles do you have now? I hope it is better on Wednesday xx

Congratulations on your twins lyse It is very unfair, I think not many politicians and doctors have infertility

[flien]

On the last count there were a few but to small to even count. If they are so small it isn't even sure that they will grow.
I hope next counting will be better.

[U_K]

Ah, sorry

I do know one lady who did not respond so they cancelled the cycle and then fixed it and she got pregnant from the next cycle

I hope it improves for you though xx

[maxari]

Hi U_K, sorry to squeeze in, but would like to wish you the best of luck in Belgium.
I've had 6 ICSI attempts in Antwerp. Previous 5 were unfortunately not successful. Now I am waiting for the result of this last one, but the hope is not much. In the meanwhile I've reached out for this forum (wish I've done it sooner....) and been searching for all the info I can find. UZ Ghent seems to be one of the best from what I found/read.
Does anyone knows if Ghent imposes an age limit?
@Flien - can you provide me the link for Aalter fertility center?

[flien]

www.fertility-belgium.be is de site van dr Decleer.
En Maxari, we zijn nu precies in de helft van de ww. Voelde gij al iets ? Ik heb het hoe langer hoe minder goed op. Kwil nog niet wanhopen maar kvrees dat ook deze poging weer njet ga zijn.

[maxari]

Hei Flien! Hier dezelfde gevoel - ik denk dat er niets wordt
Ik zoek elk dag naar een gevoel dat kan wijzen op zwangerschap, maar niets..... Ik heb gelezen in de forum dat het meeste al vanaf dag 5 na de TP iets voelt, maar hier niets. Gisteren mijn laatste pregnyl gehad maar hoop heb ik niet meer veel.
Ik voel al af en toe een beetje buik pijn en dat zou kunnen zijn van mijn regels
Bedankt voor de site - ik zal zeker eens kijken.
Ik blijf duimen voor ons.

[maxari]

@Flien - weet je mss wat de leeftijdsgrens in UZ Gent voor een behandeling is?