Assisted hatching - AHA

After transfer of the fertilized eggs to the uterus, they continue to cleave to more and more cells which forces the membrane surrounding the egg to crack. This cracking (hatching) of the membrane is a mandatory initial step to enable implantation of the egg in the uterus.

​

This hatching of the eggs can be impeded if the egg membrane is thick or tough. There is some evidence that such problems increases with increasing age of the woman.

​

Assisted hatching is a procedure where we, before transfer of the fertilized eggs to the uterus, perform "artificial" cracking (hatching) of the egg membrane in the laboratory.

​

This procedure is recommended if the woman is 40 years or above, but also in younger women after several unsuccessful treatments and in cases where we find the membranes to be "thick".

However, scientific prove of a positive effect of AHA still remains, but it is our belief that the procedure improves the chance of pregnancy in selected cases.

​