Whychoose the IVF Centers Prof. Zech when seeking IVF treatment

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Since their founding by Prof. Dr. Herbert Zech in 1984 in Bregenz, the IVF centers of the same name are characterized by their dedication to the highest standards in terms of tried-and-tested quality, innovative technologies and passionate commitment.

With their extensive expertise resulting from three decades of successful fertility treatment, the IVF Centers Prof. Zech are today among the world’s leading specialists in the field of reproductive medicine.

“Our aim is to help couples realize their dream of having a healthy child – and this if possible as early as the first treatment cycle.”

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10 questions you should ask your fertility center:

1 How experienced are the doctors, biologists and assistants on the team?

The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) requires a high level of skill, accuracy and, most of all, a lot of experience.

2How many persons are part of the team?

Larger teams can be a contributing factor in terms of increased scope for patient care, thus enhancing the patient’s chances of conceiving and giving birth to a child by pooling the competences of all employees.

3Are the employees given specific training?

This may be done, for instance, by clearly struc-tured internal and external training programs accompanied by measures designed to promote cooperation and social competence.

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10 questions you should ask your fertility center:

4Is the staff available to you seven days a week?

In order to meet your particular needs resulting from a customized stimulation plan (ovarian stimulation), it should also be possible to per-form egg retrieval (follicular puncture) as well as embryo transfer at weekends and on public holidays.

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5Has the center implemented a professional quality management system?

- in-house QM-team- consistent implementation- valid certifications (e.g. ISO)- documentation software

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6Does the center use the following “formula” as a basis for their treatment?

optimum oocytes + optimum sperm = optimum embryosDuring the entire treatment procedure, all necessary steps are taken to ensure the best possible prospects for a successful pregnancy.

Does the center use state-of-the-art freezing techniques in IVF treatment?

This means providing the necessary requirements for the safe freezing and efficient preservation of embryos at all development stages as well as of unfer-tilized ova and sperm, using for instance the aseptic vitrification technique.

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Does the center perform “Elective Single Embryo Transfers“?

In order to prevent the risks involved with multiple pregnancies, the team‘s focus should always be on maternal and child health.

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How committed is the center when it comes to scientific research and further developments?

The interplay between science and practical implementation, as well as the associated experience and the use of cutting-edge technologies and treatment methods may enhance the chances for a successful outcome in infertile couples.

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Is the “PRESENCE OF FETAL HEART BEAT“ or already a “POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST“ the indicator for a successful treatment?

The goal should be to achieve a pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child – and this if possible as early as the first treatment cycle.

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Patient well-beingBeing a family-run business, we at the IVF Centers Prof. Zech are committed to enabling the development of new life. It is therefore of particular importance to us that we are able to offer our patients individual support in a relaxed environ-ment.

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Longstanding experience Many years of experience in blastocyst culture and blastocyst selection, IMSI, cryopreservation techniques, vitrification, egg donation, social egg freezing, genetics, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis etc. are characteristic of our team.

4Health of all parties concernedIn addition to complying with the legal provisions as well as observing ethical and medical principles, we always focus on the patient well-being and the safety and health of all persons involved.

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Perfectly trained teamWe want to optimally support you on your way towards your long-awaited child by pooling knowledge and competence of more than 140 highly qualified employees.

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10 criteria that are the hallmark of leading fertility centers:

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Advice and treatment “under one roof“We attach much importance to perfectly mastering all state-of-the-art efficient medical therapies and being able to offer them to you “under one roof”. The advantages for you: avoidance of unnecessary delays owing to the need of referrals, no additional costs, no long waiting times.

6Latest generation technologyIn order to help you realize your heartfelt desire for parenthood, we focus on innovative technologies and state-of-the-art devices for use in fertility treatment:

• IMSI: “Intra-cytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection“ using a high-resolution microscope at 6000-12.000x magnification

• Aseptic vitrification: closed, germ-free system to safely freeze and store sperm cells, oocytes and embryos (high success rate in cryo-cycles and fertility preservation/”social freezing“)

• Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy screening and the diagnosis of monogenetic diseases

• 3D ultrasound/Sono-AVC: precise monitoring of follicle growth in order to determine the optimum time for oocyte pick-up

