Surgical Sperm Retrieval Athens, Greece

I am 47 years and had always dreamed of having another baby. Right from the beginning the clinic was very helpful and provided me with detailed information on the IVF process. I was assigned a personal IVF coordinator (Anna Karamitrou) who was very helpful and was always there for me if I had any questions or doubts. Also at the clinic, there was professional support and it was clearly explained what the next steps would be, this was very comforting and reassuring. I was pregnant at the first attempt and am now the proud mother of a beautiful and healthy son. I would like to thank the entire staff and Anna in particular for her endless help and devotion. I would definitely recommend this professional clinic.

Having been stuck for months with a catheter as a result or BPH and moved from one NHS waiting list to another, I, out of curiosity, put a query into a website about getting the required procedure done abroad. I promptly received a reply from Nick Mertziotis to say that the operation the NHS and a private provider had said I needed was not recommended and he suggested a couple of others that were more appropriate and that he could do them for less than half the price private providers in the UK were looking for. He said I would be on the plane home two days after the operation. I looked him up and quickly realised he was a well-qualified, experienced and respected expert in his field. I asked a few further questions, all the time hoping an NHS appointment letter would arrive. He responded personally, promptly and helpfully to each of them. I checked out the various procedures available for my condition and became convinced that what he was suggesting was clinically optimal. He reassured me that he would do the surgery himself. Eventually, I decided to go for it. Surgery was booked for the following week and my wife and I booked flights and accommodation in Athens. We had a couple of days as tourists, then a thorough and efficient pre-op and the operation first thing the following morning. There was a full surgical team attached to me. After a few hours, I found myself back in the ward. By this stage, Mr Mertziotis had already called my wife and had arranged to meet with her to say the operation had gone well. For the following 24 hours I received very good nursing care in a small ward. Mr Mertziotis and his assistant doctor came in to see me the day of the operation and the following day and explained the procedure they had carried out, which, in the event, was a combination of two separate procedures, due to the nature of the obstruction. I was discharged after 24 hours and told to return the following day (a public holiday) to have the catheter removed. This happened, I was able to pee freely and after a final consultation with Mr Mertziotis, I was able to get on the plane home the following morning. Since getting the catheter removed, I have had no pain, including on the four-hour flight. I am home and feeling fine and am having to stop myself returning to normal activities too soon. Overall, while there were always ‘what if?’ worries about the enormity of the decision I had made, I felt throughout that I trusted Mr Mertziotis and his team and that trust has been entirely justified. I encountered the kind of medical intervention and care that I would like to think should be the norm but unfortunately wasn’t my experience in the NHS. While it is a big decision, for me it has been the right one and the experience was a very positive one. I would thoroughly recommend Mr Mertziotis and his team.

After many years of failed IVF treatments at other clinics, Dr. Athanasiou made this terrifying and difficult process so wonderful for us. From the first moment, we felt that we were dealing with real professionals. Dr. Vasilios Athanasiou made it clear from the beginning that he wants us to have a child from the first attempt. Our level of confidence was extremely low and it was difficult to believe that we could reach pregnancy from the 1st attempt. Dr. Athanasiou from the very first meeting told us that he could not do magic, but he can do science. We followed his instructions to the fullest, and he gave us confidence that we will soon have a child. The miracle happened... I got pregnant on the 1st attempt. Today our son is three months old, healthy and happy. We want to thank the entire staff of the IVF Athens Center. They are all extremely skilled, friendly, supportive, and professional.