Assisted Hatching

This technique involves removing a small portion of the zona or ‘shell’ around the embryo using a laser or a weak acid solution without harming the embryo. Since the embryo needs to expand and ultimately hatch from the zona before it can implant in the uterus, assisted hatching has been shown to improve pregnancy rates when the zona is observed to be thicker than normal or the female partner is 38 years of age or older.