ProCrea | FIVET

In the heart of Lugano, not far from the Italian border, ProCrea FIVET treats couples facing infertility who travel from both Switzerland and Italy. The clinic is part of the larger ProCrea Swiss Fertility Center and focuses on FIVET, that is, in vitro fertilization followed by embryo transfer. At ProCrea, the procedure follows clearly defined phases: First, the ovarian response is triggered by hormonal stimulation and closely monitored with transvaginal ultrasound examinations and blood draws. Egg retrieval (pick-up) is performed under sedation in an operating room and, according to the clinic, takes ten to fifteen minutes. In the laboratory, the retrieved eggs are fertilized with the partner’s prepared sperm; according to its own figures, the average fertilization rate is around 70%. Surplus pronuclear stages are cryopreserved and remain available to the patient for later transfers after thawing. ProCrea routinely recommends transferring two embryos to limit the risk of multiple pregnancies. The clinic reports an average success rate of 32% per cycle for FIVET, based on its own patient experience. This result is significantly influenced by factors such as patient age, cause of infertility, and sperm quality. According to ProCrea, the main indications for FIVET are blocked fallopian tubes, impaired sperm quality, and failure to become pregnant after simpler treatments. The center names an interdisciplinary team of more than 50 people, including doctors, biologists, geneticists, and nursing specialists. Under the ProCrea umbrella, units for andrology (ProCreaAndro), laboratory diagnostics (ProCreaLab), and stem cell research (ProCreaStemCells) are also brought together. A toll-free phone number has been set up for patients from Italy.