Overview
PGT-A previously known as Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) is the process of testing the embryo for genetic problems during the time of getting IVF treatment. Patients often ask our fertility doctor what is the need to do it, its benefits, and why it should be done during IVF treatment? When you visit our IVF centre in Punjab, our doctor will make sure you get answers to all your questions.
Why consider PGT-A?
- Women’s fertility and her ability to conceive naturally declines with age. The natural decline will start in female fertility in the mid-30s and progressively it declines. Along with fertility, the quality and quantity of eggs in the ovaries reduce.
- The egg quality reduces which is caused by a deterioration of the biological functions which control the division and duplication of the genetic information. These errors increase with age which results in different genetic abnormalities which subsequently develop and reduces the chances of women to conceive naturally.
- This is considered as the main factor why older women face difficulty conceiving and more likely it is turned into miscarriage. Moreover, there is a risk of getting chromosomal abnormality.
- Male fertility declines at the age of 40 to 45 years which means sperm and testicular functions are affected. With age, the genetic disorders increase along with chromosomal issues in embryos.
Is PGT-A suitable for me?
PGT-A can be used by anyone who is undergoing IVF treatment. One of the recent Randomised controlled trials (RCT) and the STAR trial found that PGT-A is great for women who are more than 35 years old.
Not just the age but the patient’s history is considered as those who have suffered from recurrent IVF failure, miscarriage, or pregnancy loss. In case the male partner is older than 40 years then also this option is recommended as there is a higher risk of getting genetic issues.
What is the process of PGT-A along with its benefits?
PGT-A needs a small number of cells from the embryo during the blastocyst stage in the IVF cycle. The genetic tests can help to screen the embryo to check their health and whether it contains the correct number of chromosomes or abnormalities which can lead to miscarriage, implantation, or birth anomaly.
What do I need to keep in mind?
Recent studies have shown that not all the embryo cells are identical, therefore checking the few cells will not be the ideal choice to represent the whole embryo.
With time, PGT-A has evolved as it relies on the number of cells representing the embryo as a whole. But, it might be possible the embryo is diagnosed as healthy due to mosaicism presence but still it is abnormal. Studies are being done to understand the concept of mosaicism.