What is IVF?

IVF stands for in-vit­ro fer­til­iza­tion and means that fer­til­iza­tion takes place out­side the body. Eggs and sperm meet in a cul­ture dish, where the sperm pen­e­trates the egg inde­pen­dent­ly. Over the fol­low­ing days, an embryo devel­ops, which is then placed into the uter­ine cav­i­ty.

What is ICSI?

In ICSI (intra­cy­to­plas­mic sperm injec­tion), a sin­gle select­ed sperm is inject­ed direct­ly into the egg using a fine micropipette. This method is used par­tic­u­lar­ly when sperm qual­i­ty is sig­nif­i­cant­ly lim­it­ed or if no or only a few eggs were fer­til­ized dur­ing a pre­vi­ous IVF attempt.

IVF and ICSI thus dif­fer in the type of fer­til­iza­tion in the lab­o­ra­to­ry. The hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion, egg retrieval, and fur­ther treat­ment are basi­cal­ly iden­ti­cal.

Dif­fer­ent forms of IVF treat­ment

Var­i­ous options for egg mat­u­ra­tion and hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion are avail­able for IVF or ICSI treat­ment. Which form is best suit­ed depends, among oth­er things, on age and ovar­i­an reserve, pre­vi­ous treat­ments, pos­si­ble con­traindi­ca­tions, and your per­son­al pref­er­ences.

  • IVF with hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion

    In mild IVF, egg mat­u­ra­tion is sup­port­ed with low-dose hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion. This gen­tler stim­u­la­tion approach can be par­tic­u­lar­ly use­ful if there is a low ovar­i­an reserve or if a low­er hor­mon­al bur­den is con­scious­ly desired. We tai­lor the treat­ment indi­vid­u­al­ly to the ovar­i­an sit­u­a­tion and per­son­al pref­er­ences.

  • Mild IVF

    In mild IVF, egg mat­u­ra­tion is sup­port­ed with low-dose hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion. This gen­tler stim­u­la­tion approach can be par­tic­u­lar­ly use­ful if there is a low ovar­i­an reserve or if a low­er hor­mon­al bur­den is con­scious­ly desired. We tai­lor the treat­ment indi­vid­u­al­ly to the ovar­i­an sit­u­a­tion and per­son­al pref­er­ences.

  • IVF Naturelle

    In IVF Naturelle, we use the nat­ur­al fol­li­cle and egg mat­u­ra­tion of your own cycle with­out hor­mon­al­ly stim­u­lat­ing the ovaries. Ovu­la­tion is trig­gered specif­i­cal­ly so that the egg retrieval can be opti­mal­ly planned. This par­tic­u­lar­ly low-hor­mone form of IVF can be a sen­si­ble alter­na­tive, for exam­ple, in the case of a low ovar­i­an reserve, cer­tain med­ical con­traindi­ca­tions to stim­u­la­tion, or at the patien­t’s request.

    More about IVF Naturelle

When IVF or ICSI is use­ful

  • If the fal­lop­i­an tubes are blocked or sig­nif­i­cant­ly impaired in their func­tion
  • In the case of lim­it­ed sperm qual­i­ty or a very low sperm count – ICSI can be par­tic­u­lar­ly use­ful here
  • In the case of endometrio­sis, if the dis­ease and the indi­vid­ual fer­til­i­ty sit­u­a­tion favor IVF treat­ment
  • In the case of age-relat­ed declin­ing fer­til­i­ty or lim­it­ed ovar­i­an reserve
  • If oth­er fer­til­i­ty treat­ments do not offer suf­fi­cient prospects of suc­cess or have already been unsuc­cess­ful
  • In the case of long-stand­ing unful­filled desire for chil­dren with­out a clear­ly iden­ti­fi­able cause

IVF and ICSI in dif­fer­ent life sit­u­a­tions

Logo Ikon Cou­ples with a desire for chil­dren

For cou­ples with lim­it­ed egg or sperm qual­i­ty, blocked fal­lop­i­an tubes, or after unsuc­cess­ful insem­i­na­tion attempts, IVF or ICSI can sig­nif­i­cant­ly increase the chances of preg­nan­cy.

More for cou­ples

Logo Ikon Les­bian cou­ples

In fer­til­i­ty treat­ment with donor sperm, IVF can be use­ful, for exam­ple, if insem­i­na­tion is not suit­able or has already been unsuc­cess­ful, or if oth­er med­ical fac­tors must be con­sid­ered.

