Do you or your partner carry a serious hereditary condition? With PGT-M, embryos are genetically tested before transfer, so that only embryos without the condition are transferred. No waiting list at Human First.
PGT-M stands for preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders — the test that until recently was called PGD. The method was introduced in England in 1989 and has been used in Istanbul since 2001. It is not a fertility treatment but a genetic testing method that is always combined with IVF/ICSI.
Three days after fertilisation — when the embryo consists of about eight cells — one or two cells are removed (biopsy) and genetically tested. The result follows within one to two days, with an accuracy of around 98%. Only embryos without the tested abnormality are eligible for transfer.
Various other serious monogenic conditions are also eligible. The medical team assesses per situation whether PGT-M is possible and worthwhile.
PGT-M is intended for couples with a significantly increased risk of having a child with a serious hereditary condition — for example because one partner is a carrier, or because a child with the condition has already been born. At Human First there is no waiting list, so you can start right away.
Because genetic testing takes extra time, a PGT-M journey takes around 20 days instead of the usual 18. The success rate of the underlying IVF treatment remains the deciding factor; the effectiveness of PGT-M itself depends on the condition being tested for.
Both fall under PGT, preimplantation genetic testing. PGT-M looks specifically for one hereditary condition known to run in the family. PGT-A broadly screens embryos for an abnormal number of chromosomes, without there being a known condition. Where a structural chromosome abnormality such as a translocation is involved, the test is called PGT-SR. The older terms PGD and PGS mean the same as PGT-M and PGT-A respectively.
Removing one or two cells at this early stage has been used safely worldwide for over thirty years; the embryo continues to develop normally afterwards.
The genetic testing is carried out by Mikrogen, a genetic diagnosis centre licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health. Mikrogen has been doing this work for over twenty years, with sites in Ankara, Istanbul and Baku, and serves clinics inside and outside Turkey. There is no waiting list, so you can start right away.
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