• Diagnostic and therapeutic hysteroscopy: Imaging the uterus via endoscopy (which enables to identify and treat, for instance, myoma, polyps, endometrial cancer)

• Software solution especially designed to meet the requirements of fertility clinics (e.g. “DynaMed“)

• and many more…

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10 criteria that are the hallmark of leading fertility centers:

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Patient informationFrom the first minute you spend with us, we will do our very best to ensure your well-being. The first consultation with the doctor treating you will focus on “results-oriented advice”. This includes comprehen-sive information and references to potential risks and complications, legal provisions and many more. Examinations (e.g. ultra-sound scans, hormonal analyses, taking of blood samples), therapy costs as well as the duration of treatment will also be carefully explained to you.

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Tried-and-tested qualityAll our centers are subject to a central quality management. The IVF Centers Prof. Zech were the first fertility clinics worldwide to be awarded ISO 9001 certification. This certification officially confirms the appli-cation and advancement of an effective quality management system.

8Science and research achieve-ments recognized around the worldWhether presented at international con-gresses or published in leading specialist magazines, our scientific achievements enjoy a worldwide reputation.

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TransparencyIn order to ensure that the individual areas in reproductive medicine are clearly comprehensible and easy to follow for all parties involved or anyone else interested in the subject, we aim at working with maxi-mum transparency. This also involves crea-ting a scientifically sound basis in order to draw up an objective map of the situation with respect to medical results, prognoses and outcome (e.g. pregnancy rates). Infer-tile couples who want to get thoroughly informed prior to undergoing fertility treatment should be provided with success rate statistics where a careful distinction is made between positive pregnancy test, clinical pregnancy, fetal cardiac activity and live births (BTHR).

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Tried-and-tested qualityAlle unsere Zentren unterliegen einem zentralen Qualitätsmanagement. Die IVF Zentren Prof. Zech waren weltweit die ersten ISO-zertifizierten Kinderwunsch-Kli-niken. Dieses Zertifikat bestätigt offiziell die Anwendung und Weiterentwicklung eines wirksamen Qualitätsmanagements.

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Safely accompanied along the way towards parenthood.

In a nutshell:

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Prof. Dr. Herbert Zech and his wife Annerose Zech: “When we started out more than 30 years ago, there was no possibility of controlling ovulation by drug treatment in such a way that egg retrieval could be performed at a specific point in time. We had to make do with the “natural” onset of ovulation.

Therefore, it could happen that we had to perform egg retrieval in the middle of the night, for example, at 5 ò clock in the morning and create the optimum conditions to achieve a pregnancy. Thus we helped the first couples in Austria (1983 in Tyrol and 1985 in Vorarlberg) to have a baby through IVF, which back then was a sensation.

When we first started out, it was just me and my wife Annerose together with only one assistant. Today, the whole family and more than 140 employees in seven locations throughout Europe share our passion and our high demands regarding quality of treatment as well as technology and research.”

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This is the guiding principle of the IVF Centers Prof. Zech, by which we mean our determination to assume a leading role in terms of IVF treatment, treatment of fertility disorders and precautionary measures to preserve fertility.

Many couples who seek fertility treat-ment and come to our IVF centers for the first time have long been trying to achieve a successful pregnancy. We have specialized particularly in helping those couples whose situation requires sophisticated treatment concepts. Our experience gained over three decades in reproductive medicine enables us also to fulfill their heartfelt desire with a very high probability of success.

Committed to excellence.

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A professional clinic business paves the way for successful fertility treatment. All disciplines are equally challenged – starting with the physicians and biologists on to the care provided by the assistants up to the quality management, administration and IT.

In all disciplines

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The competence of our employeesis crucial for our success

more than 20% of our employees are physicians specialized in the field of“Reproductive Medici-ne” and “Genetics“

more than 40% of our employees are either bio-logists or techno-scientific staff

Medical assistants, secretaries, hygiene, IT, administration etc.

All doctors, biologists and assistants of the Zech Group are trained on a centralized basis according to the latest insights and developments in the field of reproductive medicine in order to be able to perfectly master the techniques that are used in our institutes.

The quality of our treatment does not refer to one competent person, but is characterized by the expertise and commitment of an entire team of highly quali-fied employees. This team will fully support you seven days a week.

