The Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis procedure
It is carried out once eggs from the woman have been extracted and fertilised, and are due to be transferred into her uterus.
Once the embryo has reached the 8 cell stage (or somewhere around that) during its development then a hole is made in the outer layer (zona pellucida). A pipette (glass tube used to draw off fluid) is used to remove a cell from the embryo for screening.
This part of the process is known as a ‘blastomere biopsy’.
DNA is removed from the cell and screened for genetic disease. It may also be tested for chromosomal abnormalities.
This screening takes a day to perform. Healthy embryos are ready for implantation the next day. However, there are occasions where the healthy embryos are monitored for a few more days before being transferred to the woman. These are implanted after 5 to 7 days and are known as a ‘blastocyst’.
This part of IVF treatment is known as IVF with blastocyst culture and transfer.
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Guide Index:
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