The advent of the laser has allowed the development of precision techniques to manipulate embryos for enhanced fertility. Laser-assisted hatching can turn around a history of failure for embryos to implant themselves in the uterine wall.
Assisted hatching is used to help the embryo hatch from its protective outer shell, the zona pellucida, and promote implantation in the uterine wall after embryo transfer. Laser-assisted hatching (LAH) with the LYKOS® or ZILOS-tk® uses a highly focused infrared laser beam to remove the zona pellucida in very precise increments. Prior to the clinical availability of the lasers, only mechanical or chemical methods could be used for assisted hatching of human embryos in clinical settings. Laser-assisted hatching requires less handling of the embryo than these other assisted hatching methods. Also, laser-assisted hatching is faster than the other methods and, therefore, the embryo spends less time outside the incubator.
Our lab is equipped with the latest technology for cryopreservation and storage, and we were the first clinics to establish an Egg Freezing Program for the general public in North Kerala. By freezing eggs, sperm and embryos in appropriate cases, we can help simplify and lower the cost of future IVF cycles. We have the expert embryology team well experienced in the latest technology in gamete or embryo freezing ie Vitrification.
Egg freezing benefits two main groups of women. The first are those who are diagnosed with a medical condition whereby the necessary treatments for cure may render them sterile or unable to produce viable eggs. The second is women who are delaying their childbearing for personal reasons, meaning saving eggs now for pregnancy chances at a later time. It is best to have eggs that are frozen when they are of the best quality possible. For instance, eggs frozen at the age of 35 are more usable than fresh oocytes produced at 43 years of age.
As egg freezing technology improves, it may also be used by patients who are undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Women who produce many excess eggs may eventually be able to elect to freeze their eggs unfertilized, rather than freezing fertilized embryos.
Our onsite services are available for the short-term storage of sperm specimens as long as the female partner remains our patient. We offer cryopreservation of sperm for men with poor sperm counts who may need a back-up sample stored, those who wish to store a sample before beginning cancer treatment and in cases where the man may be out-of-town at the time of egg retrieval. If long-term storage of your sperm specimen or donor sperm is required, we can help you access quality services, though we do not have an onsite sperm bank.
Embryo cryopreservation is used most often to store good-quality excess embryos resulting from an IVF-ICSI treatment cycle. Embryos are created after an in vitro fertilization cycle where eggs are retrieved and then placed with sperm. The resultant embryos are then vitrified before being placed in liquid nitrogen for storage.
