By doing chromosome testing (PGS) along with your
IVF, ACFS has not only been able to significantly
increase a
woman's pregnancy rate (20+% over conventional IVF) but also significantly reduce the risks of a first-trimester
loss (which typically is 20+%).
It significantly reduces the costs of IVF. By testing all day 5 embryos or
blastocysts and finding the
chromosomally normal ones, the couple will hopefully get pregnant on their first attempt rather than
"statistically" having the do multiple transfers (FET-frozen
embryo transfers) to "stumble" on the
"chromosomally normal" embryos. Also, you may not have to pay for cryopreservation of abnormal embryos that you
"did not know about."
By only transferring chromosomally normal embryos, a couple will not only eliminate the risk of having a
chromosomally abnormal baby (Down's Syndrome,
etc.) but also never have to face the decision of whether or not
to terminate a baby with Down's Syndrome or any
other chromosome abnormally.
Age disappears as a factor. By doing chromosome testing (PGS)
and subsequent
FET, ACFS is no longer worried or
considers age a factor. ACFS statistics are not based on age but only on whether or not a woman can do an embryo
transfer.
Learning possible reasons why other infertility procedures like IUI and multiple attempts at IVF have failed.
As part of the treatment for repeated pregnancy loss
(RPL). 70-80% of first-trimester loss or miscarriage is
due to a chromosome abnormality. A woman could significantly reduce the risk of RPL by doing chromosome testing,
given all other causes have been eliminated.
By knowing if your embryos are chromosomally normal, you eliminate transferring embryos that will not implant,
miscarry, or worse, result in an abnormal baby. This eliminates "hoping it will be successful," the
progesterone
in oil shots, the "long" wait for the pregnancy test, and most importantly, the disappointment when it
is
negative, and the ensuing
emotions of an unsuccessful IVF cycle (not to mention the cost of possible multiple
embryo transfers).
Eliminating the need for and associated risks of amniocentesis
or CVS — reported complications occur in
1:300-500 patients that could result in pregnancy loss, not to mention the very difficult decision to terminate
a pregnancy if the amniocentesis/CVS is positive.
By doing chromosome studies, the embryos are biopsied on day 5 at the
blastocyst stage,
cryopreserved by
vitrification, and subsequently transferred in prepared cycle — FET. Our experience shows that pregnancy rates
are lower when embryos are transferred in a fresh cycle that has been physiologically overstimulated (to get
multiple eggs). In other words, based on ACFS experience, a frozen
transfer (FET) is more successful than a
fresh transfer.
Chromosome studies can significantly reduce the need to use donor eggs. It can answer if you have "good"
eggs/embryos or not, rather than automatically going with donor eggs because of age, elevated FSH
levels, and/or
low AMH levels. ACFS has found little to no relationship between elevated FSH and/or low AMH levels but has
found a relationship between elevated FSH and/or low AMH and age. A lot of ART clinics routinely turn these
patients down and say that their only option is donor eggs. Respectfully, ACFS disagrees. Sometimes, these
clinics seem to be more worried about their own success rates than taking care of the patient and doing what she
wants. Even with elevated FSH and/or low AMH levels, ACFS still has shown success using the patient's own
eggs.
It significantly helps to improve success rates in reproductively older women. It is ACFS’ experience that
the
incidence of chromosome abnormalities increases with age, and the reproductively older woman may only have 1-2
"chromosomally" normal embryos (although they may have produced a lot more blastocysts (or day 5
embryos)).
Gives the couple valuable information about their IVF cycle. In ACFS experience, the most common cause for
embryos to fail to develop to day 5 or the blastocyst stage ("stall
out") is due to the embryo being
chromosomally abnormal.
You can plan your reproductive future. By knowing if you have any remaining chromosomally normal embryos, you
can decide if you can wait to have another child or if you will have to stimulate again sooner.
Some early speculation, although not substantiated, is that certain IVF stimulation protocols may increase the
risk of chromosome abnormalities (or aneuploidy), and also
decrease embryo "competence" (producing an embryo
that is chromosomally normal but of lesser quality and therefore does not implant and/or is at higher risk of
miscarriage). By doing chromosome testing, you
would rule out at least the first possibility.
Success Rates
In-Vitro
Fertilization (IVF)
80% of our patients conceive with IVF/PGT and frozen embryo transfer!