About Dr. Nahathai Paktinun, MD, Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Reproductive Medicine, Bumrungrad Fertility and IVF Clinic
CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION: [email protected]
About Bumrungrad International Hospital’s Fertility and IVF Clinic:
From infertility to pregnancy: The Fertility and IVF Clinic at Bumrungrad International provides personalized, quality fertility care. As one of the leading fertility centers in Southeast Asia, our dedicated staff has helped thousands of couples to realize their dreams of creating a family. https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/fertility-ivf-center-bangkok-thailand
Medical Travel Today (MTT): Tell our readers some of the key points that distinguish the Bumrungrad International Hospital’s Fertility and IVF Clinic – and why patients travel from all over the world for treatment?
Dr. Nahathai Paktinun (DR. NAHATHAI):
To begin this discussion and for those who are unfamiliar with the term “IVF”, it stands for In Vitro Fertilization, a method where sperm and egg are combined in the laboratory and after fertilization, the embryos are then implanted in the cavity of the uterus to cause pregnancy.
We also perform Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), a process that involves placing sperm directly inside a women’s uterus to facilitate fertilization.
The Fertility and IVF Clinic are located on the campus of Bumrungrad International, a JCI-accredited hospital – the first in Asia. Bumrungrad International has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence, care quality and an exceptional team of physicians who provide patients expert care with advanced technology and high success rates.
In fact, the following statistics provide a very compelling documentation of the success of our Fertility and IFV Clinic:
<Age 29 67 %
Age 35-39 56%
>Age 40 25%
We pride ourselves on our expertise, openness and honesty – and personalized care. We understand that dealing with infertility can be very stressful and pledge to be by the side of every patient every step of the way on their journey to start a family.
MTT: What are some of the unique advantages of the program?
DR. NAHATHAI: There are several.
We make it very convenient to get diagnostics, care and treatment. You can access all your fertility services on site – including infertility testing, reproductive surgery, egg retrievals, embryo transfers and IVF with highly advanced lab.
We understand that some cases are challenging, but all couples receive the care they need – no matter how difficult the case. In fact, we often treat couples that have had treatments at other hospitals but failed to conceive. We don’t turn away patients based upon their history of failed procedures.
We are dedicated to providing easy and immediate consultation with access to different specialties for the continuity of care for pregnancy, delivery and beyond — all at the same location.
Patients come to us when they have issues and disorders that affect the normal function of the reproductive system, resulting in obstacles that prevent natural fertilization. Infertility can be caused by problems with the man or woman, or even completely unknown causes. Of course, embryo quality is a critical issue that impacts success.
MTT: On that subject, tell our readers about the
laboratory services and how embryos are handled?
DR. NAHATHAI: The embryology lab at Bumrungrad International’s IVF Clinic is responsible for identifying and processing patient oocytes for fertilization, embryo culture and selection, and for cryopreservation and storage of embryos.
Also, the IVF lab also processes embryo biopsies for preimplantation genetic screening and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to detect any abnormality in the number of chromosomes or diseases transmitted through the genes, such as Down syndrome or aneuploidy, etc.
The technique also
increases the chances of pregnancy per frozen embryo transfer.
MTT: How long should people plan on staying in Thailand for the treatment? Can they stay at a hotel nearby to the hospital?
DR. NAHATHAI: People should expect the treatment to take 20-25 days. One IVF cycle takes four to six weeks to complete. Approximately 7-9 days after the embryo transfer, a blood test will be done to test for pregnancy.
Here’s the typical schedule:
Day 1-2: Couples will undergo the screening process and consult with a fertility specialist. All screening tests will be completed.
Day 2: Fertility treatment can begin with an injection for ovarian stimulation. The ovarian response will be monitored every 4 days by ultrasonography with hormone test (blood withdrawal).
Day 12-14 of the cycle: Expected date of egg retrieval.
Day 19 of the cycle: The embryo will be transferred (In the fresh cycle).
For frozen cycle:
Embryos can be transferred any time after the 3rd week from the
stimulation with egg collection process.
Many
couples travel here in advance of treatment or extend their stay in Thailand.
It is a spectacular country with so much to see and do. Hotel and condo accommodations are located
nearby to the Bumrungrad International campus – and they are very affordable.
