In this section you will find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about PGD treatment. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for here, please contact the team|.
There is also a glossary| in this section, to explain any words used in this website that you might not know.
How much does PGD cost?
Where appropriate, we will make an application to your Primary Care Trust (PCT) for NHS funding. If you are not eligible for NHS Funding or your PCT declines funding, then we would be happy to treat you as a 'self funded' patient. See the cost of self funding.|
How accurate is PGD?
The accuracy of PGD will vary, but for most couples it will be over 99% accurate. The risks are dependant upon the condition for which we are offering PGD and your individual test results done by our scientists. All couples will receive a detailed report with the accuracy of the test before going ahead with PGD.
How long does the process take?
Once in a treatment cycle, the process will take about 9 weeks. Please see the treatment cycle pages for the details. The most time consuming part is the preparation before starting a PGD cycle. As we need to do laboratory testing, apply for funding and make sure that we have prepared you physically for PGD, it is likely to take 8-12 months before starting treatment - see timeline for details |
How to I get referred?
To organise an appointment you will need to be referred by your local clinical geneticists or genetic counsellor. Please contact them directly regarding this and they will be happy to help. Our centre liaises closely with all UK genetic centres. See our referral pages| for further details.
Do you treat patients from overseas?
We can offer PGD treatment to patients resident in the UK, who are entitled to NHS treatment and couples from the Republic of Eire. At the present time, we do not have the capacity to treat couples from overseas.
Does PGD affect the babies born?
PGD is still a relatively new technique. Several studies looking at children born following the procedure have concluded that there do not appear to be any major side-effects to the treatment. The incidence of abnormality is similar to that seen in other forms of assisted reproduction (4-5%). However, the number of babies and children reviewed remains small and therefore we continue to follow up all babies born after PGD.
What is assisted reproductive technology?
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is where conception is aided by the use of medical technology such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) or in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Why is assisted conception needed for PGD?
We know that a number of your embryos are likely to be affected by the altered gene or chromosome abnormality. Therefore, we need to create a large number of embryos for the best chances of success in a PGD cycle. It is important that we start by obtaining a good number of eggs from a woman. This means that we artificially take control and alter a normal menstrual cycle.
What is PGS?
The term PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) relates to a treatment used in conjunction with fertility treatment. It is not used for couples with a known genetic condition, but is believed by some health professionals to increase the success rate of fertility treatment. The British Fertility Society has made a recent statement indicating that there is no conclusive evidence that PGS is beneficial and indeed some papers have shown that it may actually reduce the chance of success. Until large studies known as randomised control trials have been completed, PGS is not a service that we will consider offering.
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