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Out of State & International Patients
We welcome a great deal of international patients, so if you are not local to Los Angeles and are considering Santa Monica Fertility, you can feel confident that we will address your specific needs and coordinate your treatment to keep travel to a minimum. Please see our Travel and Accommodations page for lists of airports, accommodations, car rental agencies, transportation services, and visitor information.
We have worked with a significant number of patients from other states, and around the globe, using phone consultations and working with local doctors. Should you decide to start treatment, you can schedule an appointment at a time when travel is convenient. Some initial lab work and/or cycle monitoring may be performed ahead of time at an office near your home. We work with fertility specialists and other physicians, across the country and worldwide, and are able to coordinate with them in order to insure that treatment proceeds smoothly. Because each patient is individually considered, details vary. The following may be used as a general guideline.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Following consultation over the phone or in our office, we will design a stimulation regimen. In most circumstances, the patient may start the program while out of town, with monitoring performed by a local physician. The results can be communicated to our office, and if any modifications need to be made, we will convey that information to the doctor. The patient should arrange to be in Los Angeles by cycle day 9, at which time, the treatment can be completed by Santa Monica Fertility Clinic. Typically, one week in Los Angeles is required.
Egg Donation
Following the initial consultation, the intended mother is scheduled for a practice cycle including a practice embryo transfer. All of the paperwork associated with the cycle is also completed at this time.
Egg donation requires synchronization of both the intended mother’s and the donor’s cycles. However, once the cycle begins, almost all of the intended mother’s management can be handled long-distance while the donor is monitored in our office. Sperm can be shipped frozen prior to the day of egg retrieval or the male partner can come for one day to give a fresh sperm specimen and later return with his partner for embryo transfer. However, most couples do choose to arrive together for the egg retrieval and stay through the embryo transfer.
Gestational Surrogacy
With gestational surrogacy, coordination becomes a bit more complicated, however, the medical process itself resembles that of egg donation. If the intended mother is providing the oocytes, a long-distance surrogate cycle will be similar to a long-distance IVF cycle. If an egg donor is involved, we coordinate as for long-distance egg donation as described above. We have a great deal of experience in the complexities of gestational surrogacy. If you would like to discuss the logistics with us, please contact our office.