Preimplantation genetic testing gives our patients peace of mind and hope for the future
If you have been trying to conceive without any luck, we can help you achieve your goal of becoming a parent. At USC Fertility, we provide world-class service and compassionate care to our patients. Our Los Angeles fertility doctors use cutting-edge fertility treatments, including preimplantation genetic testing, or PGT, to help our patients become parents.
Understanding preimplantation genetic testing
Advances in reproductive medicine allow our Los Angeles fertility doctors to use PGT, which can improve the odds of having a successful cycle with each transfer cycle. With infertility treatment like IVF, a common cause of failed cycles is the transfer of a chromosomally abnormal embryo. Through PGT, our embryologist can assess the embryos and select only healthy ones for transfer. Doing so reduces the risk of IVF failure or miscarriage and increases the likelihood of having a healthy pregnancy.
When you visit USC Fertility, your doctor will perform a complete fertility evaluation to look for any roadblocks to conception. Armed with that information, your physician can determine the best fertility treatment for you, which may include IVF with PGT. Typically, we recommend preimplantation genetic testing in the following cases.
- Patients with a history of recurrent miscarriage
- Couples who are at risk of passing on an inheritable genetic illness
- Women over age 35
- Any couples who have had multiple IVF cycle failures
How IVF with PGT works
For PGT, you will begin an IVF cycle, which includes bloodwork and monitoring while you take ovarian stimulation medications. At the appropriate time, your doctor will retrieve the eggs. The embryologist will combine the eggs with sperm in the laboratory. Once the embryos develop, we can perform preimplantation genetic testing.
Around Day 5 (the blastocyst stage), our team gently removes a few cells from the embryos. We then freeze these cell samples. These cells are then evaluated so that your doctor will only transfer a genetically normal embryo. You can elect to freeze any additional healthy embryos for future use.
Part of the infertility treatment process may involve genetic testing. We offer advanced options like PGT to help ensure your success. If you have questions or would like more information, call our office to schedule an appointment with one of our Los Angeles fertility doctors.