Pre-genetic screening provides information about the gene make-up of the cells found in an embryo. An embryo biopsy removes cells from the embryo, which are then sent to a lab for testing. The embryo is usually frozen and implanted later. This technique can be used to identify approximately 2,000 inherited single-gene disorders and is 98% accurate in identifying affected and unaffected embryos.

What is PGD used for?

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis is used so that embryos unaffected by the disorder can be returned to the uterus. Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis is prescribed for someone who has or is a carrier of a known genetic disorder. Without a Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis, embryos would have been chosen based only on their visual quality and morphology, which cannot distinguish chromosomally normal embryos from abnormal embryos. Thus, this aims at improving pregnancy and live birth rates by screening your embryos for chromosomal abnormalities.