PGT-A Testing

PGT-A: Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy

Ovation’s national network of state-of-the-art IVF genetic testing labs performs advanced preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, also called PGT-A, to help clinicians select which embryos created through IVF are most likely to result in a successful pregnancy and healthy baby. Our compassionate team of experts is here for you at every step of the testing process, delivering professional service and support with a personal touch.

PGT-A is sometimes referred to as PGS, or preimplantation genetic screening. PGT-A is a genetic test that can identify embryos that have the normal number of chromosomes – called euploid – as well as those that have an abnormal number, a condition known as aneuploidy.

Because Ovation® Genetics uses the most advanced technology clinically available, your PGT-A results provide information that you and your fertility specialist can trust. With PGT-A, only those embryos that are chromosomally normal, or euploid, are chosen for transfer, which has been proven to significantly improve the chances of pregnancy and a live birth. Transferring euploid embryos also reduces the risk of miscarriage and can help reveal if chromosomal abnormalities are a contributing factor in a couple’s inability to conceive.

Who benefits from PGT-A?

PGT-A is becoming a standard part of every IVF cycle at many leading fertility practices and across the world. It is also recommended in certain cases to increase the chance of IVF success, or to help diagnose and overcome hidden causes of infertility in:

  • Women of advanced maternal age (typically 35 or older)
  • Women or couples with unexplained infertility
  • People who have experienced previous IVF failure
  • Women who have had recurrent miscarriages
  • Women who have had a previous abnormal pregnancy or a child with a genetic condition

Women of advanced maternal age are at higher risk for having babies with two of the most common conditions that result from an abnormal number of chromosomes: Down syndrome and Turner syndrome. Both of these conditions frequently cause women to spontaneously miscarry during pregnancy and can cause lifelong disabilities in children.

PGT-A is also a valuable tool to evaluate embryos from women who have had recurrent miscarriages or IVF failures, which often occurs with aneuploid embryos that cannot develop normally. Many patients who have suffered through such losses can achieve a healthy pregnancy quickly with a proven-euploid embryo.

How does the Ovation PGT-A process work?

Ovation Genetics will work closely with your reproductive endocrinologist and IVF laboratory to test each of your embryos for aneuploidy.

  • EMBRYO BIOPSY – After the IVF process is complete, a highly trained embryologist at your physician’s IVF laboratory will carefully remove three to five cells from each embryo on day five, six or seven after fertilization. Because these cells are carefully removed using a precision laser, the risk of damaging an embryo is very low.
  • GENETIC TESTING – After the biopsy, the cells are sent to one of Ovation’s IVF genetic testing labs for analysis.
  • RESULTS – Results are returned to your fertility specialist within 4-6 weeks from date of biopsy. In the meantime, your embryos have been vitrified and safely stored at your local IVF laboratory. The PGT-A results will tell your fertility specialist which embryo(s) have the highest chance for a successful pregnancy. PGT-A can also determine the sex of each embryo, if you’d like to know.
  • EMBRYO TRANSFER – Because PGT-A-tested embryos have a higher chance of success, your fertility specialist may confidently choose to transfer just one embryo at a time, to help reduce the risks associated with multiple gestation.
  • STORAGE – Any additional chromosomally normal embryos can continue to be cryopreserved and stored for future use.

Ask your fertility specialist about PGT-A

If you’d like to learn more about how Ovation PGT-A can give you A Quicker Path to PregnancyTM, or if you’d like to find a fertility specialist in your area who offers our tests, please contact us. One of our client case specialists will be glad to help. Or, if you’re interested in donor eggs and would like to learn more about Ovation’s affordable donor egg options, please contact us for details.