We found out that DH had a balanced translocation (18 & 21) after many miscarriages. We were tested for everything but not sure if that included NK cells- what is this? And the karytope test revealed the translocation. We then found out about PGD Ivf and once our probe was built did our first cycle. That cycle collected 12 eggs, and 4 were suitable for testing and of those one was fine. That one is now our precious 3 year old boy . Since he was one we have no attempted 8 more for a sibling. I am what you call a good chicken and produce lots of eggs on low doses of fsh. The lowest number has been 15 eggs, and the last 2 cycles we have had 21 and 22. We have good fertilization rates, using Icsi ( even thought we don't need to use Icsi, we do just to make sure we have good fertilisation iykwim) . Last cycle was had 15 fertilise and 10 to biopsy/test. All 10 had the translocation. Cycle before we had 8 to test and again all carried the translocation. We had another cycle where although we only had 5 to test 2 amazingly were fine. We put both back in / transferred both but for some reason they didn't make it.
We are with MIVF.
Do you have any suggestions for what we could do differently? I have done some cycles with accupuncture, but this doesn't seem to have made a difference.
On a side note, I have underactive thyroid and pcos, and seem to get ohss everytime, including when I was pg with ds. Ohss is REALLY horrid.
Oh and Molisa thanks for those stats. We have basically been told that on paper for us that I in every 10 biopsied/ tested we should get one that is fine. Butbeven though we have had cycles with 10 to test thus doesnt seem to be the way it works in the real worl iykwim. Seems to be more a case of genetic tatslotto. Can I ask who your scientist is with?
You are very very fertile. What you do or not do don't alter the likelihood of a balanced chromosome set occurring. That 1 in 10 likelihood is estimated by your scientist specifically for your DH's involved chromosomes and breakpoints? What I was told by my lab is they observed 1 in 4 is genetically balanced from their own data. It can 'vary according to the amount of chromosome involved and which chromosomes are involved but seems to vary from run to run'. I also searched some technical literature and the reported sperm normal rate for male BT varies from 20%-50% based on the FISH analysis. But my scientist also commented that 'testing of sperm is error prone and does not necessarily give accurate detail on the true % normality'.
I joined a BT Yahoo group and there are many BT couples from all over the world. I don't check it very often. But last time I checked I saw a couple hit the genetic lottery and they naturally conceived a completely normal baby (not even a BT carrier). Another couple from the USA got 3 fine ones out of 14 tested.
Our scientist has also told us the likilihood if 1 in 4 being affected too, but they said this statistic was outside of Ivf, and what they found was that for Ivf it ends up being a 1 in 10. I think though this is for 18 21 cases. I can't believe that someone got 3 from 14. Do you know if these transferred successfully?
We have not had any sperm analysis done for our translocation before. All our testing has been done based on the karyotyping. Have you had sperm analysis done specifically to analyze your translocation?
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