Laser assisted hatching is a technique followed to create a gap in the middle of the shell of the embryo before it is transferred to the female uterus. The small slit allows the embryo to hatch out safely. IVF with laser hatching procedure is considered a much safer process than other acid methods that allows the embryo to develop in a healthy manner. This is yet, another effective way of fertilization.
45-60 Days
Women above 37 years of age are usually treated with IVF and Laser assisted hatching methods to help the embryo break free from an egg and get attached to the wall of the uterus. Laser assisted hatching procedure helps to break the outer harder shell of an egg to allow it to hatch.
Every unfertilized egg is surrounded by a layer called ‘Zona pellucida’. This outer shell ensures that only one sperm gets inside and fertilizes the egg. Once the egg is fertilized, zona pellucid bonds and keeps the cells of the embryo together. Gradually, the outer shell becomes harder during in Vitro culture, making it impossible for the egg to hatch. Laser assisted hatching, which is a laboratory procedure, is used in cleavage stage or during In Vitro development for hatching fertilized egg. The embryo is then transferred to the woman’s womb.
Owing to its ability to hatch an egg without touching the embryo, the procedure of Assisted Hatching is one of the most popularly used treatments for IVF. It has been found that the possibility of pregnancy is much higher with IVF Assisted Hatching than IVF treatments without hatching. It can, therefore, be said that the success rate of IVF with Laser Assisted Hatching is very high with increased improvements in embryo implantations.
Who are the candidates for IVF with Laser Assisted Hatching?
IVF with Laser Assisted Hatching is a laboratory procedure, which is performed after retrieval of eggs from the woman who wants to get pregnant or by using a donor egg.
Before IVF with laser assisted hatching process, the doctor takes eggs from the woman’s follicles. For the procedure, she is sedated or administered local/general anaesthesia in order to help her sleep through it. The doctor inserts a needle through the vagina through the cervix into the uterus and sucks out an egg from the follicle. He then gently removes the needle from the woman’s vagina.
He examines the egg in the laboratory and combines it with a sperm to help it fertilize. The zona pellucida becomes harder during the ICSI or IVF cycle. A small hole is created on the outer layer of the embryo by using laser ray pulses. During the Laser Assisted Hatching procedure, the outer layer of the embryo is breached by shooting laser pulses. However, it is made sure that the laser pulses do not harm the cells of the embryo. It takes only a few seconds to complete the process after which each embryo is exposed in the incubator.
While an embryologist prepares the embryo in the laboratory before the transfer procedure, the woman who wants to become pregnant is advised a few things:
The recovery of IVF with Laser Assisted Hatching is quick and easy. The procedure is considered absolutely safe and highly effective. Aafter the transfer, the woman may, however, feel certain degree of pain or cramping. She can return home the same day but should refrain from any activities. The good news is she can resume normal daily activities from the next day.
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