Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), single-gene conditions (PGT-M) and structural rearrangements (PGT-SR), performed on trophectoderm biopsy of blastocysts, within Indian regulatory limits.
Preimplantation genetic testing examines cells taken from the outer layer of a blastocyst before it is transferred. It can identify embryos with the wrong number of chromosomes, embryos carrying a specific inherited condition, or embryos affected by a known chromosomal rearrangement. It is a powerful tool for the right indication and an expensive irrelevance for the wrong one.
PGT-A does not make embryos better. It sorts the embryos you already have, so that an embryo unlikely to implant or likely to miscarry is not transferred first. For a patient with several blastocysts, that can mean fewer failed transfers and a shorter time to pregnancy. It does not raise the number of babies you can obtain from a given cohort of embryos, and randomised trials have not shown a live-birth advantage across all age groups.
For patients with only one or two blastocysts, PGT-A frequently adds cost and delay without changing the decision, because those embryos will be transferred regardless. That is the honest framing given in the clinic — the test is offered where it answers a real question, and declined where it does not.
Modern sequencing sometimes reports a mosaic result: a mix of normal and abnormal cells in the biopsy. Once treated as abnormal and discarded, mosaic embryos are now known to produce healthy live births in a meaningful proportion of cases. Guidance from PGDIS supports prioritising euploid embryos first, then considering mosaic embryos with appropriate counselling.
Any laboratory that reports mosaicism must be prepared to explain it and to counsel through the decision. Being handed a result sheet with no interpretation is not acceptable practice, and it is worth confirming in advance who will do that counselling.
Preimplantation testing for medical conditions is permitted in India. Using it to select the sex of an embryo for non-medical reasons is prohibited under the PCPNDT Act, and this is enforced strictly. Where sex is inherently revealed by the analysis — as with X-linked conditions — the handling of that information is tightly regulated and documented.
The ART (Regulation) Act 2021 additionally governs embryo biopsy, storage and consent. Any clinic offering PGT should be able to show its registration and explain how it complies. If those questions produce vague answers, that is meaningful information about the unit.
Biopsy at the blastocyst stage removes cells from the trophectoderm, which forms the placenta rather than the fetus. In experienced laboratories it does not appear to reduce implantation, though it is a delicate step and laboratory skill matters.
No. It tests for the specific conditions requested. It cannot exclude every genetic or developmental condition, and routine pregnancy screening is still required afterwards.
No. Sex selection for non-medical reasons is illegal in India under the PCPNDT Act, and it is not offered under any circumstances.
45-minute consultation, booked directly with Dr. Sana on WhatsApp. She consults at Apollo Fertility, Hyderabad. No referral needed.