6th International Congress of Academy of Clinical Embryologists (ACE), held at Hyderabad
Hyderabad: 6th International Congress of Academy of Clinical Embryologists (ACE), held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre was graced by many health organizations including Igenomix, pioneers in reproductive genetics. The central theme of the conference was “The Eight Secrets of Successful Infertility Practice” & Embryology Congress revolved around “Art beyond ICSI-Emerging Trends in Optimizing Success”.
Dr. Alan Thornhill who is a Senior Scientific Advisor &Igenomix’s UK Country Head represented Igenomix at the ACE. He is Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) expert and is author of over 100 articles on fertility and genetics. At ACE, he delivered lectures on ‘Different Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) Platforms’ and ‘Why Euploid Embryos Don’t Implant’.
While addressing the audience, Dr. Alan Thornhill explained how PGD and PGS areeffective techniques in controlling the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) failures and having a healthy child. “Even after PGD, about 50% embryos are chromosomally abnormal and will fail to translate into a successful pregnancy. To reduce the risk of miscarriage, chromosomal abnormalities in babies and enable higher pregnancy rates per transfer, Igenomix has now launched a combined product PGD + PGS” said Dr. Alan Thornhill.
The purpose of PGD is to identify genetic defects in embryos to determine if the particular embryo should be transferred during an IVF cycle or not. However, given the relatively high probability of chromosomal abnormalities present even in PGD embryos unaffected by a specific genetic disorder, patients may weigh up the costs against the benefits of reducing the chance of IVF failure, miscarriage or birth of a child with chromosomal abnormalities. Employing PGS with MitoScore after PGD may further aid in the selection of viable embryos with increased chances of embryo implantation and successful pregnancy.
“Employing PGD + PGS together can ensure ongoing pregnancy rates of 42.9%” added Dr. Alan Thornhill When it comes to IVF, Quality Management System (QMS) becomes very important to ensure the success. QMS is not a fad, a buzzword, or a waste of money as some have called it. From food production to the car industry it’s essential. The reason that Krispy Kreme donuts taste good and have the right consistency every time, the fact that many Japanese cars are still reliable after hundreds of thousands of miles is down, in large part to good quality management systems. Quality in IVF is the output of the processes complying with a set of pre-defined requirements.
“To be successful, today’s IVF must combine and navigate many different factors including patient heterogeneity, multiple clinical and laboratory processes and integrate new technologies where appropriate. However, before you launch into the details of specific processes, for example deciding how often you will measure incubator temperature in your lab; it is worth considering the QMS in its entirety. Benchmarking to illustrate the value a comprehensive, well-structured and properly supported QMS can bring to an IVF clinic to improve success and maintain them over time” said Dr. Alan Thornhill.
While the lecture focused on IVF, ART, ISO 9000, deciding the responsibility and procedures, he emphasised that everyone should have equal responsibility, be it doctor, Embryologist, Medical Director, Nurses, Business Manager/Administrator or Quality Manager.