Online reviews for Embio IVF Center in Athens, Greece

Online Reviews

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Multiple Fibroids? Laparoscopy for Hysterectomy, but Keep your Ovaries!

I had many myomas, and I was bleeding for three years. One of the fibroids was 6 cm. My gynecologist told me I had to have an open surgery. Another gynecologist told me “your uterus is big, so the operation will take about three hours. I have to cut the uterus in pieces and take it out like spaghetti.”

I knew I had to do the operation, but I looked on the internet and found out that the myomectomy could be done via laparoscopy. 

So I found Dr Paraschos, and he told me there was no problem. I could have a laparoscopy.

All the Options for my Myomas

Dr Paraschos was very kind. He was explaining everything by email. Unlike the other doctor who only said one sentence, Dr Paraschos explained all my options in detail. He even proposed to reconstruct my uterus, but I decided not to. I was afraid that since I’m 46, the fibroids would grow back. He said that everything would be alright, and I could keep my uterus, but since I didn’t want to have a baby, I preferred a laparoscopic hysterectomy, the relatively easier procedure for me and him both.

However, he said that it would be best for me if he left the ovaries and the cervix. I had over 10 small fibroids, which were visible by MRI not by Ultra Sound, one of them was about 6cm and was causing the biggest problem. So the Doctor removed my uterus, but left the ovaries and the cervix. This was wise, because this way, I have no hormonal changes, and everything feels just like before the operation. The bleeding and the spotting has stopped completely.

My experience with the laparoscopic procedure

The laparoscopy was done through 4 little holes. After the operation I didn’t want to take any pain killers, so the first hours were difficult. Every time I turned to find a new position, I felt as if I had been working out my abs. I used a catheter for the night because I couldn’t move. But every hour that passed, I felt better and better. The next morning I was a different person altogether. The second day I drove back to Patras. Dr Paraschos told me that in 5 days I could swim if I wanted to. Now that three weeks have gone by, I can do any physical effort.

After the operation, I have no bleeding. After three years of anxiety and depression, I could not believe it was over. I’m really happy. I’m a different person now. Everything is like I never had an operation. My hormones are the same. I am very pleased.

 

Jelena
Serbia

I preferred Greece to the Czech Republic for Egg Donation

I'm 41. I've tried in Italy. I did 3 ICSI with my own eggs and all failed, because the eggs were FEW and not good.

Then we found Embio and Dr. Parashos on the internet. We also searched in the Czech Republic and Spain. My husband preferred the Czech Republic, but I insisted for Embio Medical Center in Athens, because all the explanations given via emails were clear and all references on Dr. Paraschos have inspired me confidence.

And so last year we came to see, to speak, to know everything before we'd do it.

Dr. Paraschos is good, also the IVF clinic itself (Embio) gave us a good impression. I did the amh here , the transvaginal ultrasound, all blood tests and then I took the chance to do a mammogram as well, since I was there.

During the transfer, I was quite relaxed. It went well. Now I have a little ache, because the uterus is a bit reversed Four embryos were transferred. For the egg donation we needed to  be in Athens for 3 days, but it was our choice to stay six days in all, to enjoy a little  bit of Athens. We went to the sea, to the port of Piraeus we saw Thission, everything a tourist would normally see in six days.

Emma
Italy

A lot of people go to Greece for their fertility treatment and come back to Algeria with conception

It’s our 2nd try. Our first IVF attempt was in 2008 with natural IVF at another fertility clinic. I’m 39 years old and I haven’t had a baby so far due to tube problems. Both of my fallopian tubes are blocked. On top of that, my husband has oligoasthenospermia.

All the time we spent before going to Embio in Athens was 19 days for our visa. To get the visa we received an invitation letter from EMBIO.

The good thing was we didn’t lose any time in communication. Eleni, our IVF coordinator, communicated promptly for everything we needed.

In Vitro Fertilization is not so advanced in Algeria. We had met quite a lot of people who had been to Greece for their fertility treatment and came back with conception. So we researched and found out good things about EMBIO and Dr Paraschos. Also IVF prices are the lowest in Greece.

We chose to be in Athens from 23 September to 18 October, so we could do all the tests at EMBIO and not just the embryo transfer. Meanwhile we saw the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis itself and a little bit of Athens.

Algeria

Over 40? Careful where you go for your IVF!

I'm from Bulgaria. First 2 times I've done IVF in Bulgaria with my eggs at another IVF clinic, and now with donor eggs at EMBIO with Dr Paraschos. He was very gentle. Makes you feel welcome, very relaxed and comfortable. He is very polite.

