What is genetics?
Genetics is the speciality responsible for carrying out both genetic studies and providing individualised counselling to patients or families.
It has staff and equipment to clinically diagnose and offer genetic counselling on hereditary diseases, as well as diagnostic support for diseases with a genetic component for other specialities such as oncology, haematology, paediatric medicine, gynaecology and cardiology, among others. The genetics unit works in coordination with the rest of the Vithas units and professionals to provide the best comprehensive health care for patients with genetic diseases.
Which patients is it for?
The Vithas genetics clinic is aimed at both patients with an existing condition and patients who want to know their genetic map in order to prevent hereditary diseases.
Genetic diseases are a major health problem. Approximately 3% of newborns have some genetic abnormality or disease and 8% of the population will develop a genetic disorder before the age of 25. It has been found that genetic factors play a predominant role in approximately 1/3 of chronic disorders in adulthood, which means that this unit is becoming increasingly important.
The aim of this unit is essentially to improve people’s health, and we work in coordination with other medical specialities in order to offer the support you require.
You can visit the Genetics Unit at any time of life. In the preconception, prenatal, childhood or adulthood stages, with the guarantee you’ll receive teamwork, professional treatment and a lot of humanity.
To access the Genetics Clinic you must go to your specialist doctor and he/she will refer you for genetic counselling and/or assessment of your individual and/or family case to study the need to carry out genetic studies.
Main conditions and diseases
The Genetics Unit offers an extensive range of care services, including:
- Genetic counselling (preconception, reproductive, hereditary and chromosomal diseases and hereditary cancer)
- Genetic and preconception, prenatal (invasive and maternal blood) and postnatal diagnosis
- Pharmacogenetic studies
- Therapy in rare diseases (clinical trials, cellular reprogramming, etc.)
The Genetics Unit has laboratories equipped with the most advanced technology to carry out cytogenetics and molecular biology studies, and also actively collaborates with other hospital areas, such as oncology for hereditary cancer genetic counselling, as well as with the Assisted Reproduction Unit to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
Areas of specialisation
- Clinical genetics
- Biochemical genetics
- Molecular genetics
- Cytogenetics
- Genetics of common diseases
- Genetic counselling
Special services
Vithas offers you high-quality medical care, performing the necessary studies to establish an adequate diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of each patient's specific conditions.
FAQs
What is prenatal and postnatal genetic diagnosis?
This procedure detects the presence, absence or variants of one or more segments of genetic material, identifies affected or not affected states, carriers of a specific genetic defect, genetic predisposition to a specific disease or genetic variants that may condition the response to a specific treatment.
What is prenatal and postnatal genetic counselling?
Genetic counselling explains the problems associated with the occurrence of a genetically based disorder in an individual or a family or the risk of its occurrence, as well as the advantages, risks and possible consequences of carrying out a specific genetic analysis and, where appropriate, counselling regarding possible alternatives based on the results of the analysis.
