Assisted zona hatching

Assisted zona hatching (AZH) is a procedure of Assisted reproductive technology, increasing the chances of pregnancy.

Indication
Normally, the blastocyst performs zona hatching, getting rid of the surrounding zona pellucida, to be able to implant in the uterus. However, sometimes this zona pellucida is toughened, disabling the embyo to hatch. In these cases, AZH is needed.

Procedure
A small hole is made in the zona pellucida, using a micromanipulation. This facilitates zona hatching to occur.