Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis is an assisted reproduction technique that, combined with in vitro fertilisation, diagnoses genetic disorders or chromosomal imbalances in embryos before they are transferred to a woman’s uterus.
How is a PGD performed?
After undergoing IVF, PGD is performed by embryo biopsy. The biopsy can be performed on Day 3, when the embryo has between 7 and 8 cells, or on Day 5, in the blastocyst stage. The removed cell (Day 3) or cells (Day 5) are analysed to determine if that embryo does or does not have the genetic alteration being sought. The analysis is performed by an external organization specialized in genetic medicine. Only embryos that are disease-free are transferred to the patient.