Latest News & Events

Changes To The Medicare Safety Net 201010-Mar-2010

The Medicare Safety Net (/IVF-Cost.htm) was introduced by the federal government in 2004 to prov..

THE KEY TO OPTIMISING IVF SUCCESS RATES09-Feb-2010

City Fertility Centre is able to boast some of the highest pregnancy success rates of any fertility ..

Rapid Freezing Increases IVF Success Rates07-Feb-2010

NUMBERS tell the story about why couples should choose a clinic that uses rapid freezing embryo tech..

Assisted Hatching

City Fertility Now Use Laser Assisted Hatching Techniques

WHAT IS ASSISTED HATCHING?

Just prior to embryo implantation, the developing embryo must "hatch" out of its outer shell (zona pellucida). Some embryos seem to have a thicker shell that may decrease their ability to implant. This may be due to the age of the woman or other unknown reasons.
Assisted hatching is a scientific technique that can improve the implantation of embryos into the women’s uterine lining, by creating an opening through which the embryo can hatch out. Pregnancy cannot occur unless the human embryo hatches.

WHAT IS ZONA PELLUCIDA?

The unfertilised oocyte is surrounded by a membrane called zona pellucida. The zona pellucida ensures that only one sperm cell enters and fertilises the egg. After fertilisation, the embryo begins to cleave into a two-cell, then a four-cell and so on. It is at this early cleavage stage that assisted hatching can be performed on embryos.
It has been shown that women older than 37 years of age, have a tendency to produce oocytes with a harder and/or thicker zona pellucida than younger women. The same goes for women with a high level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

The problem of a harder zona pellucida is that the embryo may not hatch and thus not attach to the woman’s womb. Hatching of the embryo is necessary to achieve pregnancy. It has been reported that up to 75% of normal embryos may never hatch. Laboratory procedures involved in IVF may add to the hardening of the zona, as the embryo is not continually exposed to the enzymes present in the natural environment of the Fallopian tubes.

There is also evidence to suggest that the process of freezing and thawing embryos causes the zona to harden and using assisted hatching can be beneficial.

At City Fertility Centre we offer laser assisted hatching, which is a gentle and safe way to weaken a part of zona pellucida. Several studies have shown that using a laser is superior to chemical and manual hatching. Laser assisted hatching has several advantages including; minimal handling of the embryo and delivering fast and exact control over the drilling of the hole.
Laser assisted hatching is performed by the scientists, prior to the embryos being transferred back to the uterus.

Recent meta-research (comparison of different relevant researches) showed that women who have undergone repeated IVF treatments without results, increase their chances of a pregnancy by use of assisted laser hatching.