Ghost - I'd like to hear your thoughts on PGS/PGD

[littlebear]

Hi Ghost

I just completed my 8th unsuccessful attempt at IVF. I had 3 chemical pregnancies from these cycles. DH and I are 34 and 35 and diagnosed as "unexplained". We are self pay patients and would like a realistic statistic on the probability in achieving a live birth should we do another IVF cycle with PGS. I don't want to waste my time, energy and money if i am not an ideal candidate for PGS knowing my history of failures. What are your thoughts? Are there any reports on success rates of patients who do PGS or PGD? This is draining the life out of me.

Thanks

[Ghost]

Hi Ghost

I just completed my 8th unsuccessful attempt at IVF. I had 3 chemical pregnancies from these cycles. DH and I are 34 and 35 and diagnosed as "unexplained". We are self pay patients and would like a realistic statistic on the probability in achieving a live birth should we do another IVF cycle with PGS. I don't want to waste my time, energy and money if i am not an ideal candidate for PGS knowing my history of failures. What are your thoughts? Are there any reports on success rates of patients who do PGS or PGD? This is draining the life out of me.

Thanks

Multiple studies have found that PGD/PGS is no benefit for improving IVF success rates in unselected patients. It is of course useful for preventing the transfer of embryos with certain genetic diseases. It is also possible that PGD would be useful for improving IVF success rates in selected patient populations. A patient with 8 prior failures just might be in such a population.

Have you and your husband had genetic testing?

Pardon me if I've asked this before, but what is your treatment history? 8 IVF cycles? Fresh or frozen? Did they all make it to transfer? Did they grade your embryos?

If it's not too much to ask, what center do you go to? Have you tried more than one? If this is too public for this discussion, please PM me.

[littlebear]

Yes, I'm pretty sure genetic testing was done. I'm getting a copy of my file so I will reconfirm then.

History:
ivf #1 - fresh, chemical
ivf #2, 3 and 4 - fet, bfn
note - all embryos just "ok"

ivf #5 - fresh, bfn
ivf #6 - fet, chemical
ivf #7 - fet, chemical
ivf #8 - fet, bfn
note - 8/14 embryo's looked "great". 4 embryos were not great, i think 4-5 cells?

I've stayed at the same clinic. Do you suggest trying a new clinic? If so, what clinc for my "unexplained" situation? I'm taking the summer off and trying to figure out what I should realistically do. I am looking into adoption and am undecided on trying again via IVF with PGS/PGD.

[Ghost]

Yes, I'm pretty sure genetic testing was done. I'm getting a copy of my file so I will reconfirm then.

History:
ivf #1 - fresh, chemical
ivf #2, 3 and 4 - fet, bfn
note - all embryos just "ok"

ivf #5 - fresh, bfn
ivf #6 - fet, chemical
ivf #7 - fet, chemical
ivf #8 - fet, bfn
note - 8/14 embryo's looked "great". 4 embryos were not great, i think 4-5 cells?

I've stayed at the same clinic. Do you suggest trying a new clinic? If so, what clinc for my "unexplained" situation? I'm taking the summer off and trying to figure out what I should realistically do. I am looking into adoption and am undecided on trying again via IVF with PGS/PGD.

I did not have a specific center in mind.

There are rare genetic causes of infertility, such as a translocation. Seemingly normal adults can have DNA that is "in the wrong places" and will not match up with any partner to make a viable offspring. These tests are often recommended after several failures, so you've probably had them already.

[littlebear]

How long is a an ivf cycle with PGS take from start to finish? Are there tests to take prior to seeing if someone is a potential candidate? RE a fresh cycle with PGS, are the meds and injections different or is it pretty much the same except there is an extra step of lab testing of the embryos?

How often do you see BFN's come from patients with perfect embryos after PGS screening and seemingly "great" candidates for IVF? Is it pretty much the same odds as IVF without PGS?

[Ghost]

How long is a an ivf cycle with PGS take from start to finish? Are there tests to take prior to seeing if someone is a potential candidate? RE a fresh cycle with PGS, are the meds and injections different or is it pretty much the same except there is an extra step of lab testing of the embryos?

How often do you see BFN's come from patients with perfect embryos after PGS screening and seemingly "great" candidates for IVF? Is it pretty much the same odds as IVF without PGS?

IVF with PGS usually takes the same amount of time as one that does yet. Sometimes a more rigorous genetic analysis is used that takes longer, so they must freeze the embryos while they await results. Either way, the medications you would take are typical of IVF. The lab testing can cost around $4000 for regular PGS and more than that, perhaps twice that amount, for the fancier version.

You might ask your clinic if you and your partner should have genetic testing if you have not already. Genetic defects in normal adults are very rare, but more common in those with 8 IVF failures.

There are still BFNs even after PGS. Just a wild guess, but your clinic might have about a 60-75% pregnancy rate with genetically tested embryos, and perhaps a 50-60% live birth rate. The difference would be pregnancy losses.

[littlebear]

What is the fancier version of PGS that would be twice the amount of regular PGS?

[Ghost]

What is the fancier version of PGS that would be twice the amount of regular PGS?

The most common genetic analysis for PGS is commonly called "FISH".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescen ... ridization

The fancier one is called CGH.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparativ ... ridization