In fact, Bangkok is an easy travel destination, leading all cities in overnight visits with close to 1,400-1,500 flights a day going in and out from all parts of the world, making it feasible for people to get care for a relatively low price.
Bumrungrad International provides concierge services at no charge to help patients arrange travel, and an airport representative office to arrange greetings on arrival, baggage assistance, and transportation to a hotel or the hospital upon request. Patients and their companions can stay in affordable four- and five-star accommodations, from one night to 30 nights or more, and access high quality medical treatment at a price that meets their budget.
MTT: How does the cost of treatment compare to those of infertility treatment in the US?
DR. NAHATHAI:
Surprisingly, the real estimated price for IVF in Thailand including the clinic charges usually starts from $10,000 and reaches up to $15,000 USD, with special packages available as well. That is due to the fact that commercial egg and sperm donation in Thai is illegal. That`s why pregnancy through egg donation requires special legal authorization.
I cannot verify the exact costs in the US since it varies, but I do understand that our costs are about half.
MTT: Are there services for both male and female infertility?
DR. NAHATHAI: Yes.
Our portfolio of services is designed to address a woman whose fallopian tubes are obstructed or destroyed, as well as a man with sperm problems, such as low sperm count and motility.
We are able to help couples who have been unable to conceive where there is no known cause for the infertility. We have also assisted a couple that had undergone IUI and were unable to conceive.
We do treat a significant number of men. In 40 percent of infertility cases, it is caused by problems with the man’s fertility. Our Clinic utilizes internationally standardized equipment and procedures to diagnose fertility problems in men and help the couple to achieve pregnancy.
Male Infertility typically results from disorders affecting the number and motility of sperm, including medical disorders such as liver disease, kidney disease and infections in the male reproductive system. It can also be the result of genetic disorders affecting sperm production or blockage in sperm-carrying tubes.
Other causes are erectile dysfunction or problems with ejaculation, varicocele affecting sperm quality or testosterone deficiency.
We offer a full range of diagnostics including semen analysis, hormone level and genetic testing as well as ultrasound of testis and testicular blood vessels.
MTT: And for women?
DR. NAHATHAI:
There’s more awareness about the common causes of female infertility which can result from hormonal issues, disorders of the fallopian tubes caused by pelvic infection, endometriosis or pelvic surgery, an abnormal uterus or disorders of the cervix, preventing the sperm from fertilizing the egg.
Of course, there are the challenges of premature menopause or when women have taken drugs that reduce fertility — including radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer treatment
Again, we have a full complement of advanced diagnostics that spans hormone level and genetic testing, pelvic ultrasound, hysteroscopy and hysterosalpingography.
As you would expect from a top-notch program, our capabilities and assisted reproductive techniques include:
- IVF
- Ovarian stimulation
- Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) to detect any abnormality in the number of chromosomes or diseases transmitted through the genes, such as Down syndrome or anemia etc.
Fortunately, there are many safe and effective treatments for both men and women who want to overcome infertility including:
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA)
- Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA)
- Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)
- In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Ovarian Stimulation
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) of embryos prior to IVF
MTT: What services are offered in the on-site embryology laboratory?
DR. NAHATHAI:
Here is a breakdown of the services:
- Female egg (oocyte) retrieval, incubation, evaluation and fertilization
- Embryoscope
- Unique incubator chambers for each patient’s embryos
- PGD and screening
- Selecting optimal embryos for day 3 or 5 blastocyst transfer
- Vitrification for freezing eggs or embryos for use in a later IVF treatment (frozen cycle), post-treatment storage or for fertility preservation
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
- PESA
- TESE
- MESA
- Physicians, surgeons and embryologists specializing in fertility
MTT: Are egg donations legal in Thailand?
DR. NAHATHAI: While egg donations are legal in Thailand, commercial egg donation is not. Egg donation for profit is prohibited in Thailand.
Egg donor recipients are not allowed to receive eggs from more than one donor per treatment. The patient requiring egg donation will need to provide her marriage certificate, and her husband must sign a letter of consent. Thai law requires that the egg donor must also be between 20-35 years old.
MTT: How many patients does the Clinic serve annually?
DR. NAHATHAI: Bumrungrad International is one of the largest private hospitals in Southeast Asia, serving over 1.1 million patients annually, including over 520,000 international patients from over 190 nationalities.