24-Chromosome Aneuploidy Screening

In collaboration with our Reproductive Medicine Associates affiliate clinic, a recent cutting-edge clinical study was conducted involving technology known as 24-Chromosome Aneuploidy Screening.  It is expected that this form of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can be used to more accurately detect healthy embryos for implantation, leading to more successful pregnancies and healthy babies.

The procedure starts when a couple begins IVF treatment. Several days after their embryo is created by combining harvested eggs and sperm, all 24 pairs of chromosomes are present and a biopsy of the embryo is performed. Computer analysis is used to identify any abnormalities among the chromosomes – including genetic diseases and– before the embryo is implanted in the woman’s uterus.

What distinguishes 24-Chromosome Aneuploidy Screening from other PGD processes is that the embryo is able to grow for up to five days, allowing the cells to split and the chromosomal analysis to be more accurate. In fact, 24-Chromosome Aneuploidy Screening works more quickly while the embryo is at its key stage for analysis and has more accurate results than the previously dominant PGD treatment known as FISH (Florescent in-situ Hybridization).

In addition to detecting specific conditions, this advanced embryo selection technique dramatically reduces miscarriage rates and reduces the need to implant multiple embryos to achieve conception.

Dr. Mark P. Leondires, Medical Director of RMACT and lead physician for RMACT on the clinical study, believes this new technology is an important step toward healthy pregnancies. “Through our advancements, we can identify the best embryos for a healthy pregnancy,” he says. “We can also offer our patients who have had several miscarriages closure because they can know the cause of these miscarriages, and make decisions about how to move forward with their fertility treatment.”