Reproductive Medicine in Bulgaria

Reproductive medicine is a field of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and management of male and female reproductive issues. It encompasses the prevention and assessment, as well as the treatment and prognosis of a wide variety of reproductive conditions. The main goal of reproductive medicine is to improve or maintain the female and male reproductive systems. Reproductive medicine specialists particularly treat and advise on any issues impacting a person’s or a couple’s ability to conceive. They treat issues of puberty, sexual education, family planning, birth control, infertility, sexual dysfunction, and reproductive system disease, such as:

• Infectious diseases, such as reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Cancer that affects the reproductive system, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, penile cancer, and prostate cancer.
• Conditions that affect fertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, fibroids, hypothyroidism, cryptorchidism, vasectomy, and retrograde ejaculation.
• Congenital abnormalities, such as imperforate hymen and epispadias.
• Endocrine disorders, such as teratoma, hypogonadism, idiopathic hirsutism, androgen insensitivity syndrome, ovarian cysts, and hypopituitarism.

Tests and treatments that reproductive medicine may perform include:

• Full medical history assessment
• Physical examination
• Blood tests
• Imaging techniques, such as pelvic ultrasounds
• Investigations of semen samples
• Ovulation induction
• Assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility medication, artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer, and frozen embryo replacement (FER)
• Open surgery
• Laparoscopic surgery
• Prescribing medication, such as antibiotics for bacterial infections or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the HIV virus.

Reproductive medicine is a multidisciplinary branch of medicine that combines physiology, endocrinology, and anatomy, as well as some aspects of biochemistry and molecular biology. Reproductive medicine also overlaps with other branches of medicines, such as gynecology, urology, obstetrics, and psychiatry.

How Long Should I Stay in Bulgaria?

Your length of stay in Bulgaria depends on your specific condition and the type of test and/or treatment you underwent. In general, it is advisable that you stay in Bulgaria for at least 1-3 weeks, although you may be able to travel home within 1 to 2 days after some diagnostic tests. During your stay, you will attend follow-up appointments.

What's the Expected Recovery Time?

Your specific condition, the type of test/treatment you underwent, the technique your doctor used, and your overall health determines the recovery time. For open surgery, it may take around 4 to 6 weeks until you are allowed to resume your normal activity and to go back to work. Laparoscopic surgery offers shorter recovery time, usually only 3 to 4 weeks until you can return back to your normal activity level. For non-surgical procedures, such as IVF, you should be able to go back to your normal routine immediately after the procedure.

What Aftercare is Required?

You will be given detailed aftercare instructions that you will need to follow. In most cases, you will attend regular checkups with your reproductive medicine specialist in Bulgaria or with your local doctor back at home. 

What's the Success Rate?

The advancement of reproductive medicine and a better understanding of the human reproductive system has lead to an increased safety and success rate of the reproductive system’s tests and treatments. The field has allowed the development of assisted reproductive technology (ART), resulting in advances in overcoming infertility. ART is also safer than surgical procedures, minimizing the risks that surgical procedures carry.

Are there Alternatives?

Depending on your specific case, you may be able to see a gynecologist, urologist, obstetrician, or even oncologist as the alternative to seeing a reproductive medicine specialist. It is best, however, to talk to your general physician first as they will be able to direct you to the right specialist. 

Reproductive Medicine in and around Bulgaria

Introduction

Bulgaria has plenty to offer and tourists are going to be very impressed with the country’s mountainous landscapes, beautiful Black Sea beaches, fascinating history, friendly locals, lively nightlife, and affordability. Although the country’s holiday tourism is very much on the radar, it is also actually quite popular with medical tourists, due to its modern medical centers, highly trained medical professionals, state-of-the-art equipment, affordable healthcare, and mineral baths, thousands of medical tourists visit this country each year. Most of the medical tourists come for dental treatment, orthopedic surgery, elective surgery, neurosurgery, as well as health screening.

Popular Cities and Regions in Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s laid-back capital city, Sofia, is truly a must-visit. It is full of museums, Ottoman mosques, communist architecture, chic galleries, Eastern Orthodox churches, amazing restaurants, and upbeat clubs. One of the most popular landmarks in the country is the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral, which is an awe-inspiring church built between 1882 and 1912 to honor 200,000 Russian soldiers who died fighting for the independence of Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish war. If you want to relax on beautiful beaches visit Varna, which is a major tourist destination during the summer. The second-largest, city in Bulgaria is Plovdiv and it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Tourists are attracted by the Roman Amphitheatre, Archeological Museum, and Tsar Simeon Central Garden. 

Transport in Bulgaria

Most international tourists will arrive at Sofia Airport, which serves flights to most numerous major cities in Europe and the Middle East. There are several budget airlines that operate flights from this airport, including Ryanair and Wizz Air. Domestic flights are available, but they tend to be expensive. Therefore, to travel from one city to another, trains and buses are the best option. Buses and trains are punctual and affordable. However, if you are in a hurry, you should avoid trains as they can be a little slow. To travel around big cities, taxis are widely available and are really cheap. Just make sure you choose a licensed taxi to avoid being overcharged.

Visas in Bulgaria

While Bulgaria is not yet a part of the Schengen Area, it has a visa policy that is based on the Schengen system. Therefore, holders of Schengen Visa are allowed to enter the country. Additionally, citizens of 62 countries, including the US, Australia, and the UAE, can stay in the country for up to 90 days without a visa.

Weather in Bulgaria

From June to August, Bulgaria experiences summer. The weather can get a bit hot and humid, with an average temperature of 19°C to 21°C. July is the wettest month in the country. Winter, from December to February, is usually freezing. Autumn and Spring bring pleasant weather.

Additional Info

1. Local Currency: The official currency is the Bulgarian Lev (BGN). 1 USD will get you approx. 1.8 BGN.
2. Money & Payments: You can find ATMs in every city in the country. Credit cards are accepted in bigger restaurants and hotels. Tipping is sometimes expected.
3. Local Language: Bulgarian is the official language in Bulgaria. Turkish and Roma are spoken by a minority of people. English is becoming more and more common in the country, but it is not widely spoken. 
4. Local Culture and Religion: Christianity dominates the population of Bulgaria, followed by Islam and Judaism.
5. Public holidays: Bulgaria celebrates several historical and religious holidays, such as Orthodox Good Friday, Orthodox Easter Day, Independence Day, Culture and Literacy Day, Christmas Day, and Liberation Day.