Embio clinic is comfortable, clean. Today was my embryo transfer. I didn't feel any pain. It's like going to the gynecologist for a test.

You only stay for 3 days. The first you arrive, the 2nd day you do the IVF and the 3rd day you go home.

Only at EMBIO Medical Center

After I came to Embio I realized that the clinic I went to in Bulgaria was just waste of time. They don't have the necessary equipment and technology. They don't actually prepare you for the treatment. And then they don't give you any injection after the IVF to support the transfer. For them you're already a lost case. They don't even tell you to take the blood test after 12 days.

Only at EMBIO I learned that after 12 days you have to take the blood test. In Bulgaria it's just if the period comes, you're not pregnant.

If you’re over 40, it’s critical where you have your IVF!

I'm 45, almost 46. The big problem for women at my age is the time wasted. I wasted two whole years for nothing. Instead, I could have done it in Greece, at EMBIO, in the first place. It's not a matter of money. For women over 40, every year is crucial! Before, I was having my eggs, but with time passing, your eggs become less and less and of worse quality. It you are over 40, it's critical where you go for your IVF. If I had come straight to Embio from the start, I could have succeeded with my own eggs.
In Bulgaria I wasted one year for nothing. One of the two doctors told me after 6 months that he would not do it because I was over 42.  He didn’t tell me that I could do it with a private clinic. Private IVF clinics in Bulgaria do IVF for women over 42.

You can always have a chance to get pregnant!

At last, I found Dr Paraschos in Athens. He is very gentle and very polite with the patients. This is very important. Because everybody can say, “you don’t have a chance,” That’s easy. But it’s not true. Actually, there are women who get pregnant naturally in their 50’s.  And they deliver their babies.

 

 

Maria
Bulgaria

We both got pregnant!

I've been trying with IVF for 15 years without success, although we did have embryos. So I searched on the internet and found EMBIO in Greece.

At 45 it became difficult to continue in France, so I came in contact with this center and I immediately felt at ease. I started treatment in October and by November I was pregnant.

My pregnancy is smooth and I expect a little boy. This time I did it with egg donation.

As far as we could tell, the center is top-notch and monitoring is perfectly adapted to each individual.

Embio Medical Center is in Athens, you find it on the internet. I'm giving you the IVF coordinator's email: elenitsiga@ivf-embryo.gr. FYI when we were there, there was another French lady my age, and we both got pregnant.

I wish you good luck and above all, never lose hope.

If you're French, you can ask me anything you need to know in forum.aufeminin. I'm fifi19622.

Otherwise, write to Elena. She'll answer you very quickly.

Fifi
France

Poor egg quality and a kidney transplant didn’t stop me from getting pregnant!

My story is unbelievable but true and exceptional. Seven years ago I was offered a kidney transplant. My husband and I wanted a baby but it was something unthinkable according to my nephrologist due to the relative risks, ie my health as the mother of the baby, the transplant rejection and the higher risk of premature birth. Support to my efforts was out of the question.

At 42 my egg quality was low, so I inquired if I could go through IVF using donor eggs. That’s when I found out that EMBIO could help me without me having to worry about it, as long as I was monitored by my doctor after the embryo transfer.

My only worry was that I had to combine the anti-rejection drugs and those for IVF, but my body has reacted positively. Dr. Paraschos and his team were able to put me at ease, and offered great support. I started my treatment on 20 September 2013, and a month later I was implanted three embryos, but only one embryo made it at my first attempt.

I experience happiness every day with my family, despite the difficulty I had getting the IVF drugs putting up fights with obgyns and pharmacists in France. At last I am pregnant and expecting my baby in July 2014.

 ("Sorry, Mummy, I couldn't wait that long, so I was born at 32 weeks on 22 May! " )

If I have any advice to give to women with a kidney transplant who feel the need for a child is this: Do not hesitate to contact EMBIO in Greece. Your dream will come true one day. Look at me now, happy and hoping to carry through my pregnancy thanks to EMBIO and without any help from my nephrologist.

Antara, 42 years old
France

Conceiving in Menopause takes a lot of support!

I had egg donation with my husband’s sperm. I’m in menopause. I couldn’t do it in Scotland because you can only do it up to 45 years.

The Embio clinic is great. You get attention. Dr Paraschos is splendid, makes you feel at ease. You don’t get scared about anything.  The IVF coordinator, was highly morally supportive, very cordial. Even in the room when you are in bed, the nurses and doctors around make you feel at ease.

I’ll wait until the pregnancy test and then I’ll go home. Some people just go home without waiting. I chose to do that, because in Scotland it would cost me about 330 pounds for the ultrasound scan at a private hospital, extremely expensive. If I go to my general doctor it takes more than a month. Here at Embio it’s quite fast, and not expensive. That was the reason I decided to stay in Athens for the pregnancy test.

Gina
Scotland

Embio clinic is very professional

We had IVF with donor eggs because we've been trying for a long time and I didn't have any good eggs left because of my age. Also I have blocked tubes, so it wasn't coming naturally.

We have tried twice at an IVF clinic on Crete but unsuccessfully both times.

This clinic (Embio) is very professional, helpful, seems very well organised, generally supportive.

Dr Paraschos is good, he seems to know what he's doing, what he's talking about.

Everything has been very smooth, very straight forward.

Joanne
England

A traumatic donor egg ivf experience in Spain

I’m 50 and age is not on my side, so my eggs were no good and the suggested treatment was egg donation.

We first had an egg donation treatment two years ago in Spain, in Barcelona, at the Eugin clinic. It was completely unsuccessful, and the embryo transfer was extremely painful. There was never any mention of sedation. And it should have been. Because of the scarring, there was no way to get the catheter through. They knew all my medical history about my cone biopsy, but didn’t take it into account. I had an ectopic pregnancy a few years back, and a couple years ago, I had an abscess in my fallopian tubes. When I was having these problems with the ectopic pregnancy, I also had a cone biopsy. That left scarring, and so from then on it would be difficult to transfer any embryos.

When I saw this website and that Dr Paraschos was trained under Professor Winston in England, I thought I’d be in safe hands.

And so I went through a similar process, I said about the cone biopsy and about the extremely painful transfer that I had at the Spanish ivf clinic, and straight away, the IVF coordinator, put my mind at rest. She told me that Dr Paraschos was very experienced, that he had lots and lots of experience in embryo transfers – straightforward and more complicated ones – and he would know what sort of treatment to do.

Indeed, Dr Paraschos highlighted that there would be scarring from the cone biopsy. That’s what would have made it difficult to have a straightforward transfer. So, if you’re asking me, it was doubtful that they ever managed to transfer the 2 embryos in Barcelona. As Dr Paraschos highlighted, he couldn’t get the embryos through the scarring tissue without doing something about it.

So this morning Dr Paraschos knew that we should probably need sedation. He tried without sedation at first, but he was ready for the sedation when it proved necessary. He had to dilate the cervix os (the opening of the cervix) between 3.5-4.5 millimitres, and it was quite straightforward after that.

My endometrium was slightly less than what it should be. Ideally, it should have been between 8 and 12 millimitres, and mine was 7 milimiters. But he said that he had successful pregnancies on women who had only 5-6 millimitres before now.

So that was that, four embryos were transferred, and the IVF coordinator has just given us the final lot of medication to take away.

We stayed 5 nights in Athens.

We already have four sons from previous marriages, but we’d like to have a go and have one ourselves.

Everyone is great here at EmBIO. Dr Paraschos if very professional, very forward. The IVF coordinator, has been answering my emails straight away. I emailed, and I thought, it’s going to take a couple of days for an answer, and, before I thought about it, she answered to all my questions, day and night. Really put you at ease.

Jan
England

The Age Limit for IVF in Greece is 51

I had egg donation with my partner’s sperm. I’m 50 so egg donation gives a better chance. We’ve been trying for six months. In the end we thought we’d better follow this track because the age limit in Greece is 51. In Holland it’s 46. You can’t get therapy after that. When you’re 46 they don’t really want to do it.

Greece is the only place in Europe where you can do egg donation legally until you are 51. At the Embio clinic people speak brilliant English, both doctors and staff. The clinic is very nice, impressive, well organized. Everything was very neat and tidy.  Our first impression was “wow”.

The only painful thing about the embryo transfer was my bladder, which was full as I needed to go to the toilet. Otherwise, it was very quick.

We did all the tests in Greece at Embio, because to do them in Holland would have been very difficult in the sense that you have to explain why you need an egg donor. The doctors are not very happy about that. So I had to go to Embio three times. First for the blood tests and the scan, the 2nd time for the 2nd scan and we bought all the medicine in Athens as well, cause you need a prescription in Netherlands. And the third time for the sperm collection and the embryo transfer.

Jauke
Netherlands
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