Laser Hatching

Laying an egg is a difficult process. Laser hatching is one of the final steps in this process, in which a carved-out hole from the egg's outer layer allows the baby bird to break free from its chrysalis. Continue reading to learn more about how this works and its importance in our IVF treatment.

If you've had IVF, you're probably aware that a fertilized egg does not guarantee a pregnancy. To achieve a successful pregnancy, the embryo must implant on the uterine wall after being transferred to a woman's uterus. IVF failure occurs when an embryo fails to hatch and implant.

If your IVF treatment fails for unknown reasons or you have a poor prognosis, you will be referred to laser-assisted hatching. The goal of LAH is to overcome all of the obstacles to implantation or successful pregnancy.

Fertilized eggs are kept in the lab for 2 to 5 days during the IVF procedure, allowing them to divide and develop into an embryo. To achieve pregnancy, a healthy embryo is implanted in a woman's uterus. During this stage of development, the embryo is encased in a protective shell known as the zona pellucida. This protective shell naturally breaks out in order for implantation to occur. However, in some cases, the embryo's outer layer hardens, making hatching and implanting difficult. It becomes one of the causes of female infertility.

In laser-assisted hatching, a small crack is made before inserting the embryo into your uterus in the hope that this hatching will aid in embryo implantation. This procedure promotes successful implantation and pregnancy.