More for les­bian cou­ples

Logo Ikon Sin­gle Women

When want­i­ng a child with donor sperm, we choose the treat­ment that fits your indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion. Depend­ing on age, ovar­i­an reserve, and oth­er require­ments, insem­i­na­tion or IVF may be appro­pri­ate. Espe­cial­ly with increas­ing age, IVF can offer high­er chances of suc­cess and save valu­able time.

More about sin­gle women

Logo Ikon Women over 40

With increas­ing age, time becomes an impor­tant fac­tor when want­i­ng a child. IVF can then be use­ful ear­li­er, as the chances of suc­cess are high­er than with insem­i­na­tion and sev­er­al eggs can be obtained and fer­til­ized in one treat­ment cycle.

More about women over 40

Couple in the waiting room of the fertility center. Ultrasound examination in fertility medicine at the private center Two doctors discuss therapy planning at the fertility center in Munich for individual fertility treatment.

Our spe­cial­ist assess­ment – The role of IVF in mod­ern fer­til­i­ty med­i­cine

Gold stan­dard

IVF and ICSI are among the estab­lished and most effec­tive pro­ce­dures in mod­ern fer­til­i­ty med­i­cine. How­ev­er, the key to suc­cess is not to treat as ear­ly or as inten­sive­ly as pos­si­ble, but to choose the treat­ment that fits the indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion.

For some patients, IVF is the med­ical­ly sen­si­ble path ear­ly on; for oth­ers, less inva­sive treat­ments may be suf­fi­cient at first. Age, ovar­i­an reserve, fal­lop­i­an tube func­tion, sperm qual­i­ty, and pre­vi­ous treat­ments play a role, as do per­son­al wish­es and pri­or­i­ties.

Togeth­er, we dis­cuss which treat­ment offers the best med­ical con­di­tions in your indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion and devel­op a treat­ment path that is pro­fes­sion­al­ly sound and right for you.

IVF lab­o­ra­to­ry & com­ple­men­tary pro­ce­dures

Depend­ing on the ini­tial sit­u­a­tion, IVF or ICSI treat­ment can be sup­ple­ment­ed and indi­vid­u­al­ly adapt­ed by var­i­ous pro­ce­dures in the IVF lab­o­ra­to­ry. Whether and which of these are use­ful depends on your find­ings and the course of treat­ment to date.

BLASTOCYST CULTURE

After IVF or ICSI, some of the fer­til­ized eggs can be fur­ther cul­ti­vat­ed in the lab­o­ra­to­ry until the fifth or sixth day of devel­op­ment. This allows the embry­on­ic devel­op­ment to be observed longer and the most suit­able embryo to be select­ed for trans­fer.

Cry­op­reser­va­tion / Vit­ri­fi­ca­tion

Eggs and embryos can be frozen using vit­ri­fi­ca­tion and stored for lat­er treat­ment. This allows fur­ther embryo trans­fers to take place with­out the need for renewed hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion and egg retrieval.

TESE – sur­gi­cal sperm retrieval

If no sperm can be detect­ed in the ejac­u­late, sperm can be sur­gi­cal­ly retrieved from the tes­tic­u­lar tis­sue in suit­able cas­es. The retrieved sperm can then be used for ICSI treat­ment and cry­op­re­served if nec­es­sary.

ZyMot – microflu­idic sperm selec­tion

In microflu­idic sperm selec­tion, motile sperm are select­ed par­tic­u­lar­ly gen­tly and with­out cen­trifu­ga­tion. The pro­ce­dure can be used as a sup­ple­ment, espe­cial­ly in the case of increased DNA frag­men­ta­tion or lim­it­ed sperm qual­i­ty.

PICSI – advanced sperm selec­tion

In PICSI, mature sperm that can bind to hyaluron­ic acid are select­ed for ICSI. The pro­ce­dure can be con­sid­ered as a sup­ple­men­tary method, espe­cial­ly in the case of abnor­mal sperm qual­i­ty, increased DNA frag­men­ta­tion, or after repeat­ed mis­car­riages.

Embryo­Glue

Embryo­Glue is a trans­fer medi­um con­tain­ing hyaluron­ic acid in which the embryo is pre­pared imme­di­ate­ly before the embryo trans­fer. There is evi­dence of improved preg­nan­cy and live birth rates for hyaluron­ic acid-enriched trans­fer media, espe­cial­ly in fresh trans­fers.

Cal­ci­um Ionophore / Oocyte Acti­va­tion

After ICSI, cal­ci­um ionophore can sup­port the acti­va­tion of the egg and thus pro­mote fer­til­iza­tion. The pro­ce­dure is par­tic­u­lar­ly suit­able after a pre­vi­ous fer­til­iza­tion fail­ure or a very low fer­til­iza­tion rate.

