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State of the Art IVF LAB

Laser Assisted Hatching

Often, an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure can produce several embryos during the fertilisation process. Some couples opt to cryopreserve the embryos that are not transferred to the uterus during a given cycle, in the hope that they can use them later. This preservation process entails a sequence of Vitrification and warming, the effects of which could adversely affect the natural process of zona pellucida thinning and blastocyst hatching. Laser assisted hatching (LAH) is a laboratory procedure that loosens its outer shell, allowing it to implant successfully once it is deposited onto the uterine lining.

laser-assisted-hatching

INDICATIONS

  • Recommended usage on women of older ages (> 35 years of age).
  • Elevated basal FSH of women
  • Two or more previously failed IVF attempts
  • When a hard or thick egg shell (zonaPellucida) is perceived. (>15 μm)
  • abnormal or poor embryo morphology
  • Cytoplasmic fragmentation and retarded developmental rate
  • Women with frozen embryos.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF LASER ASSISTED HATCHING?

Laser assisted hatching (LAH) is a short two-step process, following the retrieval of cryopreserved embryos.

LIGHT PULSING

The hatching process is performed for each embryo individually. First, the embryo is framed by a circle of light indicating the circumference around which the laser will beam. Then, the laser starts pulsing a portion of the circumference, attempting to dissolve a part of the embryonic shell. The process is performed delicately, to ensure that the heat from the laser is not transferred to the cells of the embryo.

IMPLANTATION

Your embryologist will identify up to two embryos to be placed inside the uterus. The embryo will then implant itself in the uterine lining in the following few days.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF LASER ASSISTED HATCHING?

EMBRYO DAMAGE - If the laser hatching process is performed poorly, an embryo could be blemished or permanently destroyed. The fertility experts at DPU IVF AND ENDOSCOPY CENTRE are seasoned specialists, armed with years of experience in Assisted Hatching.

ADVANTAGES OF LASER ASSISTED HATCHING

  • Simple, fast and safe method of hatching as compared to acidic hatching procedures.
  • Accurate – since the accuracy of the laser is pre-programmed.
  • Pregnancy rates are enhanced from 50% to 65% with LAH.
  • Takes only few milliseconds to complete.
  • Automated process with fewer chances of manual errors.
  • Drastically improves the efficacy of IVF and ICSI procedures