Ten questions to ask before choosing an IVF clinic
These questions work at any fertility clinic, including this one. A clinic confident in its practice will answer all ten without hesitation. Vagueness on any of them is worth noticing.
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Who is the senior embryologist handling our embryos, and how many years of bench experience do they have?
IVF outcomes depend fundamentally on the person working at the microscope. Ask whether your embryos will be handled by a qualified full-time clinical embryologist, or by an occasional visiting technician.
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What air cleanliness class does your embryology cleanroom maintain?
Embryos have no immune system. Cleanroom air filtration should be Class 100 / ISO 5 with VOC filtration, to prevent absorption of microscopic airborne toxins.
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Do you culture embryos to the Day 5 blastocyst stage as standard care?
Transferring Day 3 cleavage embryos has lower implantation efficiency. Extended culture to Day 5 filters out embryos that have already arrested, and supports elective single embryo transfer.
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Are all treatment and medication costs provided in writing before we begin?
Check there are no separate later charges for egg collection, anaesthesia, embryologist consultation or cryostorage. Ask for an itemised breakdown, not a single figure.
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Will I see the same doctor at every visit, or be rotated between junior doctors?
Continuity matters for stimulation monitoring and dose adjustment. High-volume clinics often rotate patients between several doctors.
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How do you define and report your success rates?
Be cautious of any clinic claiming near-total success. Honest clinics quote clinical pregnancy per embryo transfer, stratified by age group, and will explain which patients are included in the figure.
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Do you have a dedicated, private room for semen collection?
Male patients deserve privacy and dignity. The collection area should be calm and clean, with temperature-controlled transfer to the laboratory.
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Do you offer computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) and DNA fragmentation testing?
Manual sperm counts miss motility kinetics and DNA fragmentation. CASA and DFI give objective, repeatable measurements.
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Is the clinic registered under the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021?
Every legitimate IVF clinic in India must hold government registration with the National ART Board. You are entitled to ask to see it.
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What happens if our cycle is not successful?
A responsible clinic offers a post-cycle review with the embryologist, going through fertilisation and cleavage in detail — rather than simply proposing the same protocol again.