Daily telephone conferences across all our locations are held by our doctors and biologists to discuss your results in detail and, where appropriate, determine further therapy options based on the current treatment status.

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Science and Research

Presentation of own research results in internationally leading magazines in the field of reproductive medicine (e.g. “Human Reproduction”, “Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics“ etc.), lectures at international congres-

ses, being a renowned training center, university teaching, research projects and cooperation with partner institutes and many more.

UNSER WISSENSCHAFTLICHES

ENGAGEMENT IST WELTWEIT BEKANNT

UND GESCHÄTZT

Prof. Dr. Herbert Zech, 2014: “It is only by regularly analyzing and assessing your own activities, compiling statistics on your results and by working according to internationally recognized criteria, which includes presenting the criteria to a jury of specialists via publi-cations in top international journals that you may know where you are and which are your actual results. Without research activity, you are able to offer medical activities in the classical sense, which is certainly very important. Yet if you want to be among the top players in terms of further developments, you must compare yourself with other international institutes.”

Fig. 1: It is only through the vitrification procedure that for several years now, it has been possible to safely cryopreserve oocytes - even over long periods of time. The performances of our research teams play a critical role in enabling decisive further developments, inter alia in this field, too.

Further information on the subject of vitrification can be found at http://www.fertility-treatment-blog.com/vitrification

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“At the IVF Centers Prof. Zech in Salzburg we bring in our whole expe-rience, empathy and passion when it comes to realizing your desire to have children. To this end, we are there for you – almost around the clock. However, this can only be guaranteed by the full support of our highly qualified and committed employees. Since the foundation of our Salzburg-based center, the trust in our work has already helped many couples to make their dream of having children of their own come true.“ (Prof. Dr. Dietmar Spitzer and Dr. Luci Wohlfart)

Highest standards at all locations

Fig. 2: City of Salzburg – this is where “child prodigies“ and “IVF children“ play a key role.

(Birthplace of W. A. Mozart)

Fig.2: Prof. Dr. Dietmar Spitzer and Dr. Luci Wohlfart, Medical Director, IVF Centers Prof. Zech - Salzburg.

Due to his longstanding research achievements, both inside and outside the Zech Group, a special honor was bestowed on Dr. Dietmar Spitzer in 2014. Being an outstanding representative in his field as well as a committed lecturer at Austrian universities, Dr. Dietmar Spitzer was awarded the title ‘University Professor’ by the Federal President of the Republic of Austria.

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Certified quality Success prognosesAll IVF Centers Prof. Zech are subject to a central quality management. The QM team is consistently working to guarantee the highest quality standards possible in terms of treatment, but also as regards technology, research and science – since 1997.

Back then, the IVF Centers Prof. Zech were the first IVF clinic to be awarded ISO-9001 certification (which confirms the application and further development of an efficient quality management sys-tem), which today has been successfully implemented at all locations.

Our activities are greatly appreciated by many of our peers. We are regarded as a reference center and offer training programs for physicians and medical pro-fessionals from all over the world. Some of our former employees have founded their own IVF centers, thus sharing our philosophy and our know-how.

Infertile couples are often subjected to increased physical and psychological strain. This makes it all the more important for them to learn about their individual chances of a successful pregnancy, which in turn requires the most accurate and sound forecasts by the treating team.

Fig. 4: Development

of the embryo up to day 5 (blastocyst) Fig. 4

TransparencyStandards• Consistent measures for quality assu-

rance, tested and accessible (e.g. ISO certification)

• Publication of differentiated success rates:

clinical pregnancy rate presence of fetal heart beat rate of live births

• Use of cutting-edge technologies and treatment methods whose efficiency have been scientifically proven

• International cooperation in research projects

• Publications in globally leading specialist magazines

All “under one roof”• 1 contact person

• first-hand information

• no long distances to travel (no necessity for further referral to other doctors/specialists)

• all treatment-related data at a glance

• cost transparency

• no hidden extra costs

• short waiting time

The desire for reliable success prognoses is key to our on-going research. The result: An innovative standard, the so-called EGP – Expected Gametes Performance (developmental potential that may be expected in female and male gametes).

