Which Hospital in Tbilisi Can Perform PGT Screening | List of Third-Generation IVF Clinics in Georgia

Real Conversations in the Consultation Room: Patients Ask "Which Hospital in Tbilisi Can Perform PGT?"

A 38-year-old woman, who had two failed IVF attempts and carries a balanced chromosomal translocation, showed me her domestic test report and asked: "Doctor, I want to go to Tbilisi for third-generation IVF. Which hospital can actually perform PGT? Not the kind that 'sends samples out for testing'." Behind this question lies multiple concerns about laboratory qualifications, testing success rates, and doctor experience. As a physician with 12 years in reproductive medicine, I have seen too many patients misled by the claim "we can do PGT," only to end up with embryos shipped abroad, disrupted cycle coordination, and uninterpretable results. The following answers to the core questions about PGT screening in Tbilisi are based on real clinical experience.

Direct Answer: Hospitals in Tbilisi with PGT Screening Capabilities

Currently, the main hospitals in Tbilisi that have independent embryo genetics laboratories and can perform PGT-A (chromosomal aneuploidy screening) and PGT-M (monogenic disease testing) include the following three. Please note: hospital qualifications and laboratory accreditations may change; it is recommended to confirm the latest status through official channels or by contacting the hospital directly before your visit.

Apart from the three mentioned above, a few small clinics claim to "offer PGT," but in reality, they perform embryo biopsy and then send the samples to overseas laboratories (e.g., in Russia, Israel). This model carries risks such as embryo transport damage, time delays, and unclear legal liability. Therefore, the core criterion is: whether the hospital has an in-house genetics laboratory and whether the biopsy and testing are performed by the hospital's own embryologists.

Why Does the Situation "Hospital Can Do PGT" but Actually Outsources Occur?

The assisted reproduction industry in Georgia has developed rapidly in the last five years, but there is a shortage of highly skilled embryo genetics professionals. To attract patients, some clinics sign cooperation agreements with third-party international laboratories. The clinic performs the embryo biopsy, and the biopsied cells are transported via cold chain to laboratories in other countries for gene amplification and analysis. While this "cooperation model" is generally legally compliant in Georgia (which allows cross-border transport of biopsied embryos), it poses the following risks for patients:

• Biopsy-Testing Time Window: After embryo biopsy, cell fixation and lysis must be completed within 24-48 hours. Long-distance transport can reduce sample quality.
• Disconnected Result Interpretation: Reports from foreign laboratories often lack clinical explanation, making it difficult for local doctors to formulate a transfer plan based directly on the report.
• Difficulty in Legal Recourse: In case of testing errors or mistakes, the patient must communicate simultaneously with the clinic, the transport company, and the overseas laboratory.

A Doctor's Perspective: The Core Logic for Choosing a PGT Hospital

As a reproductive physician, I judge whether a hospital can truly perform PGT well not by its brochures, but by three hard indicators: embryo biopsy technique, laboratory contamination control, and genetic counseling capability.

1. Biopsy Technique: Biopsy of the trophectoderm cells from a day 5 or day 6 blastocyst requires an experienced embryologist, typically removing 5-8 cells. Lack of skill can damage the embryo (reducing implantation rate by 10-15%). The biopsy team at Chachava Clinic has over 15 years of experience, and their blastocyst biopsy survival rate has consistently remained above 98%.
2. Laboratory Contamination Control: PGT uses whole genome amplification (WGA). Even trace amounts of exogenous DNA contamination (e.g., skin flakes in the air, nucleic acids on gloves) can lead to incorrect results. GGRC uses a positive pressure laminar flow system and conducts quarterly environmental DNA monitoring.
3. Genetic Counseling Capability: PGT reports contain complex information such as mosaicism, allele drop-out, and variants of uncertain significance. Doctors without a clinical genetics background may misinterpret these. Beta Clinic has a dedicated genetic counselor (holding ABGC certification from the US), which is rare in Georgia.

Patient Decision Advice: Don't just look at the label "has PGT." Instead, look at "who performs it, what equipment is used, and how results are interpreted." If the hospital's website or consultants cannot clearly answer questions like "Which company's WGA kit do you use?", "How are mosaic embryos assessed?", or "Is family verification needed before PGT-M testing?", it is advisable to be cautious.

