ad. 22. Does it change anything if I undergo amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling?

During discussions with our patients who have indications for chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis very often they ask the question: “What does it change if I receive a result of a karyotype?” Frequently, it is a repercussion of an opinion of another person, family or a physician. Here are some arguments, depending on a situation:

1. a reliable karyotype result changes a lot! It might give the greatest peace of mind.  Naturally, insecurities, especially regarding the risk of genetic disorders, tend to return causing major uncertainty during following examinations. It should be clearly stated that most of conclusive examinations are correct and each patient has a great chance of receiving an information that their baby is genetically healthy.
2. in case of congenital defects, e.g. heart defects, it is very important for further prognosis to exclude a genetic background of this anomaly.
3. amniocentesis/chorionic villus sampling should not depend on the possible decisions about the further course of the pregnancy. We are against looking ahead to the future. We consider it a great mistake when talking to and consulting our patients. In a lot of cases the karyotype result cannot be predicted and only after receiving it a proper discussion might take place.

And what about the risk of complications and even a miscarriage after the examination? The method of sampling for amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling employed at our centre is very safe. Therefore, patients should pay more attention to the benefits coming from a procedure in the form of an assessment of the baby’s chromosomes than to the anxiety caused by the procedure itself.