As to the treatment procedure, by using the EGP standard we focus on the deve-loping blastocysts and, by doing so, we do not only want lab parameters, ultra-sound scans and the number of retrieved oocytes to be taken into account, but also the stimulation protocol, the IMSI results, the embryo culture technique, the freezing technique etc. These para-meters are combined in the EGP in order to enable us to make a more accurate prognostic assessment of the couple’s chances.

www.egpcg.com

increased chances of getting pregnant

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301984Foundation“IVF Center Prof. Zech“ in Bregenz (AT)

1988“IVF Centers Prof. Zech“first Austrian private clinicfor reproductive medicine

1993First successful ICSI in Austria (first ICSI worldwide in 1992)

1996First international

systematically performed blastocyst culture

1996First vitrification

(innovative freezing technique) in Austria

1985First babies born after IVF treatment by Prof. Zech in Austria, the former Soviet Union and Hungary

1978The world’s first success-ful birth of a “test tube baby“

Years Prof. Dr. Herbert Zech, 2014: “30 years ago, when I helped the first couples to have a baby through IVF treatment, it was clear to me from the start that I wanted to provide involuntarily childless couples with an easy access to treatment and optimally support them on their way towards their long-awaited child.”

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2011Foundation“IVF Centers Prof. Zech“in Vaduz (LI)

1997Bregenz-based center as the first IVF unit worldwide being certified ISO 9001

2001Foundation

“IVF Centers Prof. Zech“in Meran (IT)

since 2008Innovative ideas from Bregenz met with increasing acceptance worldwide:Sono-AVCAccumulation cyclesVitrification of oocytesetc.

2005Pioneering work in the field of polar bodydiagnosis in Austria

2005Foundation“IVF Centers Prof. Zech“in Salzburg (AT)

2005World’s first standar-dized IMSI procedure performed at the “IVF Centers Prof. Zech“in Bregenz (AT)

Key Innovations

2002Foundation“IVF Centers Prof. Zech“in Niederuzwil (CH)

2003Foundation“IVF Centers Prof. Zech“in Pilsen (CZ)

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30000 Births Since the founding of the IVF Centers Prof. Zech, more than 30.000 children have been born following IVF treatment at our centers.

Blastocyst culture Embryo selection

Immunotherapy with ISMET (Implantation Support Medium Embryo

Transfer), pipelle

Egg donation,Sperm donation

Assisted Hatching(AH)

Individual approach in the case of endometriosis, coagulation disorders, obesity

diagnostic and therapeutic

Hysteroscopy

Fertility preservation“Ovita“- Social Freezing

Implantation supporting massage Accumulation cycle

IMSI(Intra-cytoplasmic

Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection)

Aseptic vitrification

Follicular puncture using3D ultrasound

Sono-AVC

Testicular biopsy(TESE)Preimplantation

Genetic Diagnosisfor aneuploidy screening

and the diagnosis of monogenetic diseases

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30 000 births ...... this does also mean 30 000 happy parents. For the optimum treatment of infertility issues, a broad range of therapy options and state-of-the-art techniques are crucial.

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Individually tailored therapiesBlastocyst culture and blastocyst selectionThe core element of the treatment at the IVF Centers Prof. Zech is the blastocyst selection. The procedure involves selecting the best embryos for transfer, i.e. those showing the highest development and implantation potential.

On average, we are able to obtain about 10 oocytes by follicular puncture in an IVF treatment. If fertilized oocytes continue to develop into blastocysts (embryo having a com-plex structure comprising about 200 cells), the chances of getting pregnant are very good. It is a sensible procedure, and culturing all fertilized oocytes up to the blastocyst stage should be considered to be the state-of-the-art technique today. After the transfer of 1 to a maximum of 2 embryos at the blastocyst stage, the goal is to freeze the remaining embryos (vitrification) and use them at a later time to achieve a pregnancy. Due to different legislative framework conditions, the treatment options in reproductive medicine may vary from one country to another – this also applies to blastocyst selection.

IMSISuccessfully established techniques, such as the IMSI procedure, enhance the likelihood of the ovum being fertilized by a sperm (IMSI involves a detailed analysis of the spermatozoa).

