Costs in relation to effects of in-vitro fertilization.

A comparison has been made between in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and its most important alternative, tubal surgery. Medical results and financial costs have been taken into consideration. It is concluded that IVF must be regarded as a regular fertility treatment. The cost-effectiveness of IVF, in terms of the average treatment costs per full-term pregnancy, is approximately NLG 25,000, which is in line with that of tubal surgery. The deviation around the average is large, both for IVF and for tubal surgery.