Pro­ce­dure of IVF treat­ment

From treat­ment plan­ning to embryo trans­fer, we accom­pa­ny you step by step through your IVF or ICSI treat­ment at the pri­vate cen­ter Die Kinder­wun­schärztin in Munich. We tai­lor the exact process indi­vid­u­al­ly to your sit­u­a­tion and the cho­sen treat­ment pro­to­col.

  1. Plan­ning & Prepa­ra­tion

    Before start­ing IVF or ICSI treat­ment, we dis­cuss the planned process with you in detail. We take your pre­vi­ous find­ings and treat­ments into account, per­form the nec­es­sary blood tests and an ultra­sound, and togeth­er deter­mine the indi­vid­ual stim­u­la­tion pro­to­col. We also dis­cuss the med­ica­tion, the sched­ule, and any open ques­tions.

    Make an appoint­ment

  2. Check before start­ing treat­ment

    Imme­di­ate­ly before stim­u­la­tion begins, we exam­ine the ovaries via ultra­sound and deter­mine the rel­e­vant hor­mone lev­els.

    We check whether the require­ments for start­ing treat­ment are met – in par­tic­u­lar, that there are no dis­rup­tive cysts and that the ini­tial sit­u­a­tion of the fol­li­cles is suit­able for the planned start of stim­u­la­tion.

  3. Hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion & checks (8–12 days)

    The indi­vid­u­al­ly tai­lored hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion then begins. The goal is to bring sev­er­al fol­li­cles to matu­ri­ty at the same time.

    With reg­u­lar ultra­sound and hor­mone checks, we track the devel­op­ment and can adjust the dosage if nec­es­sary. Addi­tion­al med­ica­tion pre­vents pre­ma­ture ovu­la­tion.

  4. Egg retrieval (punc­ture)

    As soon as the fol­li­cles are suf­fi­cient­ly devel­oped, the final egg mat­u­ra­tion is specif­i­cal­ly trig­gered. Egg retrieval takes place about 36 hours lat­er.

    The fol­li­cles are punc­tured with a fine nee­dle under vagi­nal ultra­sound con­trol and the flu­id they con­tain is aspi­rat­ed. The retrieved eggs are then pre­pared for fer­til­iza­tion in our IVF lab­o­ra­to­ry.

    The pro­ce­dure usu­al­ly takes only a few min­utes and is gen­er­al­ly per­formed under short anes­the­sia. After a short recov­ery time and a small break­fast, you can leave our cen­ter again.

  5. Fer­til­iza­tion & embry­on­ic devel­op­ment in the IVF lab­o­ra­to­ry

    After egg retrieval, the retrieved eggs are fer­til­ized in our IVF lab­o­ra­to­ry.

    In IVF, eggs and pre­pared sperm are brought togeth­er so that fer­til­iza­tion can occur inde­pen­dent­ly. In ICSI, a sin­gle select­ed sperm is inject­ed direct­ly into the egg.

    The fol­low­ing day, we see which eggs have been fer­til­ized. Our embry­ol­o­gists then observe the fur­ther devel­op­ment of the embryos in cul­ture. They are often cul­ti­vat­ed until the blas­to­cyst stage on the fifth or sixth day of devel­op­ment.

  6. Embryo trans­fer (day 3 or 5)

    The tim­ing of the embryo trans­fer depends on the indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion and embry­on­ic devel­op­ment.

    The trans­fer often takes place on the fifth day of devel­op­ment at the blas­to­cyst stage, as the devel­op­ment of the embryos can be assessed more pre­cise­ly at this point. In cer­tain sit­u­a­tions, an ear­li­er trans­fer may be use­ful.

    For the trans­fer, the select­ed embryo is insert­ed through the cervix into the uterus using a very fine catheter. The pro­ce­dure takes only a few min­utes, requires no anes­the­sia, and is usu­al­ly pain­less.

  7. Preg­nan­cy test (~14 days lat­er)

    About two weeks after the retrieval, a preg­nan­cy test is per­formed by deter­min­ing the preg­nan­cy hor­mone β‑hCG in the blood.

    If the result is pos­i­tive, we mon­i­tor the fur­ther progress and arrange the first ultra­sound exam­i­na­tion at the appro­pri­ate time.