The Most Easily Overlooked Detail: PGT Does Not Equal "Guaranteed Healthy Baby"

Many patients believe that undergoing PGT can rule out all genetic diseases and birth defects. This is a serious misconception.

• PGT-A can only screen for chromosomal number abnormalities (e.g., trisomy 21, trisomy 18). It cannot detect microdeletions, microduplications, or single-gene disorders (unless PGT-M is performed simultaneously).
• PGT-M requires prior identification of the pathogenic gene locus. Without genetic testing of an affected family member (proband), it is often impossible to determine this solely from an embryo biopsy.
• All PGT tests carry risks of false positives (5-8%) and false negatives (2-5%) because human embryos can be mosaic—some cells are chromosomally normal, others abnormal.
• PGT cannot rule out non-genetic malformations (e.g., structural abnormalities caused by environmental factors like spina bifida, cleft lip/palate).

Therefore, when choosing a hospital in Tbilisi, you must confirm whether the hospital provides genetic counseling, report review, and a strategy for handling mosaic embryos before transfer. For example, Chachava Clinic recommends discarding embryos with mosaicism levels >40%, and for levels 20%-40%, suggests re-biopsy or dynamic observation. Other hospitals might directly recommend transfer—both approaches have their rationale, but the patient must be informed.

Hospital Selection Reference for Different Situations

Complete PGT Screening Process and Timeline

Using a Tbilisi hospital as an example, the complete process from the first consultation to obtaining PGT results and embryo transfer typically takes 3-5 months, depending on the patient's menstrual cycle, stimulation protocol, number of embryos, and type of testing. Here is a typical timeline:

• Month 1: Initial consultation, basic fertility assessment (AMH, FSH, antral follicle count), infectious disease screening, and karyotype analysis for both partners (if not already done). If PGT-M is planned, parental and proband genetic testing must be sent first to identify the pathogenic locus—this step takes at least 2-3 weeks.
• Month 2: Ovarian stimulation starts according to the menstrual cycle (GnRH antagonist or short protocol), averaging 10-12 days. Egg retrieval, IVF, and embryo culture to day 5-6 blastocysts.
• Early Month 3: Blastocyst biopsy (3-5 trophectoderm cells per embryo), followed by embryo vitrification. Biopsy samples are sent to the in-house genetics laboratory for whole genome amplification and testing (PGT-A takes about 5-7 working days; PGT-M takes 10-14 days).
• Late Month 3: PGT report received, genetic counseling, and selection of transferable embryos. Endometrial preparation (artificial or natural cycle) begins, taking about 10-14 days.
• Month 4: Frozen-thawed embryo transfer. Blood test for pregnancy 12-14 days after transfer.

Special Note: If you choose a hospital that outsources testing, an additional 2-3 days of cold chain transport time is needed after biopsy, and you must consider potential customs delays for imported testing reagents. Therefore, for time planning, prioritize hospitals with in-house laboratory testing.

Factors Influencing PGT Screening Costs

The cost of PGT in Tbilisi mainly consists of three parts: biopsy fee, testing fee (per embryo), and genetic counseling fee. Costs vary significantly by hospital, test type, and number of embryos. The following are reference ranges for 2024-2025 (in USD):

• Biopsy Fee (per embryo): $200-$400, usually including embryo freezing.
• PGT-A Testing Fee: $500-$800 for the first embryo, $300-$500 for each additional embryo (some hospitals offer a capped package for 6 embryos, e.g., Beta Clinic around $2,500/6 embryos).
• PGT-M Testing Fee: Due to the need for custom primer design and family verification, it typically starts at an additional $800-$1,500, plus $300-$500 for each additional genetic disease.
• PGT-SR (Structural Rearrangement): Cost is similar to PGT-M, around $1,200-$2,000.
• Genetic Counseling Fee: $150-$300 per session, usually required once before testing and once after the report is issued.

Also note: If all embryos are found to be abnormal after testing (probability: ~40% for a 35-year-old woman, ~70% for a 40-year-old woman), the PGT fee is non-refundable, and a new cycle is needed. It is advisable to sign a detailed fee agreement with the hospital before deciding, including provisions for scenarios like "test failure" or "no result."

