Another technique used at the Chularat 11 IVF Center to increase chances of implantation is assisted hatching. To successfully attach in the uterus, the outer shell of the embryo, called the zona pellucida, must break, allowing the Embryo to hatch and implant in the endometrial lining.
However, as a woman aging, the eggs may develop thicker shell, making it more difficult for the egg to hatch naturally; or, the doctor may have diagnosed a pattern with poor embryos from a previous IVF cycle. In these cases, the doctor may choose to employ assisted hatching, which is the process by which a hole is created in the shell of the fertilized egg, using mechanical, chemical, or laser methods. This facilitates the embryo escaping from its shell and improves the chances of implantation in the uterus.
Assisted hatching is only recommended for specific groups of women who have embryos with thick zona pellucida, advanced maternal age , elevated FSH, previously repeated failed implantation and frozen embryos . The very effective laser technique using at Chularat 11 IVF Center has many advantages over mechanical and chemical means.