    If preg­nan­cy has not occurred, we dis­cuss the result with you. Togeth­er, we look at the course of treat­ment to date and the embry­on­ic devel­op­ment and con­sid­er which next steps are sen­si­ble in your indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion.

Close-up of a flower vase in the bright practice atmosphere at the fertility center in Munich for a relaxed consultation.

Why IVF/ICSI with us in Munich?

Sched­ule a con­sul­ta­tion

  • Per­son­al and con­tin­u­ous sup­port

    A ded­i­cat­ed spe­cial­ist knows your his­to­ry and accom­pa­nies you con­tin­u­ous­ly through the treat­ment. This allows deci­sions to be made togeth­er and adjust­ed at short notice if nec­es­sary.

  • Indi­vid­ual Treat­ment Plan­ning

    Every IVF or ICSI treat­ment is indi­vid­u­al­ly tai­lored to your per­son­al sit­u­a­tion. From the choice of stim­u­la­tion pro­to­col to the indi­vid­ual treat­ment steps, we take your med­ical require­ments, pre­vi­ous expe­ri­ences, and per­son­al wish­es into account.

  • Mod­ern IVF clean­room lab­o­ra­to­ry

    Our state-of-the-art IVF lab­o­ra­to­ry offers con­trolled con­di­tions for fer­til­iza­tion, embryo cul­ture, and cry­op­reser­va­tion. Doc­tors and embry­ol­o­gy work close­ly togeth­er with short com­mu­ni­ca­tion chan­nels.

  • An expe­ri­enced, well-coor­di­nat­ed team

    The doc­tors, embry­ol­o­gists, anes­the­sia, and the fer­til­i­ty team work close­ly togeth­er and accom­pa­ny many IVF and ICSI treat­ments every day. This ensures that the indi­vid­ual steps from stim­u­la­tion and retrieval to embryo trans­fer mesh direct­ly with one anoth­er.

  • Flex­i­ble checks – to fit your every­day life

    Sev­er­al appoint­ments in a short time are nec­es­sary, espe­cial­ly dur­ing IVF treat­ment. That is why we offer checks ear­ly in the morn­ing, in the after­noon, and on select­ed days in the evening, and try to inte­grate the treat­ment into your every­day life as well as pos­si­ble.

  • Sim­ply orga­nized & easy to reach

    Appoint­ments can be eas­i­ly made online, and you receive impor­tant infor­ma­tion quick­ly and direct­ly. Dig­i­tal process­es and short com­mu­ni­ca­tion chan­nels facil­i­tate the orga­ni­za­tion of your treat­ment – espe­cial­ly dur­ing the more inten­sive phas­es of IVF or ICSI. 

 
  
 
 Trustindex 
 4.9 
  
 
 165 reviews

What Our Patients Say

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Sandra B 
 
101 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Had a very good experience, I felt very well taken care of, everyone very professional, standardized routines, can definitely recommend
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Lauren W 
 
137 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
We flew from overseas to work with Dr Mann and her team. Everyone was so kind, empathetic and extremely helpful. Everyone spoke English and made us feel very welcome. We could not have asked for better care than what we received from Dr Mann and her team. Bonus, the offices are beautiful.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Andrea C 
 
181 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
After visiting two other fertility clinics (one of which I left in tears), I had almost lost hope of finding a place where I would truly feel heard. Then I met Dr. Sarah Comploj, and everything changed.

From the very first consultation, I felt genuinely listened to and treated as an individual. Unlike my previous experiences, where I was quickly told I needed IVF without anyone really taking the time to understand my situation or carefully review my test results, here I felt that my case truly mattered. Every step was explained thoughtfully, and my concerns were taken seriously.

What stood out the most was that I never felt like just another patient or that the focus was on money. Instead, I felt that the entire team was committed to helping me achieve my dream in the most appropriate and personal way possible.

Today, I am holding my one-month-old baby in my arms, and I will forever be grateful for the care, compassion, and expertise I received here. I can only highly recommend this clinic and Dr. Comploj 🩷
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Viktoria O 
 
319 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Every appointment I’ve had over the last few months has been consistently informative, professional, and conducted in a personal manner. The treatment plan was explained in detail and any concerns or questions always answered. She also speaks perfect English if required. I’m impressed with how well organised the clinic is and how quickly results are processed, and last-minute appointments made available. For anyone who is going through the struggle of infertility it’s a difficult and vulnerable time, but I always felt so reassured and in good hands with Dr Mann.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Local R 
 
327 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Gerber for the exceptional support and warmth during a very sensitive journey. I always felt respected and in good hands. Truly grateful.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 V D 
 
448 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I'm very grateful for my experience, the staff from reception to the doctors were very kind. You can feel  accompanied during the treatment. Also, overall I had a successful treatment, especially considering my age, it's a costly treatment but it's worth it. So I'm very happy for the result, my doctor was Sara Comploj.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Marina 
 
485 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I had a wonderful experience with the Kinderwunsch practice, and especially with dr. Corina Mann. From the very beginning, dr Mann was attentive, knowledgeable, and truly invested in helping me achieve the best possible outcome. She took the time to understand my goals and tailored my treatment plan to make sure I had the best chance of success.

