PGT Testing Question

[Char2383]

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well ✨

Just wondering if anyone knows why there is such a difference in practice between the US and the UK in terms of PGT testing? It seems to be standard practice over there yet the HFEA doesn’t recommend it in the UK. Why is this?

I am 2 weeks away from a frozen transfer and have had one failed fresh transfer. I’m almost 38 and I’m worried that my 3 remaining blastocysts are not viable. They are graded 4AB, 4BB and 5CB.

If anyone has any knowledge or advice around this I’d love to hear from you 😊

Thanks very much ✨🤞🏼🐣

[Purpledoggy]

The risk of false positives with PGT is quite high, meaning an ‘abnormal ’ embryo may not in fact be abnormal. HFEA require abnormal embryos be discarded, whereas in the US they can transfer them (at least in some states, not sure how variable) so it’s much more of an issue in the UK if you test them and they come back all abnormal ie you lose all of your embryos. Some clinics in the UK will push for it to make their success rates look better! I suspect this may be why clinics in the US do it, since embryos that test normal are statistically more likely to lead to successful pregnancy Xx

[Char2383 in reply to Purpledoggy]

Thanks very much for your reply 😊 So if my clinic had pushed for PGT and they’d all come back as ‘abnormal’ HFEA guidelines would have meant they would have been destroyed? Despite there being a chance of them being normal?

[Purpledoggy in reply to Char2383]

Yup. Hence why HFEA themselves caution against it xx

[Char2383 in reply to Purpledoggy]

Thanks very much 😊

[HemBella]

From what I have seen the regulations are just very different in the US to the UK. We have different approval processes and ultimately different ethics around it too.I dont think its standard practice with IVF in the US, but it is more common. And they are able to find out the gender of their embryos too which in the UK we arent.

Personally I would prefer not to know the gender.

I had 12 embryos reach day 5 blastocyst after my last ICSI, of that 6 were suitable for testing, and of the 6 that I had PGS tested 3 came back euploid.

I'm 42 so knew there were higher chances of aneuploid embryos, and I just thought it would save heartache and money to know that the ones I was transferring back were ok.

It sounds like you have good grade blastocysts - good luck with your FET. If you are concerned and none of these frozen embryos stick, maybe consider PGS testing for your next round

[Char2383 in reply to HemBella]

Hi and thanks very much for sharing your experience, that’s really helpful.

I’d definitely consider testing next time if none of the embryos implant this round. It’s such a lottery isn’t it!

Are you having treatment at the moment?

[HemBella]

It really is.Yes I'm getting ready for a FET next week. I struggle with lining too, so at the moment I'm hoping I can get to the minimum lining required for the frozen embryo transfer to go ahead. But all being well I'm hoping it will be Thursday next week

[Char2383 in reply to HemBella]

Oh amazing! Wishing you all the best 🤞🏼 I’m just a week behind you!

My doctor doesn’t really rate all the nutrition suggestions to increase lining as there is no ‘science’ to back it up. But I still think it’s worth trying these things. I’m having Brazil nuts, pomegranate, food high in Vit E like mango, almonds and sunflower seeds. If nothing else they make for a good snack!

[HemBella]

I agree. I did a cycle for an ERA test and I didnt do any of those extra nutrition suggestions - and my lining was the worst its ever been so that was my proof lol!Oh and accupuncture too!

[Lojane]

Sensitive throughout.

PGS testing of the embryo doesn’t guarantee a live birth but does prevent transferring embryos that have no chance of developing and the subsequent inevitable miscarriage.

My daughter had several miscarriages presumably due to aneuploidy and a termination due to a severe chromosomal defect incompatible with life. Her remaining frozen embryos were PGS screened and she has now got a lovely little boy and is currently pregnant with her second.

I would add that she did extra back to back egg collections to get as many embryos as possible for screening.

No clinic would transfer abnormal embryos but they might consider transferring mosaic embryos as it is possible that they can self correct.

I can only speak from experience but in her case PGS was definitely worth it.

Wishing you all the best.

[Marisa32]

PGS testing is also common in Czech Republic and Slovakia. It's worth doing if you have multiple embryos and want to give yourself the best chance with the least amount of transfers. Plus for some couples with chromosomal translocations and other genetic issues it's kind of necessary. I also did IVF in the USA and my clinic for example would never transfer PGS tested abnormal embryo, so I guess it also depends on a clinic itself.

[Mellyboo111]

PGT is not the standard in the US. Its up to you if you want to do it. However they offer it for an additional 5000 us to test 8 at my clinic. I end up having 6 more which was total of 14 embroys so i froze the additional 6 which were untested. I am pregnant from two of the tested so i will be destroying the others after a year or so along with 7 vile of sperms because i am finished having children. Me and my husband started ivf with the agreement that we would test any embryos place in me not because we thought it would increase our chances but because we wanted to have a higher chance of a healthy baby. We did not want to be face with any early termination of pregnancy.