• IVF • Oocyte Donation • ICSI • IUI • PGD • Assisted Hatching • Embryo Cryopreservation • Ovulation Induction • Premature Ovarian Failure • Endometriosis • Male Infertility

Assisted Hatching

At LifeStart Fertility Center, Assisted Hatching is one of the specialized IVF laboratory services offered. Assisted Hatching involves making a small hole in the outer shell surrounding the embryo, called the zona pellucida. The zona pellucida holds the cells of the embryo together and dissolves after the embryo arrives in the uterus, allowing the embryo to "hatch" and than implant. Implantation of the embryo into the wall of the uterus cannot occur until the embryo hatches.

Who can benefit from the Assisted Hatching procedure? Through years of study, it has been found that Assisted Hatching benefits women 38 years or older. It is also used in women who have failed multiple IVF cycles, in cases where embryo quality is poor, in some women suffering from endometriosis (link), and in women with an elevated FSH level on day 3 of their cycle.

Assisted Hatching may optimize the chance of pregnancy by helping embryos from these women implant in the uterus during an In Vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. This procedure involves making a small "window" in the wall of the zona pellucida, using a dilute, or weak solution of acid that is placed onto the surface of the embryo using a fine needle. The embryos are then transferred into the uterine cavity.

For more information on Assisted Hatching and if this procedure may help you, please contact us by clicking the link or call LifeStart Fertility Center at 818-889-4532.