Many Dutch patients return from Belgium after failed fertility treatments
Thousands of Dutch couples travel to Belgium each year seeking fertility treatments, but research shows a significant number return to the Netherlands after unsuccessful procedures.
A survey conducted by Pointer in collaboration with the Dutch Association for Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG) among 450 members revealed that nearly a quarter of responding gynecologists often see patients return after failed IVF attempts abroad. Sixty percent reported seeing this sometimes, and 15 percent said it happens rarely.
Dutch gynecologists cited several reasons patients return home: 65 percent said travel distance was a factor, 40 percent cited equivalent quality of care in the Netherlands, 40 percent said costs were too high, and 30 percent noted treatments abroad often are unnecessary.
Some Dutch couples reportedly seek Belgium’s fertility clinics after hearing about them online as a “pregnancy paradise,” offering extra tests or procedures to increase chances of conception. However, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) data suggest success rates in Belgium are comparable to those in the Netherlands.
“In the Netherlands, we follow an evidence-based medicine system,” said Marieke Verberg of the NVOG. “We only provide care that is scientifically proven to be useful and safe. Some extra tests and treatments offered in Belgian clinics lack conclusive evidence of effectiveness.”
Belgian gynecologist Frauke van den Meerschaut, formerly of the University Hospital Ghent, said clinics in Belgium can tailor treatments more individually and adopt innovative techniques faster. “That little extra can make a difference,” she told Pointer. She cautioned, however, that not all Belgian clinics follow scientific standards.
