Assisted Hatching

Assisted Hatching is a process whereby a low energy laser beam is used to create a thinning in part of the Zona Pellucida (the outermost membrane that surrounds an embryo). The purpose of Assisted Hatching is to allow the embryo to hatch more easily from its “shell” Hatching must occur in all pregnancies, whether naturally occurring or as a result of In-Vitro Fertilization to enable embryos to implant in the lining of the uterus.

 

The process of Assisted Hatching may be helpful in cases where a women ’s eggs have a thicker that normal Zona Pellucida, in older women (over 38 years of age) when the Zona pellucida may harden, in women who have experienced repeated in-vitro-fertilization failures, or when using thawed frozen embryos.