Are you facing an issue during the implantation procedure (under your IVF treatment)? If yes, then LAH technique with IVF will be beneficial for you. LAH or Laser Assisted Hatching procedure is nowadays has become the most acceptable process in ART technique and is performed when a female has the issue with her implantation step in IVF.

Assisted Hatching is usually referred to as LAH, is a procedure where zona pellucida – the outer shell of the embryo is carefully opened with the help of micromanipulation.  It is an advanced method to hatch an embryo to get favorable outcome during implantation of the embryo into the uterus lining. Pregnancy is all dependent on successful implantation and once implantation has occurred, pregnancy soon takes place. The rate of pregnancy turns high with laser assisted hatching method with IVF. Several women before their embryo transfer choose LAH to ensure a positive result of implantation.

What is Zona Pellucida?

Zona pellucida plays a crucial role during the entire procedure of LAH method. Retrieved eggs (after completing the dose of fertility medication and injections) not yet fertilized with a sperm, has an outer shell- which is referred as Zona Pellucida, this shell only allow a single sperm that can perforate with it and enter into the cytoplasm of the egg for further cell division. When fertilization happens, that means, a sperm directly enters through zona pellucida reaching into the cytoplasm of the egg, the zona shell keeps the cells of the embryo together.

Once the sperm bind with the receptor of zona pellucida, one of the zona glycol-protein is liberated, which in turn, causes father sperm to let go more enzymes, now the zona pellucida dissolves in that area and the sperm finally gets all the way through the wall to the actual egg cell.

The zona pellucid has different functions achieving pregnancy that include in oocyte growth, protection throughout its development, fertilization, spermatozoa binding, not allowing polyspermy, blastocyst growth and prevention of premature implantation.

What if the embryo’s zona pellucida wall is hard? Obviously, in this case, there will be difficulty in achieving implantation. An embryo may not be able to hatch from its zona to attach to the womb of the recipient.  During LAH procedure, a small hole is created in the zona pellucid of the embryo and with the help of a laser beam and micromanipulation method, the outer side of the embryo is drawn out and this, in turn, smooths the path of embryo hatching and result in easy implantation.  Laser-assisted hatching technique is more rewarding for those women who are above 35.

The procedure of laser Assisted hatching during IVF with ICSI

IVF with ICSI treatment is all based on the insertion of single motile and active sperm into each egg (after the collection of the unfertilized egg from each ovary). By using the advance micromanipulation technique, fertility experts select the sperm individually and microinjected into each egg. Once the insertion is done, fertility specialists wait and check the sign of fertilization in each oocyte or egg. ICSI is best suitable for male infertility factor; where the male partner sperm is unfit to self penetrate with the egg.

LAH or Laser-assisted hatching is a technique, is always used during the process of IVF. This method is performed after the third or fourth day of the fertilization step. LAH is not at all a time-taking technique. During LAH technique with IVF in ICSI, a laser beam is employed on the outside shell of an embryo; many of the people think that during this technique, the embryo is in danger from this laser but it’s not like this. Here the embryo does not come directly in contact with the laser, so the embryo is out of any harm.

The beam is performed by using an infrared 1.48-μm diode laser. Zona pellucida gets softened by this laser beam and hence the opening of an embryo is enhanced after this laser technique.

Laser Assisted Hatching with IVF in ICSI treatment is not a delayed method; this hardly takes few milliseconds. Laser beam thins the wall of zona pellucida shell to around 10 microns. And once this shell is softened, embryo hatching easily happens.

If the embryo doesn’t hatch properly, implantation and pregnancy will not take place and hence it is mandatory for the implantation- hatching is a must.

Who can undergo IVF with LAH?

• Women, who are above their fertility age (usually at the stage of 35-40) – can opt for IVF with LAH. As the woman’s age increases, the shell becomes harder and occurring trouble in implantation. So, basically, zona pellucida softness and hardness is based on the age of the woman. This is the main reason, why younger women do not opt LAH with their IVF treatment because their shell is gentle than elder women.
• Women whose shell of an embryo is thick and unable to hatch naturally.
• Women, who have high follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level, can go for this method.
• Couples, who have chosen frozen embryo transfer in their IVF (the process of thawing or freezing the embryos make zona pellucida hard)
• Poor quality of the embryo and be short of energy and nutrients to outright the hatching process.

Success Rate and the Cost of LAH with IVF/ICSI 

If we talk about the success rate of LAH with IVF/ICSI, then must say it results in good live birth through ART technique. Somehow, the success depends upon the embryologist’s experience and fertility team too.

LAH is the delicate process that must be carried out in a sophisticated manner and thus it needs skillful hands for accomplishment. The success rate of LAH is basically depended on –

• Age of the woman
• Embryo quality
• Clinic’s success rate
• Embryologist experience and qualification

Go IVF Surrogacy is the golden platform, which unravels any case of infertility in a calm way and results best in success rate. Providing all the latest techniques with ultra-modern equipment during the medication, it is famed for its high success rate and delivery counts.  The cost of LAH in India ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 30,000 (excluding the charges of IVF/ICSI). LAH has been proven as the best method to increase the chance of attaining pregnancy.