Thanks to her care and expertise, I was able to maximise my results and reach my goals. I always felt supported, informed, and in the best hands. Dr Mann always answered my countless questions with a smile :) I’m incredibly grateful for her dedication and would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone starting their fertility journey.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Carmencita 
 
487 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I just want to say a big thank you to the whole team of Dr. Mann and Dr. Albrecht. I felt really taking care off  in this Praxis and really can recommend everyone to go to this clinic, as here you can get at least the most possible personalization and time dedicated to you! Thanks again for your support!
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Maria K 
 
583 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Since my doctor was busy and couldn't do the procedure herself, I had an appointment with Sarah to have my fallopian tubes checked. I was very nervous before the procedure, but it turned out to be for nothing! Sarah described and explained every step of the procedure and was extremely friendly.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Jay B 
 
1145 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Our multiple years-long Kinderwunsch journey was spent under the care of Dr. Mann and her Kinderwunsch practice team. Dr. Mann is not only a highly competent expert in her field, she's also empathetic and kind. She treated each appointment with a sense of being genuinely invested — listening to concerns or questions, planning for my unique treatment needs, and explaining processes or procedures without rushing (because she knows it's likely your first time going through something ... even though it might be her 40000th time). Her practice is busy and it's because she's the best. The practice team is cheerful and helpful. The waiting area is comfortable with pleasant music, flowers, and they even laid out gingerbread during Christmas time. They have a lab on-site so results are often same-day. I particularly found the technology they use to share results via email quickly so helpful. And I always felt at ease speaking in my native language and not pressured to try to keep up with unfamiliar German terminology. I'm forever grateful to have found Dr. Mann. We plan to visit soon with our new plus-one :)

- RB & JB
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Aparna P 
 
1645 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Dr.Albrecht is really good and friendly. She is best at her own way. But reception staff is very very very worst and disappointing. They themselves book an appointment and say it’s not booked. Luckily in Doctorlib my appointment was visible. Staff is very very rude. And they respond very rudely. I can give 0 rating for Staff at reception.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Cindy L 
 
1666 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Dr. Mann. Her positive energy and competence was so reassuring and much appreciated during the potentially stressful time of trying to have a baby. I really loved how we could communicate in either English or German over complicated and sensitive reproductive matters. She took the time to answer all of our questions and offered us a wealth of information regarding the treatments. And her staff brought the same good vibes and Expertise to the practice. Some of the best and painless blood draws I’ve ever had, and they were always very responsive through emails as well as telephone communication. Online appointment system was also great. Video consults super convenient. The setting of the practice itself is an oasis of peace and calmness. As soon as I stepped through the doors I felt relaxed with the music, green plant wall, and well designed and decorated space. Technology and quality of equipment is very good. Yes, sometimes the waiting time had been 30+ minutes, but because the patient care is so excellent, I’ll be back for future treatments as needed, and would highly recommend this practice and team to anyone.
  
 
 
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 
 Raluca O 
 
1850 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I have only the best words to describe my experience at the clinic. I personally worked with Dr. Albrecht and she was amazing. Every appointment was done on time, informative and clear on what the next steps are. She offered details and support with my every question. Where I wasn’t sure of my German we swapped to English to make sure I understood everything.

The clinic is run in a very efficient way, organized, planned and as a process oriented person I loved it!
Logo Ikon

Costs of IVF or ICSI treat­ment

Below you will find typ­i­cal guide val­ues for IVF and ICSI treat­ments. The actu­al costs depend on your indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion, the cho­sen treat­ment pro­ce­dure, and pos­si­ble addi­tion­al ser­vices.

To the cost overview
IVF costs — approx. €3,200–3,600

The costs of IVF treat­ment include med­ical care, egg retrieval, fer­til­iza­tion in the lab­o­ra­to­ry, and embryo trans­fer. Fur­ther costs are incurred for the required med­ica­tion and anes­the­sia. Depend­ing on the indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion, addi­tion­al ser­vices such as cry­op­reser­va­tion may be added.

