When should Assisted Hatching be used?
Assisted hatching (AH) is a beneficial tool used to aid the embryo in escaping the zona. AH is most useful on FET's, older pts, or those that have a lower prognosis. AH is also done to make embryos easier to biopsy on D5 and D6.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
Assisted hatching is performed in order to help an embryo hatch out of its protective layering and implant into the uterus. During the initial stages of development, your embryo is contained in a layer of proteins, known as the zona pellicuda. The zona pellicuda is designed to protect the embryo until it reaches the blastocyst stage of development. In order to successfully implant into the uterine lining, the embryo needs to hatch out of this zona pellicuda and attach to the walls of the uterus. Assisted hatching attempts to help these embryos break out away from the zona pellicuda by creating a small hole in this outer lining.
Assisted hatching is typically recommended for women over the age of 37, women with elevated FSH on day 3 of their menstrual cycle, couples who have experienced failed IVF cycles or couples whose embryos have a particularly thick zona pellicuda.
Published on Jul 11, 2012