OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical outcomes after laser or mechanical techniques of assisted hatching (AH) in women of advanced age undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. SETTING: Center for Human Reproduction, Genesis Clinic, Athens, Greece. PATIENTS: Three hundred and sixteen consenting women of advanced age (> or =39 years) with primary infertility undergoing IVF/ICSI programs and having available embryos for transfer on day 3. Patients were randomized into laser or mechanical AH of their transferred embryos. INTERVENTIONS: Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, oocyte retrieval, IVF/ICSI, laser or mechanical AH, and embryo-transfer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and viable pregnancy rate. RESULTS: The implantation rate was significantly higher in the laser AH group. Clinical and viable pregnancy rates were higher (but not significantly) in the laser AH group. CONCLUSIONS: Laser AH of embryos may result in better clinical outcomes when compared to the mechanical technique in women of advanced age undergoing IVF or ICSI.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical outcomes after laser or mechanical techniques of assisted hatching (AH) in women of advanced age undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. SETTING: Center for Human Reproduction, Genesis Clinic, Athens, Greece. PATIENTS: Three hundred and sixteen consenting women of advanced age (> or =39 years) with primary infertility undergoing IVF/ICSI programs and having available embryos for transfer on day 3. Patients were randomized into laser or mechanical AH of their transferred embryos. INTERVENTIONS: Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, oocyte retrieval, IVF/ICSI, laser or mechanical AH, and embryo-transfer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and viable pregnancy rate. RESULTS: The implantation rate was significantly higher in the laser AH group. Clinical and viable pregnancy rates were higher (but not significantly) in the laser AH group. CONCLUSIONS: Laser AH of embryos may result in better clinical outcomes when compared to the mechanical technique in women of advanced age undergoing IVF or ICSI.