PGT-A Testing in India: Cost, Accuracy, and Who Actually Needs It

What Does a Mosaic PGT-A Result Mean?

Mosaicism is one of the most complicated areas of embryo genetic testing in India and worldwide.

A mosaic result generally means that the biopsy showed different chromosome patterns among the sampled cells.

It does not necessarily mean that every cell in the embryo is abnormal.

ASRM notes that mosaic results can be difficult to interpret because the biopsy is only a small sample and intermediate copy-number findings can have multiple possible explanations.

Some mosaic embryos have resulted in healthy pregnancies, but transfer decisions require careful counselling because outcomes can differ depending on the chromosome involved and the nature of the mosaic result.

Patients should ask their clinic:

• How does your laboratory classify mosaic embryos?
• Do you transfer mosaic embryos?
• Which mosaic results are considered higher or lower priority?
• Do you have a genetic counsellor?
• What prenatal testing is recommended after a mosaic embryo transfer?

PGT-A vs Morphology-Based Embryo Selection

Without PGT-A, embryologists primarily assess embryos using characteristics such as:

• Cell development
• Blastocyst expansion
• Inner cell mass appearance
• Trophectoderm appearance
• Developmental timing

PGT-A adds genetic information about chromosome copy number.

Neither approach provides a perfect prediction of reproductive potential.

A beautiful-looking embryo can be aneuploid, while an embryo with less impressive morphology can sometimes result in pregnancy.

This is why PGT-A should be viewed as one piece of information, not an absolute ranking system for embryos.

How PGT-A Works: Step-by-Step

The typical process looks like this:

Step 1: IVF stimulation

The ovaries are stimulated to produce multiple follicles.

Step 2: Egg retrieval

Eggs are collected and fertilized in the laboratory.

Step 3: Embryo development

Embryos are cultured until the blastocyst stage when possible.

Step 4: Embryo biopsy