Laser Assisted Hatching (LAH)

LAH | LASERASSISTED HATCHING

Fertility research is always advancing and looking for new solutions to potential obstacles along the fertility journey. Laser Assisted Hatching (LAH) is a step added to in vitro fertilization and is often recommended based on several criteria.


WhyLAH?

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.


Who might benefitfrom this treatment?

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.

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