In IVF treatments, pregnancy may not occur despite high-quality embryo transfer. One of the reasons for this is that the membrane surrounding the embryo does not rupture and the embryo cannot implant to the uterus. There is a protective membrane around the egg and embryo. This membrane is called the zona pellucida. The membrane around the embryo spontaneously cracks or ruptures when it reaches the blastocyst stage. This is called hatching. With the hatching of the membrane, the blastocyst comes out of the membrane and implants into the endometrial tissue. Although the reason is unknown, sometimes this membrane does not hatch and therefore cannot implant in the uterus. The process of thinning or completely puncturing the outer membrane around the embryo before embryo transfer in IVF is called Assisted hatching. A hole to be drilled in the zona pellucida facilitates natural hatching. This process increases the chances of implantation of the embryo.
Assisted hatching is recommended for women aged 38 years and older, those with at least two previous IVF failures, and those with a thick zona pellucida in their embryos. Assisted hatching increases the chance of implantation. Since an embryo may be damaged during the assisted hatching process, the procedure should definitely be done by experienced embryologists. The laser-assisted hatching method is used in our clinic, which minimizes damage to the embryo during the hatching process.
