Pelargos is the Greek word for stork!
Let us make your dreams come true!
Pelargos IVF is a unique medical group of fertility specialists that provides high quality medical services in the best hospitals and fertility centers in Greece.
Pelargos IVF specializes in the field of subfertility and mainly in the field of egg donation and surrogacy, offering comprehensive online or direct consultation as well as IVF/ICSI/IMSI, PGS/PGD treatments in collaboration with state-of-the-art embryology laboratories. Pelargos IVF arranges the finding and matching of the most suitable donor through the IVF centers it collaborates with. And when it comes to surrogacy, Pelargos IVF Group provides a legal team to advise and assist its patients. At the same time, it offers modern, minimally invasive gynaecological surgery, pregnancy monitoring (no matter if it is low or high risk), normal deliveries and caesarean sections in the best, safest and most luxurious private maternity hospitals in Athens.
Pelargos IVF's lead consultant is Dr Karpuzis. An English graduate, he is a well-known obstetrician-gynecologist in Athens specializing in assisted reproduction and minimally invasive gynecological surgery, accredited by MRCOG and BFS (British Fertility Society) with many years of experience in the field.
The partners that make up the Pelargos team have one underlying goal - to provide personalized, comprehensive, fiscally transparent, highly personal service to women interested in IVF, donor eggs, surrogacy or obstetrics in Greece.
Some of the most valuable members of the Pelargos IVF team are specialists in haematology, endocrinology, urology, aesthetic dermatology, psychology, yoga and shiatsu - all based in Athens, as well as a clinical nutritionist in London. Renowned gynaecologists and fertility specialists in England, Belgium, Switzerland, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, a specialist legal team familiar with egg donation and surrogacy legislation, translators and a real estate broker complete the group's team. Working with the medical group are GP doctors in London who refer patients to the right laboratories and clinics to have initial blood tests, tests and a spermogram. The group aims to attract academic level professionals who have received their training and specialised in the west.
Online counseling and innovative treatments round out Pelargos IVF's palette of options to maximize success in the egg donation cycle and IVF procedures. The biggest goal is successfully tackling difficult cases where others have failed and complete patient satisfaction.
Pelargos is the Greek word for stork. The medical group's motivation, the meaning it invests in using this metaphor for conception, is not only the analogy of possible happiness, but also the hope that this bird-herald of warmer days contains within itself.
As collaborators with the best IVF centers and private maternity homes in Greece, Pelargos IVF professionals refer the patient to the right medical partner for his case. All IVF partner centers have state-of-the-art technology and embryology laboratories that guarantee excellent results. The same standards apply to the maternity care hospitals we partner with - state-of-the-art technology, facilities and equipment are available.
Dr. Harry Karpuzis personally handles each case, from the initial consultation to the time of a positive pregnancy test. He creates individualized, innovative protocols for each patient, organized down to the smallest detail. Dr Karpuzis has many years of experience in the field of assisted reproduction, both in the UK and Greece.
Pelargos IVF Partners
Centre at the IVF Institute at IASO Hospital
One of the largest and most advanced assisted reproduction centers in Europe was established within "IASO" - the largest obstetric and gynecological clinic in Greece. The hospital uses the most advanced technology, applies innovative methods and techniques, and maintains the highest operational standards to ensure the safety of couples who conduct their IVF treatment there.
By combining a state-of-the-art embryology laboratory and the most sophisticated embryo monitoring systems with highly trained staff, Institute of Life - IASO is able to provide the best of modern medicine in this field and achieve success.
IASO Hospital's IVF Centre actively uses the RI Witness system (the most advanced and necessary Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) management system in the field of biomedical technology) to safeguard, monitor and record every step of the process, giving couples the confidence they need in a positive outcome. To monitor in real time the proper functioning of incubators and other important embryology and cryopreservation machines, a registration and control system is also used - the "Log & Guard". It is a machine connected to the central office of the laboratory that records and monitors all laboratory parameters 24 hours a day. System monitoring can be performed by the responsible embryologists even when they are not in the laboratory area using any computer or mobile phone connected to the internet.
