How long does PGT-M setup take?

The preclinical work-up must be completed before your IVF cycle starts, and it is the step couples most often underestimate. What it involves: Identifying your exact gene change, if not already documented. Obtaining DNA samples — from you, your partner, and often other family members such as an affected child or parents, to establish which genetic markers track with the altered gene in your family. Designing and validating a test specific to your family. That family sample requirement is the usual source of delay. It depends on relatives being available, willing, and sometimes in another city or country. Where a key relative is unavailable, an alternative strategy may be needed, or the test may not be possible in the form initially planned. ESHRE recommends the work-up report specifies the strategy, the informativity testing performed on family members, the test limitations, and the residual risk — so ask for that report and read it before starting your cycle. Timelines vary by laboratory and by complexity. Ask your centre for their expected turnaround for your specific situation, and treat any estimate as dependent on family samples arriving. Practical advice: start the work-up as early as possible, well before you plan to begin IVF. Couples frequently arrive ready to start treatment and are surprised to find several months of preparation ahead. If you are older or ovarian reserve is a concern, that delay has a real cost, and beginning the genetic work-up early is worth prioritising.