Make an appoint­ment
ICSI costs — approx. €6,200–6,900

The treat­ment process is iden­ti­cal to IVF treat­ment. In the lab­o­ra­to­ry, how­ev­er, dur­ing intra­cy­to­plas­mic sperm injec­tion (ICSI), a sin­gle sperm is select­ed under the micro­scope and inject­ed direct­ly into the egg – espe­cial­ly in the case of lim­it­ed sperm qual­i­ty or unsuc­cess­ful IVF.

Make an appoint­ment
Oth­er cost com­po­nents

In addi­tion to the treat­ment costs men­tioned, the fol­low­ing costs are usu­al­ly added. The amount depends, among oth­er things, on the cho­sen treat­ment pro­to­col and the indi­vid­ual sit­u­a­tion.

  • Med­ica­tion for hor­mon­al stim­u­la­tion (approx. €400–1,500 depend­ing on stim­u­la­tion and ovar­i­an reserve)
  • Anes­the­sia dur­ing fol­li­cle punc­ture for pain­less egg retrieval (approx. €370)
  • Statu­to­ry infec­tion tests before treat­ment (approx. €90)
Notes on Billing

No fixed or flat-rate prices: We bill on the basis of the offi­cial scale of fees for doc­tors (GOÄ). Accord­ing to the GOÄ, we are not allowed to quote fixed or flat-rate prices for med­ical ser­vices. The prices men­tioned are intend­ed to pro­vide ori­en­ta­tion and are typ­i­cal for the treat­ments men­tioned.

Pos­si­ble VAT lia­bil­i­ty: Med­ical ser­vices may be sub­ject to VAT (cur­rent­ly 19%). This applies if, after diag­nos­tics have been car­ried out, no med­ical indi­ca­tion or con­firmed diag­no­sis is present and it is there­fore not a med­ical treat­ment in the strict sense. This can be the case in par­tic­u­lar with social freez­ing treat­ments, but also with the treat­ment of sin­gle moms and same-sex cou­ples.

Note on Cost Cov­er­age

We would be hap­py to pro­vide you with detailed cost infor­ma­tion for the planned treat­ment in advance. This allows you to clar­i­fy cost cov­er­age with your pri­vate health insur­ance (PKV) as best as pos­si­ble before­hand. Statu­to­ry health insur­ance (GKV) does not cov­er costs at our cen­ter.

Fre­quent­ly asked ques­tions about IVF / ICSI

IVF or ICSI treat­ment often rais­es many ques­tions. Here you will find answers to top­ics that par­tic­u­lar­ly con­cern patients.

What is the dif­fer­ence between IVF and ICSI?

Both pro­ce­dures are part of arti­fi­cial insem­i­na­tion. ICSI is a spe­cial fer­til­iza­tion method with­in the frame­work of IVF treat­ment. In IVF (in-vit­ro fer­til­iza­tion), eggs and sperm are brought togeth­er in the lab­o­ra­to­ry so that fer­til­iza­tion can occur inde­pen­dent­ly. In ICSI (intra­cy­to­plas­mic sperm injec­tion), on the oth­er hand, a sin­gle sperm is inject­ed direct­ly into the egg. ICSI is used par­tic­u­lar­ly in the case of sig­nif­i­cant­ly lim­it­ed sperm qual­i­ty or if no or only a few eggs were fer­til­ized dur­ing a pre­vi­ous IVF.

What is bet­ter – IVF or ICSI?

Nei­ther IVF nor ICSI is fun­da­men­tal­ly bet­ter. Which method is rec­om­mend­ed depends on the cause of the unful­filled desire for chil­dren. In the case of lim­it­ed sperm qual­i­ty, ICSI can improve the chances of fer­til­iza­tion. If there is no male fer­til­i­ty dis­or­der, IVF and ICSI achieve com­pa­ra­ble preg­nan­cy and birth rates in many cas­es. We will dis­cuss which treat­ment is right for you indi­vid­u­al­ly based on your find­ings and his­to­ry.

Is ICSI more suc­cess­ful than IVF for women over 40?

Not fun­da­men­tal­ly. Even for women over 40, ICSI offers no proven advan­tage over IVF based on age alone. The deci­sive fac­tors are, in par­tic­u­lar, sperm qual­i­ty and the fer­til­iza­tion results of pre­vi­ous treat­ments. ICSI can­not com­pen­sate for age-relat­ed changes in egg qual­i­ty. We will dis­cuss which method is suit­able for you based on your per­son­al find­ings and sit­u­a­tion.

