Assisted Hatching (AH)

The assisted hatching procedure is a micromanipulation technique that was developed to facilitate the "hatching" of the developing embryos from the zona pellucida, or outer cellular membrane. The rationale for this technique came from the observation that embryos that had a thin zona pellucida had a higher rate of implantation during In Vitro Fertilization.

The indication for assisted hatching in the human include elevated maternal age, elevated basal FSH, increased zona thickness, unexplained implantation failure, polycystic ovarian failure(PCO), and reduced cleavage rates or excess embryonic fragmentation.

Assisted hatching will be performed on the day of embryo transfer. An embryo (six to eight cells) is stabilized by a holding micro pipette on its opposite side. Another micro pipette containing an acidified solution creates a small defect in the zona pellucida. Care is taken to insure that the defect is the appropriate size .The embryo is then rinsed to remove any excess solution and is returned to the incubator for a few hours before transfer to the uterus.

Assisted hatching has aided many women in conceiving successful pregnancies through IVF after previous failures.

At PRC, we have performed hundreds of assisted hatching procedures and have found a significant increase in pregnancy rates, especially in women over 40 years of age.