What is NGS? Who Is An Eligible Candidate for NGS?

NGS, which is the abbreviation of next generation sequencing, is a preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) method and the newest and the most comprehensive chromosome screening test that has been recently implemented into assisted reproduction technologies. The NGS method is a comprehensive chromosome analysis method applied to embryos before the transfer to detect genetic problems in the chromosomes of embryos. Using this method, we aim to select a healthy embryo by carrying out genetic analyses in embryos before the transfer, naturally, to increase the chance of establishing a healthy pregnancy. This test screens the whole set of 24 chromosomes in the human.

Compared to the different PGT methods that have been applied to date, NGS allows for conducting highly effective screening to detect some translocations as well as numerical changes that may occur in chromosomes.

Is NGS Suitable For Me?

Answering this question as below will be explanatory: As our aim is to detect numerical and structural mutations in the chromosomes via NGS, the answer given to the question which patient groups are more prone to such mutations will explain this subject matter.

Patient groups suitable to undergo NGS:

• Candidate mothers older than 38 years old
• Recurrent in vitro fertilization failures
• Recurrent miscarriages
• Heavy male factor
• Karyotypes mutations in individuals (some translocations)

We would like to bring an explanation the most frequently question we hear from our patients.

“Will You Apply This Method to Me or My Wife?”

The NGS method is applied to embryos obtained via the fertilization of the eggs and sperms of the spouses to detect mutations in chromosomes. While blastomere biopsies were previously performed on 3-day-old embryos, the current procedure is to perform trophectoderm biopsies on 5-day-old and 6-day-old embryos. This way, the risk of the occurrence of mosaicism is decreased.

In summary, conducting NGS increases the chance of establishing a healthy pregnancy via a comprehensive chromosomal analyses.