For many couples dreaming of starting a family, the road to parenthood is not always straightforward and can be filled with both optimism and uncertainty. Nevertheless, recent advancements in reproductive healthcare are now removing obstacles and letting hopeful parents overcome infertility and experience the joy of raising children.
The mission of SILK Medical is to give couples the best possible chance at a successful pregnancy. To do so, the clinic offers preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), which can identify genetic disorders in embryos prior to implantation. By selecting the most viable embryos, PGT improves the likelihood of a successful IVF, increasing pregnancy probability up to 69.1%.
SILK Medical Genetic Tests
PGT-A NGS
Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies using Next-Generation Sequencing is a genetic testing method to screen embryos for chromosomal abnormalities before implantation.
PGT-M
Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic/Single Gene Disorders is used to identify specific inheritable genetic disorders in embryos prior to transfer.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing Benefits
Selection of a healthy embryo for transfer
PGT allows for the identification and selection of embryos with a normal chromosomal profile or without specific genetic disorders.
Increasing the likelihood of pregnancy
By transferring screened and selected embryos, PGT improves the implantation rates and increases the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.
Reducing the risk of miscarriage
Chromosomal abnormalities can be a cause of a miscarriage. PGT reduces these risks by selecting embryos with a normal chromosomal profile.
Minimizing the risk of infant illness
Selecting embryos free from inherited genetic disorders reduces the likelihood of having a child be affected by a condition.
Indications for Preimplantation Genetic Testing
Women over the age of 35 (advanced maternal age)
Couples with a history of multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles
Women with two or more miscarriages (recurrent pregnancy loss)
Parents diagnosed with or known to be carriers of hereditary genetic disorders
Families with a previous child affected by a genetic condition
Note that SILK Medical specialists recommend preimplantation genetic testing of embryos for all couples entering IVF programs. PGT can potentially reduce the number of fertilization attempts at successful pregnancy and increase the overall chances of having a healthy baby.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing Process
To guarantee the safety and well-being of embryos, all embryologic procedures are handled by trained SILK Medical specialists. The process itself does not harm or hinder the embryos’ further development in any way.
When prospective parents enter the IVF program and opt for PGT, the embryos that are part of the program are selected and sent to the lab once they reach the blastocyst stage on the fifth or sixth day of their development.
At this point an embryologist performs a biopsy, removing several cells from the trophectoderm (pre-placenta) for laboratory testing and genetic analysis. The embryos themselves are frozen immediately after the procedure, and stored in SILK Medical’s cryobank until the test results are received.
The Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology is then used during the PGT-A analysis. It combines molecular evaluation techniques with computational algorithms to detect the presence of chromosomal abnormalities.
At the same time, the PGT-M testing can detect such genetic disorders as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, spinal muscular atrophy, sickle cell anemia, Tay–Sachs disease and many others.
Offering PGT alongside IVF programs, SILK Medical provides couples with knowledge that their embryos have been screened for genetic abnormalities, giving them best chance at a successful pregnancy.
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