Assisted Hatching

What is Hatching Procedure?

Fertilization happens when the healthy sperm is injected into the egg in a successful manner. The fertilized egg becomes an embryo and then reaches to blastocyst – a stage when it gets attached to the womb i.e implantation. The cells begin to divide and the embryo is covered by a protein rich layer of zona pellucida. The embryo has to hatch out of this zona pellucida and attach itself to the walls of the uterus for successful implantation.

When to advice for Assisted Hatching Technique?

The fertility specialists suggest the highly effective assisted hatching treatment under the following conditions:

  • Women of age beyond 38 to 40 years.
  • Patients with very thick outer shell or zona pellucida.
  • Failed IVF attempts after 2 cycles of treatment.
  • Frozen Embryo transfer cycles

Assisted Hatching Treatment

 The assisted hatching treatment is performed when the embryo has an average of 6 to 8 cells on the 3 rd day of development. The following sequence of steps is carried out in a sterile environment:

  • A holding pipette is used to stabilize the embryo.
  • A small breach in the zona pellucida is deliberately created either by chemical or with the help of laser.
  • The embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus or womb.

Risks and Benefits Of Assisted Hatching

Assisted Hatching treatment is an advanced technique to facilitate successful implantation of the embryo in the uterus.

However, Assisted Hatching treatment can pose the following risk and challenges –

  • Direct damage to the cultured Embryo
  • Damage to individual cells that can affect embryo quality.
  • Increased risk of having identical or monozygotic twins.

Note: Consult a specialist and clarify all your doubts before making a decision.