What is assisted hatching in ICSI?

                  Patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment have the option of undergoing an additional procedure called assisted hatching. IVF-produced embryos have a stiff outer coat of cells called the zona pellucida that surrounds them. This outer layer can be thought of as the embryo’s “shell”. This “shell” is what prevents an embryo from implanting into the uterus and growing into a pregnancy. We can help the embryo “hatch” from its “shell” during assisted hatching by making a tiny fissure in the zona pellucida. Some people may have higher pregnancy rates as a result of assisted hatching because it is thought to help an embryo implant in the uterus.