Embryo Biopsy Treatment Process

By Author: Dr Shivani Sachdev
Total Articles: 165
Comment this article

Infertility treatment has grown rapidly over the last few years. This simply means that we have now more and better tools to help expecting parents have healthy babies. However, these rapid advancements sometimes get difficult to easily comprehend especially while breaking down the treatment cost.

Just like the IVF clinics, the clinics for embryo biopsy procedures also rely on outside laboratories that are highly specialized in genetic testing as it utilizes either blood or developing embryo cells.

PGS (Preimplantation Genetic Screening)
Genetic carrier screening is a blood test, that helps in understanding the risk of having a baby with some genetic disease. When the patients are in the treatment’s diagnostic phase, genetic carrier screening is highly recommended.

First, the female partner is screened and no further tests are needed if she is not a carrier for any kind of genetic disease. However, if she is a carrier, the male partner is tested. If he is also not a carrier, then no further testing is needed.

What do you mean by embryo biopsy for PGS?
The embryo biopsy is the removal ...
... of a few cells on the embryo’s outer layer that eventually becomes the placenta. This is done through an embryologist in the lab who uses a specialized technique. The biopsied material is then sent to an advanced genetic laboratory for PGS which is the actual testing. They have their expertise in examining the DNA of these cells.

Difference between PGS and PGD
Embryo Biopsy for PGS is the screening of the embryo’s biopsied cells that determine whether the embryo has the number of chromosomes that are normal or not. It is very basic that is -46, XX, or 46, XY. If there are additional or missing chromosomes, the embryo can be considered abnormal, and therefore may not be eligible for transferring back into the women’s uterus.

On the other hand, PGD can be said to be used in more specialized cases and has the potential to detect single-gene mutations. It means PGD can help couples in conceiving a healthy child even when both the partners are carriers for a particular disease.

Both PGD and PGS are quite incredible tools that assist couples to conceive a healthy baby. This can be a confusing language sometimes to understand and comprehend. This is because there are so many fertility tests with almost the same initial points.

Thus, you should never hesitate to ask your specialists to slow down a bit, ask them more questions, and for an explanation that solves all your doubts beforehand.

Conclusion
The nurses, doctors, and all the supporting staff takes responsibility to answer your genuine questions that may come up before, during, and even after the treatment is done. Thus, it is now possible to reduce the chances of an unhealthy baby with all the medical advancements. Best Fertility Centre in Delhi

Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gour, Founder & Director of SCI Healthcare, SCI IVF is a state of the art fertility centre located in Kailash Colony, New Delhi.