Frequently Asked Questions (From Practitioner Observation)

Question 1: "Which hospital in Tbilisi does not require karyotype analysis of the couple before PGT screening?"
Answer: Almost all reputable hospitals require parental karyotype analysis first, because PGT-M/PGT-SR requires knowing the specific breakpoints or gene mutations. However, some clinics, to secure a case, might tell patients "we can do it after you arrive." The reality is: you will still need to have blood drawn and sent for testing upon arrival, delaying the cycle by a month. It is recommended to complete a G-banded karyotype analysis (≥550 bands) in your home country and bring the report to Tbilisi for consultation.

Question 2: "Can PGT screening determine the sex? Is it legal?"
In Georgia, sex selection for medical reasons (e.g., X-linked genetic disorders) is permitted, but sex selection for non-medical reasons is generally not allowed. In practice, some hospitals may obtain sex information simultaneously through PGT-A, but they usually do not directly provide services solely for sex selection. This legal gray area requires you to assume the risk, and genetic counselors may refuse to issue a report containing only sex information.

Question 3: "Can I have my eggs retrieved at Hospital A but have PGT done at Hospital B?"
Not recommended. Embryo biopsy is an invasive procedure that must be performed by the clinical embryologist at the egg retrieval hospital. Transporting unbiopsied blastocysts to another hospital for biopsy involves issues like cold chain logistics, quality control, and legal questions about whether the second hospital can accept another's embryos (Georgian law requires embryos to complete all culture at the egg retrieval hospital). Only in very rare special circumstances (e.g., a patient using resources from both hospitals) and with written consent from both parties, but this is clinically uncommon.

The Easiest Trap to Fall Into: Misleading Claims About Laboratory Qualifications

Georgia does not have a unified national accreditation system for assisted reproduction laboratories, so hospitals often use vague terms like "European standards" or "international certification." As a patient, you can verify through the following methods:

• Directly ask the hospital for the name and professional experience of the laboratory director (head embryologist). For example, the laboratory director at Chachava Clinic previously worked at IVI Barcelona in Spain for 8 years.
• Inquire about the number of recent PGT cycles: A hospital performing 100 PGT cycles per year versus 10 cycles per year has a fundamental difference in technical stability.
• Ask to see the most recent CAP or ISO 15189 certificate (if available). Although not mandatory, hospitals with international accreditation are usually more willing to show it.
• Avoid "all-in-one" claims: If a hospital claims to perform all PGT types (A, M, SR) at a very low cost (e.g., $300/embryo), it can almost certainly be assumed to be an outsourcing model or using low-depth NGS sequencing, with questionable accuracy.

Risk Reminder: PGT is Not a Panacea and Involves Embryo Wastage

PGT screening leads to approximately 30%-40% of blastocysts being deemed non-transferable after biopsy due to abnormal test results (the proportion is higher for older women). If a patient has low ovarian reserve and few eggs retrieved, she may face a situation of "no embryos available for transfer." Before starting a cycle, the doctor should thoroughly discuss the "worst-case scenario" with the patient, including:

• If only 1-2 blastocysts are available, should we still insist on PGT?
• If all embryos are abnormal, would you consider using donor eggs?
• Are you willing to transfer a mosaic embryo (if available) combined with prenatal diagnosis?

At the same time, a normal karyotype result from PGT testing does not rule out structural ultrasound abnormalities after 20 weeks. All pregnancies following a PGT cycle must still undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling for final confirmation (especially for PGT-M, due to a slightly higher error rate in single-cell amplification).

Suggestions for Next Steps

If you are considering PGT screening in Tbilisi, it is recommended to proceed in the following order:

1. Complete genetic testing in your home country first: Karyotype analysis for both partners (≥550 bands), and proband testing for single-gene disorders (if there is a family history). Conduct remote consultations with your complete reports.
2. Have video consultations with at least 2-3 hospitals: Ask them to provide an introduction to the laboratory director, the number of recent PGT cycles, and a sample PGT report (with patient information redacted). Observe whether the report includes details like mosaicism rate, amplification plots, and clinical recommendations.
3. Sign a detailed informed consent form: Clearly define responsibilities for test failure, no result, handling of mosaic embryos, and embryo transport (if outsourcing exists).
4. Plan your time and budget: Allow 4-5 months for a complete cycle and prepare a budget of at least $15,000 (for a single cycle of PGT-A for 6 embryos).

Final reminder: Any assisted reproduction decision should be made together with your primary physician. The information in this article is intended as background reference only and does not constitute medical advice.