assisted hatching

reb259 · March 2011

I am going to see RE monday to discuss next steps. My husband and I have decided to to move forward and do another IVF cycle as soon as possible. I wanted to bring up assisted hatching with him but want to make sure I know what I am talking about.

From what I have read, it seems like it done for older women and for not so great quality eggs. My first IVF we ET 3, 2 were 8 cell and 1 was 6 cell but he said there was 20% fragmentation.

Has anyone done assisted hatching? Anything else I need to know about it?

kemckinney · March 2011

We did it on our last cycle. The reason the RE chose it for us was the fragmentation in my eggs first cycle. The only thing I had to do differently was take a steroid and one other medication to lower my immune system. It wasn't bad though- all pills. GL!

reb259 · March 2011

Hope you don't mind me asking, but I assume there was an extra charge to do it.

Bella2u07 · March 2011

From my understanding my RE does it for everyone, as long as their embryos qualify.

GL at your appt.

LUVNE · March 2011

My clinic does this for everyone. GL!

Edwina.McDunnough · March 2011

My old clinic did it for anyone over 35, my new clinic does it for any embryo with a zona greater of a particular amount. The idea being that older eggs have tougher shells, and the little nick can assist hatching.

information

It's about $1400 extra, sometimes only done to d3 embryos, sometimes done to any age embryo, and I'm given Medrol:

METHYLPREDNISOLONE (Medrol)
This steroid hormone is taken when the Assisted-Hatch procedure is being done, in conjunction with the Embryo Transfer. It is taken to suppress any inflammatory reaction that might occur between the embryo(s) and the endometrial lining.

ColleenS629 · March 2011

Edwina.McDunnough:
My old clinic did it for anyone over 35, my new clinic does it for any embryo with a zona greater of a particular amount. The idea being that older eggs have tougher shells, and the little nick can assist hatching.
information
It's about $1400 extra, sometimes only done to d3 embryos, sometimes done to any age embryo, and I'm given Medrol:
METHYLPREDNISOLONE (Medrol)
This steroid hormone is taken when the Assisted-Hatch procedure is being done, in conjunction with the Embryo Transfer. It is taken to suppress any inflammatory reaction that might occur between the embryo(s) and the endometrial lining.

I took Medrol too but I don't think I had assisted hatching. Hmm.

Edwina.McDunnough · March 2011

Colleen, you are correct. I think a clinic may use this with with ICSI or other manip, or just as a safeguard, I also took Medrol without doing AH for my blast cycle.

The reference link is here, it's one clinic and their practices...I should have been more clear and not so focused on AH.

Thanks!

cutebride73 · March 2011

This is a bit of a sore subject with me - regarding my RE, not the procedure. I was told that my clinic does it if you are over 38 (I am 2 months away from being) and if it is a 3dt, never with 5 dt. It had been my understanding, and we signed for it, that it was going to happen for us. I even double checked the day of my fert report (b/c I only had 1 embryo fertilize, it was a 3dt for sure).

After the ET, I asked again and it was not done, the embryologist said I hadn't met "age criteria". In my WTF phone consult with my RE she certainly back pedaled. Said that it is ultimately the embryologists decision and if they didn't feel it was needed for various factors, etc.. then it wouldn't be done.

She went on to say it is an older procedure (that ICSI is neweer) and if eggs are ICSI'd and make it to 5 day blasts, they hatch out of the whole that was made for the ICSI. So, that makes it unnecessary. Of course, she could NOT tell me that they never use ICSI and assisted hatching on some people, so that is still bs.

Although, any manipulation of the egg or embryo puts it at increased risk for problems. So, it does make sense that you may not want to manipulate it twice. And my eggs were ICSI'd.

I don't know if my rant provided any useful information at all, but I hope somewhere within this, there is something helpful. I think my RE charges $350 for Assisted Hatching, it is ICSI that is the expensive procedure. I needed that b/c we are MFI as well.

bluebabka · March 2011

We did have assisted hatching due to fragmentation. You should ask your RE to explain it to you because I really think it pertains to the egg quality as you said. GL : )

reb259 · March 2011

cutebride73:

This is a bit of a sore subject with me - regarding my RE, not the procedure. I was told that my clinic does it if you are over 38 (I am 2 months away from being) and if it is a 3dt, never with 5 dt. It had been my understanding, and we signed for it, that it was going to happen for us. I even double checked the day of my fert report (b/c I only had 1 embryo fertilize, it was a 3dt for sure).

After the ET, I asked again and it was not done, the embryologist said I hadn't met "age criteria". In my WTF phone consult with my RE she certainly back pedaled. Said that it is ultimately the embryologists decision and if they didn't feel it was needed for various factors, etc.. then it wouldn't be done.

She went on to say it is an older procedure (that ICSI is neweer) and if eggs are ICSI'd and make it to 5 day blasts, they hatch out of the whole that was made for the ICSI. So, that makes it unnecessary. Of course, she could NOT tell me that they never use ICSI and assisted hatching on some people, so that is still bs.

Although, any manipulation of the egg or embryo puts it at increased risk for problems. So, it does make sense that you may not want to manipulate it twice. And my eggs were ICSI'd.

I don't know if my rant provided any useful information at all, but I hope somewhere within this, there is something helpful. I think my RE charges $350 for Assisted Hatching, it is ICSI that is the expensive procedure. I needed that b/c we are MFI as well.

So sorry you had to go through that! I would be so PO'ed. I am 37 and had 20-25% frag last time so I am hoping he will consider doing this since this is probably our last shot. Thanks for sharing your experience with me!!

KDR1979 · March 2011

My RE does AH for AMA, poor egg quality & multiple ivf failures. On this ivf cycle, they told us we are getting ICsi & AH due to history of multiple failures. I started medrol & tetracycline (antibiotic) the day aver ER....along with endometrin. I just got pushed ton a 5th, so I know they only do AH with day 3 embryos....but I already started the AH meds.

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