LAH is a procedure performed in a laboratory in which the outer shell (zona pellucida) of a fertilized egg is gently thinned using an ultramodern laser.
When you conceive naturally, the embryo passes through the fallopian tube, enabling the shell to thin, making it easier for implantation. Embryos created in a laboratory have a thicker than normal shell and may need some extra help to break out of their shell.
LAH is a procedure performed in a laboratory in which the outer shell (zona pellucida) of a fertilized egg is gently thinned using an ultramodern laser. Thinning this outer shell of the embryo gives it a greater chance of properly “hatching”. and may increase the chances of successful implantation and pregnancy.
Our fertility specialists may recommend Laser Assisted Hatching (LAH) be performed in our laboratory before the embryo transfer if a woman’s reproductive cycle indicates she may have issues with implantation.
How does it work?
Laser-assisted hatching is a technique whereby a small artificial hole is made in the zona of an embryo using a laser system. It is thought that the embryo can then hatch more easily through this hole which hopefully increases the chance of the embryo implanting.
Laser-assisted hatching is performed just before the embryo transfer procedure and can be performed on embryos at the early cleavage stages (that is two or three days after the egg collection) and at the blastocyst stage (five or six days after the egg collection).
Is it right for me?
Assisted hatching may be recommended for women if they:
- are age 38 or older
- have had two or more previous IVF failures
- produce embryos that have a thick zona pellucida, or shell
- have frozen embryos (fertility preservation)
- have eggs or embryos with poor-quality
- required a high dose of gonadotropins of ovarian stimulation
