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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics logoLink to Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
. 1998 Jan;15(2):62–64. doi: 10.1007/BF02766826

Assisted hatching does not enhance IVF success in good-prognosis patients

Bradley S Hurst 1,, Kathleen E Tucker 1, Caleb A Awoniyi 1, William D Schlaff 1
PMCID: PMC3455419  PMID: 9513842

Abstract

Purpose: The role of assisted hatching in good-prognosis IVF patients was evaluated in a prospective, randomized, controlled pilot study, which was followed by a retrospective observational series.

Methods: After assisted hatching was proved successful in a mouse embryo study, 20 good-prognosis IVF patients were randomly assigned to either assisted hatching (13) or no assisted hatching (7; the controls). Following this series, 27 good-prognosis IVF patients were retrospectively evaluated to determine the outcome with assisted hatching.

Results: In the prospective study, clinical pregnancies resulted from 3 (23%) of 13 patients in the hatching group, compared to 3 (43%) of 7 in the control group. Implantation rates were similar: 9.6% in the hatching group and 10.7% in the controls. In the retrospective series, the 11.1% implantation rate with assisted hatching was significantly less than the 42.9% implantation rate seen with traditional IVF.

Conclusions: Implantation and pregnancy rates are high in young women undergoing traditional IVF. Assisted hatching is not beneficial in these patients.

KEY WORDS: in vitro fertilization, micromanipulation, assisted hatching, implantation

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Footnotes

Presented in part at the 50th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Seattle, Washington, October 7–12, 1995.

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