Laser Assisted Hatching
Laser-assisted hatching, also known as Assisted Zona Hatching can turn around a history of failure for embryos to implant themselves in the uterine wall. Assisted zona hatching (AZH) is a procedure of assisted reproductive technology in which a small hole is made in the outer covering or shell of the embryo ,namely, zona pellucida, using a Laser Directed Energy and micromanipulator, thereby facilitating for zona hatching to occur. Zona hatching is the process whereby the blastocyst gets rid of the surrounding zona pellucida to be able to implant in the uterus. We use Hamilton-Thorne LYKOS Laser System which is a ‘state-of-art’ German Technology device.
Please see the attached real time Laser Assisted Hatching Video
Indications for LAH
| Age | Women over 37 years old |
|---|---|
| Hormonal Status | Women with an elevated baseline level of FSH (follicular stimulating hormone) |
| Embryo Quality | Women with poor prognosis embryos, including conditions such as a thick zona pellucida, slow cell division rate, or high cell fragmentation |
| IVF Attempts | Women who have failed 1 or more IVF cycles |
| Frozen Embryos | Women using frozen/thawed embryos, which may have hardened zona pellucida |
Does assisted hatching improve implantation rates?
Assisted hatching can improve the chances of implantation during IVF and is considered an option for patients who are able to achieve good fertilization and embryo cell development, but the zona pellucida is excessively thick and they do not conceive.