Embryologist María Velasco, from the IVF-Life Donostia team, has led a new study
Pregnancy rates increase up to 72%, and clinical pregnancy rates reach 61% when this technique is performed immediately before embryo transfer.
Embryologist María Velasco, from the IVF-Life Donostia team, has led a new study analyzing the impact of timing in performing assisted hatching (AH) on cryopreserved embryos. This technique can be particularly useful in transfers using vitrified embryos, due to the alterations cryopreservation causes to the zona pellucida, which make hatching more difficult.
Assisted hatching involves creating a small opening in the zona pellucida (the membrane surrounding the embryo) to facilitate its release and subsequent implantation in the endometrium. However, until now, it had not been clear whether the most appropriate moment to perform the procedure is before vitrifying the embryo or immediately prior to transfer.
The retrospective study evaluated the clinical outcomes of 225 embryo transfers in oocyte donation cycles with blastocyst-stage embryos. Two groups were compared:
Assisted hatching at the IVF-Life Donostia laboratory
The results showed a higher pregnancy rate in Group 2 (72%) compared to Group 1 (62%). A slight increase was also observed in the clinical pregnancy rate (61% versus 56%). These data suggest a favorable trend for performing assisted hatching immediately before transfer.
“Thanks to this research, we have observed better clinical outcomes when hatching is performed on the same day as the transfer,” explains María Velasco, adding that “we believe this is due to the larger opening created at that moment, which facilitates blastocyst hatching and consequently improves implantation potential.”
This study has been selected for presentation at this year’s edition of the ESHRE, which will be held next November.