Is it worth doing PGD?

[Anonymous]

Have been TTC for 3 years and have had 4 pregnancies, all resulting in miscarriage. DH and I are 99% sure that we're going to move on to adoption, but we're meeting with my RE tomorrow and she is likely (from our phone conversation) to recommend IVF with PGD.

I don't know much about PGD success rates. We have both been tested for everything for repeat pregnancy loss, including the whole Jewish panel (I have Jewish heritage), karyotyping, etc. and everything has turned up as "normal." I'm honestly not sure what PGD can tell us that the blood work hasn't. Can anyone with more info and experience share more with me about PGD and why it may (or may not) be advisable?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

there's a recent thread about this that might be helpful to you. but, since you've alredy had a lot of screens done your RE will probably know best what is right for you given your particular set of circumstances.

[Anonymous]

I think pgd is reasonable option for some people, and you seem like a prime candidate. How old are you? Have you been on stims in the past? You really need to be a good responder for it to make sense.

[Anonymous]

Try going to CCRM in colorado where they do PBB and PGD when there's a history of miscarriage. They have better success rates than SG.

I think PGD is absolutely worth it. It picks the embies that are less likely to miscarry.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP on the other thread who has had PGD. In most cases it worked for me, although I still had one miscarriage following PGD (fairly rare). I would ask to see your center's stats on cycles done with PGD. The blood tests you have done tested your genes/chromozones to look for "known" problems. PGD tests some of those same things for the embryo. As you age, your eggs have a tendency to be of poorer quality and are more likely to have chromozonal abnormalities when fertilized even if your DNA is fine.

My first successful pregnancy (on a cycle with IVF and PGD) happened on what my husband and I had agreed would be our last IVF cycle. We had already started on the adoption road when we got pregnant.

[Anonymous]

OP here, just saying thanks. That's all helpful information and I'll be sure to ask SG about their stats on PGD.

[Anonymous]

OP here again, just with an update with more info following our doctor's visit this morning. (Thought this might be helpful to anyone else seeking this info.)

Our doctor was very open and honest with us about the benefits and limitations of PGD. At SG, they remove a single cell from each fertilized blastocyst/embryo and evaluate it against a specific list of genetic conditions and are able to see whether the cell division process is working or not. For those of us who have had a number of chemical pregnancies, this could be helpful. HOWEVER, she said that while the statistics show that the rate of miscarriage decreases with PGD, the rate of actual pregnancies also decreases. So while they have fewer losses, it's also reasonable to assume that removing one cell from a 4-6 cell blastocyst is potentially fatally damaging to that blastocyst.

We are going to close the door on the fertility journey and turn our attention to adoption, particularly given the cost -- at SG, we'd be paying $20,000 into the shared risk program (which is refundable if we don't take home a baby), but our doctor also quoted us a cost of about $4,000 per cycle for meds and another $4,000-$5,000 per cycle for PGD, which is all out of pocket, non-refundable. They do not offer a higher-range shared risk option that includes PGD, ICSI, or other specialized protocols.

I hope this information is helpful to others and I wish you a joyous ending to your fertility journey!