What happens before PGT-A?

PGT-A is performed on cells from an embryo rather than directly on the person who may become pregnant. Before treatment, the team reviews your fertility history, explains what the test can and cannot show, and discusses how results may affect embryo selection and transfer planning.

IVF preparation commonly includes medicines to stimulate development of several eggs, monitoring with scans and hormone tests, and a planned egg-collection procedure. Sperm is collected or prepared according to the clinic’s plan. Embryos are then grown in the laboratory to a stage suitable for biopsy.

Read the consent documents carefully and ask how samples are handled, how results are reported, and what options exist for embryos with different findings. Give the team a complete list of medicines, supplements, allergies, and relevant genetic or family information.

Take fertility medicines at the instructed times and attend monitoring appointments. Ask about fasting, transport, and recovery after egg collection. Keep contact details current because the laboratory and fertility team may need to discuss results or next steps.

During ovarian stimulation, contact the clinic for severe abdominal swelling or pain, repeated vomiting, breathlessness, faintness, or markedly reduced urine. After egg collection, seek urgent advice for heavy bleeding, fever, worsening pain, or breathing difficulty. These symptoms need prompt review by the fertility team or emergency service.

Ask which medicines and appointments come first, when egg collection is planned, how biopsy is performed, and how the result may influence embryo transfer. Ask what happens if no embryo is suitable for testing or transfer.