How long does an IVF or ICSI treat­ment take in total?

From the start of hor­mone stim­u­la­tion at the begin­ning of the cycle to the preg­nan­cy test, treat­ment with a fresh embryo trans­fer usu­al­ly takes about three to four weeks. The stim­u­la­tion phase usu­al­ly lasts eight to twelve days and is accom­pa­nied by ultra­sound and hor­mone checks. This is fol­lowed by egg retrieval and, usu­al­ly three to five days lat­er, the embryo trans­fer. In the case of pre-treat­ment or a lat­er cry­otrans­fer, the time­line is extend­ed.

Is IVF or ICSI treat­ment painful?

The injec­tions can be briefly uncom­fort­able but are usu­al­ly well tol­er­at­ed. Egg retrieval is usu­al­ly per­formed under short anes­the­sia or seda­tion, so that no pain occurs dur­ing the pro­ce­dure. After egg retrieval, tem­po­rary low­er abdom­i­nal dis­com­fort may occur. If you expe­ri­ence severe or increas­ing symp­toms, you should con­tact us. The embryo trans­fer is nor­mal­ly pain­less.

How many IVF or ICSI attempts are often nec­es­sary?

This varies great­ly from per­son to per­son. Some cou­ples achieve preg­nan­cy in the first treat­ment cycle, while oth­ers require sev­er­al attempts. The prospects of suc­cess depend, among oth­er things, on the wom­an’s age, the cause of the unful­filled desire for chil­dren, pre-exist­ing con­di­tions, and oth­er fac­tors. Not every fur­ther attempt requires a new egg retrieval: if suit­able fer­til­ized eggs or embryos are frozen, these can be used for a lat­er cry­otrans­fer.

What hap­pens to fer­til­ized oocytes that are not used?

Suit­able fer­til­ized eggs or embryos that are not trans­ferred can be cry­op­re­served (frozen) with your con­sent and stored for a lat­er treat­ment cycle. This allows fur­ther treat­ment attempts to be car­ried out with­out hav­ing to go through the entire IVF or ICSI treat­ment again.

Do I need to take it easy after the embryo trans­fer?

Bed rest is not required after embryo trans­fer and does not improve the chances of suc­cess. Nor­mal every­day activ­i­ties and, for exam­ple, walks are usu­al­ly pos­si­ble. Whether and when light sport is pos­si­ble depends, among oth­er things, on how you feel and the reac­tion of your ovaries to the stim­u­la­tion. We will dis­cuss with you indi­vid­u­al­ly which phys­i­cal activ­i­ties are pos­si­ble and sen­si­ble dur­ing your treat­ment.

When can I take a preg­nan­cy test after the embryo trans­fer?

We check whether preg­nan­cy has occurred with a blood test for the preg­nan­cy hor­mone hCG. In the case of a fresh trans­fer, this usu­al­ly takes place about 14 days after the egg retrieval – depend­ing on the trans­fer day, about nine to eleven days after the embryo trans­fer. We will inform you of the exact date. Test­ing at home too ear­ly can be mis­lead­ing, for exam­ple due to still detectable hCG from the trig­ger shot.

Does the health insur­ance com­pa­ny cov­er the costs of IVF or ICSI treat­ment?

Cost cov­er­age depends on your insur­ance, the agreed tar­iff, and the med­ical require­ments. Pri­vate health insur­ance com­pa­nies often cov­er the costs in full or in part if the insured per­son has an organ­i­cal­ly caused fer­til­i­ty dis­or­der and the treat­ment is med­ical­ly nec­es­sary. This also applies to unmar­ried cou­ples. There is no uni­form lim­it on treat­ment attempts in pri­vate health insur­ance; pos­si­ble restric­tions depend on the tar­iff.

Statu­to­ry health insur­ance funds gen­er­al­ly con­tribute 50% to the approved treat­ment costs under cer­tain con­di­tions, some­times with addi­tion­al ben­e­fits. As a pri­vate cen­ter, we can­not bill statu­to­ry health insur­ance funds direct­ly. We are hap­py to sup­port you with a cost plan and the nec­es­sary med­ical doc­u­ments to clar­i­fy pos­si­ble reim­burse­ment.

What are the risks of IVF or ICSI treat­ment?

Pos­si­ble risks of IVF include, above all, ovar­i­an hyper­stim­u­la­tion syn­drome (OHSS), as well as rare com­pli­ca­tions dur­ing egg retrieval, such as bleed­ing or infec­tion. If sev­er­al embryos are trans­ferred, the risk of a mul­ti­ple preg­nan­cy increas­es. Seri­ous com­pli­ca­tions are rare.

