Assisted hatching

Assisted hatching is a laboratory technique in which a small opening is made in the embryo’s zona pellucida using a laser, with the aim of helping the embryo implant in the uterus.
The procedure is performed before embryo transfer.

Whether embryos are transferred on day 3 or day 5, they must hatch from their outer shell (the zona pellucida) before implantation—and therefore pregnancy—can occur. Hatching allows the embryo’s cells to come into direct contact with the lining of the uterus.

Some studies have suggested that one possible reason why embryos fail to implant after IVF is that they are unable to complete the hatching process. This hatching process can be assisted in the laboratory by using a laser to create a small opening in the embryo’s zona pellucida. This technique is known as assisted hatching.

The technique is generally considered in selected situations, including:
• Couples with a history of recurrent implantation failure
• Women of advanced maternal age
• Cases in which our experienced embryology team has observed a thickened zona pellucida around the embryos.

Ioannis A. Sklavounos MD MSc DFFP
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Specialist Training and Fellowship in the United Kingdom
T.Senior Clinical Fellow – Liverpool Woman’s Hospital UK

IVF

Fertility & IVF Centre in Marousi

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