How are success rates determined and what role should they play in my evaluation of a fertility specialist?
There are several ways to calculate a fertility clinic’s rate of success. One of the most common is to count the number of clinical pregnancies per IVF cycle performed. Statistics calculated in this manner tend to show very high success rates. However, since the ultimate goal of infertility treatment is not merely pregnancy, but the birth of a healthy baby, it is more accurate to count the number of live births per IVF cycle performed. These rates are generally lower, because pregnancies that end in miscarriage are removed from the equation. However, they provide a more accurate representation of a clinic’s level of success. The statistics of any given fertility clinic are also affected by the clinic’s policies regarding patient selection. For example, a clinic that is very selective and only treats patients of a certain age range or those with a relatively good prognosis will have very high rates of success compared to a clinic that is willing to accept those with more complex or seri
