Gestational surrogacy: 12-year experience of the first program developed in Argentina

Objective: To evaluate and share the experience of our Surrogacy program at Halitus Instituto Medico, which is the first one of its kind in Argentina. The study aimed to identify and describe demographic, physiological, social, and treatment-related factors associated with successful surrogacy outcomes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Identification of all clinic consults for surrogacy was performed. Anonymized data on 1152 surrogacy consults occurring between 2011 and 2023 was extracted directly from the clinic database. Results: Between April 2011 and September 2023, there were 1152 consultations for uterine surrogacy, and out of these, 161 (14%) patients proceeded with the treatment. Eighty-four percent were couples while 21,7 % were single-parent projects. Main reasons for consultation were: male patients 346 (30.4%), obstetric factors 293 (30.4%) and uterine factors 254 (22.05%). 161 patients underwent 1 or more gestational surrogacy cycles. We achieved 127 (79%) pregnancies and 62 (48,8%) live births. The rate of multiple pregnancies was 3,1%. Conclusion: Gestational surrogacy is a global trend that sparks controversies and ethical debates. Despite this, it stands as a beneficial procedure, with a high success rate and a comparatively low risk of complications. The multidisciplinary collaboration of medical, psychological, and legal professionals is essential to carry out these treatments safely and effectively.