It is a procedure that checks the genes or chromosomes of your embryos for a specific genetic condition. Also known as Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT-M), it involves taking a biopsy of embryos following IVF. The sample is sent for PGD while the embryo is frozen and stored until the result of the test is available
Embryos that have been tested and are free of the condition will be replaced at a later into your womb to continue to develop.
PGD is indicated for:
- Couples who have had a child with a serious genetic disorder
- Couples with a family history of serious genetic anomalies
- Couples with a family history of chromosomal problems
- Couples with recurrent implantation failure.
The PGD procedure is safe and does not increase the risk of developmental challenges in babies born after the procedure. However, it doesn’t guarantee that the IVF procedure will be successful and there is a small chance that the biopsied embryo may be damaged during the biopsy procedure necessitating discarding such an embryo. PDG is also not 100 % correct hence the test may produce a wrong result and mislead the IVF team.
Do you think you are a candidate for PGD? If you have questions about it kindly discuss it with our IVF staff.
