Video Website powered by Einstein IndustriesThe Fertility Institute of New Orleans

DR. PETER LU: PGD stands for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. This is a procedure that is done in conjunction with in vitro fertilization or ICSI. Two to three days after fertilization has occurred, after the sperm and egg have gotten together, the embryos are normally at the four- to eight-cell stage of development. At this stage of development it is possible to pick one or two cells out from each of the embryos and to submit those cells for genetic testing. The type of information that you get from PGD is very similar to what is obtained during an amniocentesis, which is genetic testing on an embryo in the second trimester of pregnancy.

The type of candidates for PGD oftentimes are couples who have a known genetic abnormality in their family. They might be both carriers of a recessive genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis or one member of the couple may be a carrier for dominant genetic disorder, such as Huntington's Disease. By performing PGD we are able to find out the carrier and disease status of all the embryos. This way we're able to pick out which are the best embryos to transfer that have the greatest possibility for a normal pregnancy.