IOL is the first fertility center in Greece to be accredited for certification by the independent international certification body Temos for the quality of its facilities, services and human resources. Temos is the only international certification system that focuses on international patient administration and medical tourism.
IVF Embryogenesis Centre
The IVF embryogenesis centre is well known in Greece. It has over 20 years of experience in this field and has highly qualified, UK-trained staff as well as a state-of-the-art embryology laboratory. The embryology laboratory has a specific TM system that allows the monitoring of embryos during their development. As well as genetic analysis, the centre offers PGS and PGD services. Embryogenesis expertise in dealing with such diagnostic tests has been building for 17 years and can offer PGD treatment for almost all known genetic diseases.
Genesis Athens Clinic
It is the largest IVF center in Greece in terms of the number of IVF cycles per year and has state-of-the-art technology, a state-of-the-art embryology laboratory that is ISO 9001-2000 certified and embryology staff with international accreditations and vast experience in this field. Since its inception in 2004, the IVF department has had more than 20,000 successful cycles.
The department's embryology laboratory is represented in the ESHRE PGD Consortum and is a pioneer in the field, having achieved the first pregnancy in Greece by pregenetic diagnosis of all chromosomes with the Array-CGH technique in 2010.
Medical services
- IVF/ICSI - Dr. Karpuzis has seven years of experience in fertility and assisted reproductive technology. Having completed his training in the UK, he is accredited by the BFS for embryo transfers and infertility treatment through assisted reproduction. His maxim is that every case of infertility is different and should be treated accordingly.
- Egg donation
- Advantages of egg donation in Greece:
- There is no waiting list. There is no shortage of donors.
- In Greece, by law, the donation of gametes is anonymous and altruistic. Anonymity is guaranteed.
- Right to disclosure of information such as eye colour, skin colour, hair colour, weight, height, social and educational background, etc. - Egg freezing - a fertility preservation method that should be considered as an investment. Egg freezing is suitable for:
- Women who want to delay childbirth to pursue educational, career, or other personal goals.
- Women diagnosed with cancer before surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.
- Women at high risk of ovarian cancer.
- Women who do not wish to store frozen embryos for religious, cultural or other reasons.
- Surrogacy - Surrogacy in Greece has many advantages. First of all, in case you decide to use surrogacy in Greece, before the transfer of the embryos a specialized court comes out with an official court decision and offers complete peace of mind to the couple before and after the birth of the baby. According to Greek law, the couple is the legal parents of the newborn and their names are placed on the second certificate, immediately after the birth.
- PGS/PGD - We collaborate with the best embryology laboratories in Athens, for PGS/PGD. The embryology staff is highly experienced and can handle almost all known genetic conditions.
- Insemination
- IUI-D
- Minimally Invasive Surgery - Lead Consultant Dr Karpuzis has many years of experience in the field of minimally invasive gynaecological surgery. He specialises in London in hospitals with renowned endoscopic units. He has attended international laparoscopic courses in London, Hamburg and France. He is accredited with the Diplome Inter Universite for gynaecological endoscopy in Clermont, Ferrand, France. Throughout his career he has performed more than a thousand laparoscopic and hysteroscopic operations. Dr. Karpouzis has worked in many private hospitals in Greece. They all maintain high standards of patient care and have the latest technological equipment.
- Online or face-to-face consultations
- Hematological, endocrinological and urological data from renowned medical partners based in Athens
- Diet maintenance from a well-known clinical nutritionist based in London, through online consultations.
- Psychological support if needed
- Yoga / Shiatsu
- A dedicated legal team for all surrogacy cases in Athens and London
Why choose Pelargos for egg donation:
- Personalized care
- 24/7 emergency assistance
- Innovative treatment
- Pelargos is a medical company and you will always talk to doctors.
- Use of international protocols and guidelines
- Young donors <30 years.
- Completely tested donors (HIV1-2, VDRL, hepatitis B, C, cystic fibrosis, complete molecular karyotype)
- Success rates from 75% -85%
- Minimum of 8 eggs and 2 blastocysts guaranteed.
- Collaboration with high-tech embryology laboratories.
- Offer PGS egg donation (optional) to further increase the chances and reduce the risk of chromosomal abnormalities or miscarriage.
- Offering a genetic blood test (if needed) for DNA analysis of 561 genes (for screening of recessive genetic conditions).
- Great "hotel" base
- Trained fertility specialist, familiar with both the English and Greek systems, with many years of experience in reproductive medicine.
Why choose Pelargos in surrogacy
- Mandatory online or face-to-face consultations
- Dedicated experienced medical team
- Dedicated legal team in Athens and the UK.
- Specialized psychological help for the surrogate
- Cooperation with the best fertility centres and maternity hospitals in Greece
Why choose Greece and Pelargos IVF for IVF/ICSI with your own eggs
- Cooperation with the three largest IVF and embryology laboratories in Athens
- Selection of an ideal IVF unit depending on the medical case.
- Individualized care. One fertility specialist throughout treatment, from initial consultation to egg collection and embryo transfer.
- UK trained fertility consultant, accredited by MRCOG and BFS.
- London, Brussels, Geneva, Qatar and UAE-based partners who can help with initial research and the start of IVF treatment.
- 24-hour emergency assistance
- Individual and innovation protocols.
- The law in Greece stipulates that the amount of embryos transferred cannot be more than three if the woman is under the age of 40 and four if she is over the age of 40.
- Best success stories
- There are no hidden costs.
Why choose Pelargos IVF for PGS/PGD
- Cooperation with the best embryology laboratories in Athens, with extensive experience in this field.
- Genetic laboratories with vast experience and international accreditations.
- NGS and Array-CGH techniques available depending on IVF choice and medical case.
- Competitive prices
- Day 3 biopsy and Day 5 fresh transfer, Day 5 biopsy and frozen cycle, Day 5 biopsy and Day 6 transfer options as appropriate.
- Consultation with a senior embryologist, optional
- PGS for sex selection for family balancing can also be offered, in collaboration with an IVF centre in Tirana, Albania, as this is allowed by law there. Our fertilization specialist travels there to perform the embryo transfer.
Why choose Pelargos IVF for egg freezing
- Top embryology laboratories
- The vitrification method was used
- Competitive prices
- Cheaper medicines in Greece than in any other E.C. country.
- Women can freeze eggs at any age (big advantage if <35 though).
- The eggs are frozen for a period of 5 years. This period can be extended to 5 more if desired.
Dr. Harry Karpuzis
- Scientific Director of Pelargos IVF
- Obs & Gyn Consultant
- Fertility specialist
Dr. Karpouzis was born in Athens in 1978. He is a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist specializing in reproductive medicine, infertility and minimally invasive surgery with more than 7 years of experience in the field.
- He studied and specialised in the United Kingdom. He has worked in some of London's busiest hospitals (St Thomas and Guy's NHS Trust, King's College Hospital, Newham University Hospital, Homerton University Hospital, University College Hospital). In 2011 she became a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG).
- Certified by the British Fertility Society for embryo transfers and assisted reproduction.
- Certified by the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (BSCCP).
- Certified with the European University Diploma of Invasive Endoscopic Surgery (DIUE) in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
- 7 years full time experience, in the field of assisted reproduction and infertility at consultant level, both in the UK and Greece.
- Since 2013 she has been working in the private sector in Athens.
- Since 2015, she has been collaborating with the team of fertilization specialists of the IVF center of IASO Hospital Athens, one of the largest assisted reproduction centers in Southern Europe.
- Dr. Karpouzis is the Scientific Director and Founder of Pelagos IVF, a unique medical group of specialists that offers holistic, comprehensive services to couples who want to visit Greece due to conception issues.
Our track record is excellent and our only goal is to help you fulfill your dream of having a family.
