LASER ASSISTED HATCHING
Assisted hatching consists in making a small hole in the pellucid zone (the layer that surrounds the embryo).
This technique was introduced in 1990 by Cohen and Cols, reporting a significant increase in the rate of implantation in IVF patients. The most important benefit of this procedure is that it facilitates the embryo implantation process into the mother's uterus.
The pellucid zone has a very important role in fertilization and in the protection of the embryo during its development. So that the embryo is implanted in the uterine wall, it must emerge detach itself from the pellucid zone.
The detachment process is preceded by the thinning of the pellucid zone, which is done gradually, helped by substances produced by the embryo.
A number of findings suggest that human embryos with IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) sometimes lack the ability to thin out and detach from its pellucid zone.
A procedure called Assisted Extrusion or Assisted Hatching (HA) has been designed for this purpose. HA creates a small opening (approximately 20 to 40 microns) in the embryo’s pellucid zone, just before the embryo is transferred to the uterus.
This technique may benefit patients who: