One of the most common questions patients ask is deceptively simple: “Should we try IVF, or go straight to surrogacy?” In reality, the answer depends on a number of factors like age, medical history, hormone levels, uterine health, legal status, and often requires guidance from a clinic that can offer all three options: IVF, donor eggs, and surrogacy.
Many international patients arrive at SILK Medical unsure where to begin. Some have already tried IVF elsewhere without success. Others are newly diagnosed and exploring options abroad. To help clarify the possibilities, here’s a breakdown of when each approach makes sense and how we help patients decide what’s best in their case.
When IVF Is a Good Option
IVF is typically recommended for women who still have viable eggs and a healthy uterus. If you are under 40 and your AMH levels and antral follicle count are within range, IVF with your own eggs is often the first logical step. The same applies if you’ve had only mild fertility issues and no history of uterine abnormalities or recurrent implantation failure.
According to data from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, pregnancy rates for women under 35 using their own eggs average 42% per embryo transfer, emphasizing how age and ovarian reserve play a central role in IVF success.
Personalized IVF programs at SILK Medical start from $6,000. Protocols can be adjusted based on hormone levels, age, and medical history. For women under 35, our success rate using their own eggs exceeds 60% per cycle, often higher than global averages. Many patients choose to add genetic screening (PGT-A) to improve embryo selection and reduce miscarriage risk, especially if they’ve experienced previous failed cycles.
The process is efficient. In most cases, the female partner stays in Tbilisi for around two weeks. Egg retrieval, fertilization, cultivation, and embryo freezing are completed during this visit, with the option of transferring later in a cryo protocol, when the uterine lining is fully prepared.
When Donor Eggs Are Needed
Donor eggs are usually recommended for women over 40, or for those who have had repeated IVF failures with their own eggs. Low ovarian reserve, poor response to stimulation, or poor embryo quality in past cycles are common indicators.
In these cases, switching to donor eggs can dramatically improve the chances of success. Both fresh and vitrified donor egg options are available at SILK Medical. Patients can choose from a catalog of screened donors, most of whom have European or Asian phenotypes. All donors are evaluated for medical and genetic suitability before being included in the program.
Programs that combine donor eggs with genetic testing and multiple transfer attempts are available from $6,500, often less than half the cost of similar programs in the US or Western Europe. Many patients also appreciate that we coordinate the donor cycle, embryo creation, and storage in-house, reducing logistical delays and cost overruns.
When Surrogacy Is the Only Viable Path
Surrogacy is not just an alternative, for some patients, it’s the only safe and effective option. This includes women who have had a hysterectomy, significant uterine abnormalities (such as Asherman’s syndrome or a septate uterus), or medical conditions that make pregnancy unsafe. High blood pressure, severe diabetes, clotting disorders, and certain heart conditions fall into this category.
It also becomes a consideration for patients who have experienced multiple implantation failures with high-quality embryos, even after optimizing protocols. For these cases, uterine receptivity and not embryo quality, may be the issue. If no correctable cause is found, transferring embryos to a surrogate may be the best way forward.
SILK Medical offers four surrogacy programs in Georgia, ranging from $38,900 to $70,000, depending on whether you use your own embryos or donor eggs, and how many transfer attempts are included. All programs include legal support, surrogate accommodation, monitoring, and final documentation. For patients who already have embryos, a cost-effective program with one or three transfer attempts may be sufficient. For those starting from scratch, a complete package including IVF and donor eggs is available.
What the Law Allows (Georgia vs Armenia)
Local legislation plays a role in what path is available to you. In Georgia, surrogacy is permitted only for heterosexual married couples or couples who can prove at least one year of cohabitation. Single women and men are not eligible for surrogacy under Georgian law, regardless of medical need.
However, SILK Medical also operates a branch in Yerevan, Armenia, where the laws are more flexible. There, surrogacy is available for single individuals, provided they are the biological parent of the child. This means single women must use their own eggs, and single men must use their own sperm. The surrogate must not be Armenian by nationality, and the program is conducted under the same medical standards as in Tbilisi.
We assist all patients with the required legal documents, including notarized surrogacy agreements and birth registration support. In both Georgia and Armenia, intended parents are recognized as legal parents from the moment of birth, with no parental rights assigned to the surrogate.
Choosing the Right Path: How We Help
Most patients don’t have a clear answer at the start, and that’s normal. That’s why SILK Medical offers full case evaluations before treatment begins. Patients can send in hormone test results, ultrasounds, or summaries of past IVF cycles. Based on this data, our team will outline which options are available, what the success rates look like, and what steps to take next.
In many cases, we set up a group chat with the doctor, so the patient can get specific feedback about their case. We may recommend additional testing, such as sperm DNA fragmentation or hysteroscopy, to better understand the underlying cause of infertility before choosing a program.
Because we offer all treatment options, from basic IVF to advanced surrogacy, we can adjust the plan if needed. For example, a patient may start with IVF and later transition to surrogacy if repeated transfers fail. Others may shift to donor eggs if the response to stimulation is too weak. There’s no need to start over with another clinic.
What to Do If You’re Still Unsure
Choosing between IVF, donor eggs, and surrogacy isn’t always straightforward. Each case has medical, legal, and personal factors that affect the outcome. Each patient at SILK Medical receives a practical overview of available options, with a realistic understanding of what is possible, what’s likely to work, and what it will cost.
Send your test results or past treatment records to our team. Based on your case, you’ll receive a clear recommendation on what to do next and what’s worth skipping.
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