Comparison of laser-assisted hatching and acidified Tyrode's hatching by evaluation of blastocyst development rates in sibling embryos: a prospective randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess two zona drilling methods in terms of blastocyst development rates using sister embryos.
DESIGN: Prospective, randomized study. Sister embryos of 14 patients were randomly assigned on day 3 to acidified Tyrode's zona drilling or to laser zona drilling. After biopsy, subsequent embryo culture until the blastocyst stage (day 5) was performed.
SETTING: Private fertility center. PATIENT(S): Patients undergoing IVF-preimplantation genetic diagnosis. INTERVENTION(S): Embryo biopsy using either laser-assisted hatching or acidified Tyrode's hatching on sibling embryos and subsequent blastocyst development evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Evaluation of blastocyst development in terms of degree of expansion and cell number in the inner cell mass and trophectoderm. RESULT(S): Blastocyst development rates (and blastocyst quality) were similarly high in both the acidified Tyrode's hatching group and the laser-assisted hatching group. CONCLUSION(S): Laser hatching does not impair embryonic development to the blastocyst stage, demonstrating that laser-assisted hatching is a suitable alternative to the use of acidified Tyrode's solution for zona drilling.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes