In recent times, many couples are seeking IVF, or in vitro fertilisation, as a viable option for conceiving when they experience challenges in conceiving naturally.
Many experts also attribute this rising demand for IVF to increasing infertility rates borne by late marriages and lifestyle changes.
However, safe IVF requires screening tests like PGT-A to ensure success by minimising the risk of failed implantation and miscarriage. This is done by picking healthy, chromosomally normal (euploid) embryos for transfer.
It has been accepted that at least 50 percent of the human preimplantation-IVF embryos face chromosomal abnormalities. Research also says nearly 40 percent of morphologically normal embryos will have aneuploidies.
Advantages Of PGT-A
Collectively, the Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT test) is a set of procedures that screen embryos for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities before transferring the embryos to the uterus.
Aneuploidies with chromosomal abnormalities lead to unsuccessful pregnancies. By ensuring the transfer of healthy embryos, PGT-A also avoids the possibility of emotional struggles and financial costs of repeated IVF failures.
The advantage of PGT-A is that it helps in the selective and qualitative implantation of embryos with a normal number of chromosomes, or euploid embryos.
As noted, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and specifically aneuploidy or PGT-A, examines chromosomal material of IVF embryos before implantation. PGT-A lowers genetic risks but doesn’t guarantee pregnancy, as implantation also depends on the uterus and embryo quality. However, the success rates of PGT also depend on the type of PGT conducted, the testing conditions, and the health of the patient.
Places To Conduct PGT-A Testing
In India, there are vast facilities and providers of PGT-A testing for IVF. Names like Apollo Fertility, Nova IVF Fertility, Zeeva Fertility, Krishna IVF, Aashakiran IVF, and Dr Aravind’s Fertility Clinic are some of the popular names.
Reputed providers like MedGenome are credited for advanced technology, expert teams, and free counselling sessions. They address the Aneuploidy condition, knowing it as a key variable in most failed implantations, miscarriages, and syndromes like Down syndrome.
By ensuring the transfer of a chromosomally normal (euploid) embryo, the conception success rate increases significantly. Many studies attest that it is almost 60-70 percent birth rates per embryo transfer.
And this success rate from viable PGTA is stable across various maternal ages, as the process selects the healthiest embryos. This is a great advantage for women of advanced maternal age, especially those over 35. The risk of aneuploidy seems to increase with maternal age.
Increase Pregnancy Rate With Safe PGT Testing
Another popular PGT is PGT-M, or preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders. This is meant for couples facing the vulnerability of passing on certain single-gene disorders, including conditions like cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, or Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
While PGT-A screens for chromosomal abnormalities, PGT-M takes care of the risk of couples passing on a specific single-gene disorder. Another unique test is PGT-SR for individuals facing challenges of balanced chromosomal rearrangement.
Summing Up
To sum up, for a successful IVF process leading to a healthy progeny without any genetic disease risk, the PGTA-A is a foolproof method. It follows that conducting a PGT-A test with a reliable provider gives peace of mind by reducing the number of IVF cycles to a successful pregnancy.