Everyone knows that the outcome of an IVF cycle is uncertain, and that most cycles will end in failure, no matter how good the doctor or how reputed the clinic. And along with being a financial drain, a failed IVF cycle spells the dashing of the patient’s dreams . Most doctors charge for their professional services, and not for the outcome , which means patients need to pay in advance for their IVF treatment, whether the cycle works or not.

Most patients and doctors are quite comfortable with this approach – after all, this is the way most doctors charge in all specialties. Outcomes are always uncertain, so doctors cannot be held responsible for these , as long as they have provided quality medical care.

So why do we provide a guaranteed pregnancy option ? And how can we possibly provide a guarantee when the outcome is uncertain ? And why don’t other doctors do this ? Are we taking patients for a ride ? Can anyone offer guarantees in medicine ?

Let me explain. While it is true that the outcome of a single IVF cycle is always uncertain, it is also true that the chances of success go up as the patient repeats more cycle. The cumulative success rate gets better with each cycle, and often success is simply a question of the patient being patient and repeating cycles until they get a baby. This is true for many reasons, one of which being the fact that outcomes improve as we learn how the patient responds to the medications and how to tailor the treatment to her individual responses.

IVF patients need to reframe their perspective and realize that IVF success may involve doing more than one cycle. They need to make a commitment, but very few of them are counseled about this. Most doctors are quite happy to do IVF treatment on an ad hoc basis. They will often overpromise , because they are very keen to move on with the treatment. No one likes talking about failure – and if the cycle fails, many doctors will abandon the patient and move on to treating the next one. When the first IVF cycle fails, many patients feel they will never get pregnant and give up completely.

This is why we offer a guaranteed pregnancy option in our clinic. Very few clinics in the world do so. We do so because we have a high success rate; and we feel that this option helps to reduce both the financial risk and the emotional risk involved in IVF treatment.

This option offers patients a much more realistic perspective of IVF treatment – that their chances of having a baby with IVF in our clinic are excellent, provided they are willing to be patient ! Most importantly, it bolsters the patient's confidence . Even if the IVF cycle fails, they know they have another chance and this restores their belief in themselves – and their doctor !

Does this mean that all the patients who come to our clinic take a baby home with them ? Unfortunately, this is still not true. However, we give them their best shot at having a baby – and even if the cycles fail, they have peace of mind they gave the treatment their best shot – and did not spend any money in the bargain !

What about the patients who get pregnant in the first cycle ? Do they feel cheated because they end up overpaying for their treatment. No, because they are very happy they have the baby they so desperately wanted. I also feel this option provides a form of poetic justice, in which the patients who do get a baby end up subsidizing the treatment of those who don’t ( whose money gets refunded).