MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Chorionic villus sampling

Skip navigation

Medical Encyclopedia

Chorionic villus sampling - series: Results

Chorionic villus sampling - seriesIllustrations:

Normal anatomy

Procedure, part 1

Procedure, part 2 - transcervical

Procedure, part 2 - transabdominal

Results

Once the catheter or needle reaches the chorionic villi, your surgeon withdraws a small sample and carefully removes it from the uterus.

You should receive Rh immune globulin (RHIG) at the time of CVS if you are an Rh-negative unsensitized patient.

The sample is sent to a laboratory. How the lab technicians handle the sample depends on the genetic abnormalities they are looking for and the type of technology they use. They will extract chromosomes from the sample's cells to find out if your fetus is carrying any genetic abnormalities.

In most cases, your health-care provider will have your test results back within two weeks. The results can help you and your partner decide whether to carry the pregnancy to term, or how to prepare for the baby you will deliver.

Update Date: 9/19/2006

Updated by: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2008, A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.