New online prediction tool welcome but caution needed

We reveal Tasmania and Victoria’s most successful clinics for women in three different age brackets – from under 35 up to 42 years of age. SEE HOW EVERY CLINIC RATES >>

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A TASMANIAN in vitro fertilisation clinic has welcomed the launch of an online tool which allows would-be parents to predict their chance of having a baby but says it cannot replace specialist assessment.

Data on the YOURIVFSuccess website shows 29.3 per cent of complete egg retrieval cycles conducted at TasIVF in 2018 for women under 35 resulted in a pregnancy.

For women aged 35 to 42, the success rate dipped to 15.9 per cent.

Pregnancy rates for the same treatment at the State’s other service provider – Fertility Tasmania showed a 28.6% success rate for women under 35 and just 8.8% for women aged 35-42.

Tasmania’s two IVF clinics were well below the national rates of 44.7% for

Artwork for IVF clinics Qld

TasIVF Clinical Director Bill Watkins says while the YOURIVFSuccess website will help improve transparency, patients still needed specialist assessment to see if less invasive and cheaper treatments might be the answer to their fertility problems.

“About 400 couples and some single patients are referred to us each year and most won’t need IVF,” Dr Watkins said.

Last year, TasIVF recorded 225 pregnancies through IVF treatment.

Dr Watkins said using the online portal to rate the success of individual clinics was also problematic.

“Clinics have very different patients populations and varying treatment methods. The website data doesn’t capture that each fertility journey is unique,” he said.

For example, one patient might be 36-years-old, trying to conceive for two years, had a previous pregnancy and a high ovarian reserve. The second might be older with low ovarian reserve due to endometriosis.

“At TasIVF we take on all cases, regardless of their impact on our overall IVF pregnancy rates.” Dr Watkins said.

New Hobart mum Heather Baker said she did some research on the success rate of various clinics before she started her baby journey but agreed one-on-one assessment was needed.

“I knew there were factors involved other than my age,” she said. “Everyone is different.”

Ms Baker first tried intra-uterine insemination but after four failed attempts had IVF.

The second transfer was successful and she gave birth to a daughter Rose in October last year.

“It is an intense process and takes a lot out of you but it was all worth it,” she said.

The fresh pregnancy rate at TasIVF has almost doubled in the past 12 months, Dr Waikins said.

TasIVF redeveloped its laboratory and day hospital four years ago.

Embryos no longer need to be removed from the incubator to be observed and the operating theatre sits adjacent to the laboratory so eggs only have to travel a few steps from egg collection to incubator and back to the patient.