The risk of hyper­stim­u­la­tion can be sig­nif­i­cant­ly reduced through indi­vid­u­al­ly tai­lored hor­mone treat­ment. Close mon­i­tor­ing helps to react ear­ly. In the case of severe or increas­ing abdom­i­nal pain, per­sis­tent vom­it­ing, or short­ness of breath, imme­di­ate med­ical clar­i­fi­ca­tion is impor­tant. The trans­fer of a sin­gle embryo sig­nif­i­cant­ly reduces the risk of mul­ti­ples. We will dis­cuss in detail before treat­ment which risks are per­son­al­ly rel­e­vant to you and how we pre­vent them.

What is Ovar­i­an Hyper­stim­u­la­tion Syn­drome (OHSS)?

Ovar­i­an hyper­stim­u­la­tion syn­drome (OHSS) can occur when the ovaries react par­tic­u­lar­ly strong­ly to the hor­mone treat­ment. They enlarge, and flu­id can accu­mu­late in the abdom­i­nal cav­i­ty. Pos­si­ble symp­toms include a pro­nounced feel­ing of ten­sion in the abdomen, abdom­i­nal pain, and nau­sea. Severe cas­es are rare nowa­days.

The risk can be sig­nif­i­cant­ly reduced through indi­vid­u­al­ly dosed med­ica­tion, mod­ern treat­ment pro­to­cols, and close mon­i­tor­ing. If there is an increased risk, the embryos can first be frozen and only trans­ferred in a lat­er cycle, so that it now occurs only very rarely.

Does IVF increase the risk of mul­ti­ple preg­nan­cies?

The risk of mul­ti­ples depends pri­mar­i­ly on how many embryos are trans­ferred. When a sin­gle embryo is trans­ferred – Sin­gle Embryo Trans­fer – the risk is very low, com­pa­ra­ble to a nat­ur­al preg­nan­cy. Rarely, iden­ti­cal twins can still occur if the embryo divides.

How can I improve the suc­cess of IVF or ICSI?

In addi­tion to med­ical treat­ment, lifestyle fac­tors can also play an impor­tant role. With a bal­anced, high-fiber diet, reg­u­lar exer­cise, and avoid­ing nico­tine and alco­hol, you cre­ate good health con­di­tions for fer­til­i­ty treat­ment and a lat­er preg­nan­cy. A healthy lifestyle is also impor­tant for the part­ner – espe­cial­ly quit­ting smok­ing, as smok­ing can impair sperm qual­i­ty.

You should already be tak­ing folic acid when want­i­ng a child to sup­port the ear­ly devel­op­ment of the child and pre­vent cer­tain mal­for­ma­tions. We will dis­cuss with you indi­vid­u­al­ly whether and which oth­er vit­a­mins or dietary sup­ple­ments are use­ful. Spe­cial “fer­til­i­ty diets” or prepa­ra­tions are not a pre­req­ui­site for suc­cess­ful treat­ment.

Suf­fi­cient sleep and a con­scious approach to stress can also help to sup­port the treat­ment phys­i­cal­ly and emo­tion­al­ly. We would be hap­py to advise you indi­vid­u­al­ly on sup­port­ive mea­sures.

Can I work dur­ing IVF or ICSI treat­ment?

Treat­ment can often be rec­on­ciled with every­day pro­fes­sion­al life. Dur­ing stim­u­la­tion, you should plan time for reg­u­lar check-up appoint­ments. You will need a break for the day of the egg retrieval and the sub­se­quent recov­ery. After seda­tion or anes­the­sia, you must not dri­ve a car your­self for at least 24 hours. Whether fur­ther time off is sen­si­ble depends on how you feel and your pro­fes­sion­al activ­i­ty.

Logo Footer

Herzogspitalstraße 5
80331 Munich
Germany

T: +49 89 123 595 65
F: +49 89 123 595 56
hallo@kinderwunschaerztin.de

Opening hours:
Mon: 7:00 AM–12:00 PM / 1:00–5:00 PM
Tue: 7:00 AM–8:00 PM
Wed: 7:00 AM–12:00 PM / 1:30–5:00 PM
Thu: 7:00 AM–4:30 PM
Fri: 7:00 AM–2:00 PM

@kinderwunschaerztin

Private medical center for privately insured and self-pay patients..

Life Situation
Our Services
Get to know us
Your journey is unique. So is our care.

© 2026 Die Kinderwunschärztin. All rights reserved.