Cutting-edge ultrasound technology In many cases, the reasons for involuntary childlessness can be identified by ultrasound examination and subsequently be treated on an individual basis (e.g. identification of po-lyps and malformations of the uterus). Furthermore, a mo-dern 3D ultrasonic device provides the possibility of precise follicle monitoring, i.e. an accurate analysis of the number of follicles that have formed during ovarian stimulation.

3D ultrasound technology enables the precise prediction of volume and size of the growing follicles, thus allowing a prognosis about their degree of maturity that is far more precise and meaningful than what can be achieved with conventional ultrasound technology. Scientific evidence has demonstrated that oocytes retrieved after 3D ultra-sound monitoring subsequently showed a higher fertilization rate.

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Why is it important to opti-mally use efficient methods and technologies in order to help couples realize their dream of having a healthy child?

PD. Dr. Nicolas Zech, 2014: “To take an analogy from motorsports: Buying a Ferrari does not automati-cally mean that you are able to drive this car, and being able to drive it doesn’t mean to be really in control of the racing car (around bends, at high speeds etc.). If you are in control of the Ferrari after some training sessions, this does not imply that you can win a race. It is only by having enough driving experience and being able to rely on the expertise of the whole team, that you can settle your Grand Prix victory.”

Dr. Pierre Vanderzwalmen, 2014: “With the introduction of the aseptic vitrification, where direct touch of the oocytes or embryos with liquid nitrogen is prevented, the number of births following an IVF treatment has greatly increased.

If we look back 15 years, a patient had to undergo several oocyte pick-ups to achieve one pregnancy. As a result of our accomplishments regarding single blastocyst transfer in combination with the very efficient aseptic vitrification technique, we are now able to achieve higher cumulative pregnancy rates at the IVF Centers Prof. Zech. From one oocyte retrieval, a woman may conceive several babies after transfer of one vitrified blastocyst at a time.“

Safe freezing techniques As one of the most modern freezing techniques, aseptic vitrification has become an integral part of our everyday work at the IVF Centers Prof. Zech. Since at the current state of science we are dealing here with closed and therefore aseptic systems, they are efficient and extremely safe, a fact which may also be crucial in primary cryo cycles. This method is suitable for storing unfertilized

oocytes, sperm as well as fertilized oocytes and embryos over an ex-tended period of time, without compromising their develop-ment potential.

Internationally renowned leading scientists such as Dr. Pierre Vanderzwalmen, have contributed to the deve-lopment of the vitrification technique. As early as 1982, Dr. Vanderzwalmen conducted the first studies in the field of gamete cryopreservation. Since 1994 he has been wor-

king for the IVF Centers Prof. Zech.

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MERAN / ITALY - Dr. Giorgio Comploj Mühlgraben 9 | Fossato Mollini | 39012 Meran | +39 0473 256612 | www.fivet-ivf.it

NIEDERUZWIL / SWITZERLAND - Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert ZechBahnhofstrasse 123a | 9244 Niederuzwil | +41 71 950 1580 | www.fivet-ivf.ch

VADUZ / LIECHTENSTEIN - Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Zech Zollstrasse 34 | 9490 Vaduz | +423 237 6655 | www.ivf.li

SALZBURG / AUSTRIA - Univ. Prof. Dr. Dietmar SpitzerInnsbrucker Bundesstr. 35 | 5020 Salzburg | +43 662 9010 5000 | www.kinderwunsch-salzburg.at

PILSEN / CZECH REPUBLIC - MUDr. Libor Hradecký Ph.D. B. Smetany 2 | 30100 Pilsen | +420 377 279 350 | www.ivf-institut.cz

IZI - IVF Zech International

BREGENZ / AUSTRIA - Univ. Doz. Dr. Nicolas Zech Römerstrasse 2 | 6900 Bregenz | +43 5574 44836 | www.ivf.at

Tschechien

PILSEN

SALZBuRG

MERAN

BREGENZ

NIEDERuZWIL

VADuZAustria

Czech Republic

Italy

Switzerland

Fig. 5/6/10: IVF Center Prof. Zech - Bregenz, floor space about 2000 m²; one of our locations for key competencies like blastocyst culture,

blastocyst selection, IMSI, vitrification etc. Fig. 7/8/9: IVF Center Prof. Zech - Vaduz

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Much more than a feeling – it’s the facts that speak for themselves!

www.ivf.at 2015

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