"When sperm and eggs are combined in a laboratory, the zona pellucida (the shell surrounding the fertilized egg) hardens, making it more difficult for the embryo to implant. The laser micromanipulation technique called laser hatching is an additional lab technique designed to improve the efficiency of assisted reproductive technology procedures such as ICSI.

Using a precision laser, an opening is made in the zona pellucida to weaken the wall of the embryo. The opening made by laser hatching helps the embryo hatch from the zona pellucida and implant correctly."

I got that from DocShop. It a pretty cool technique, huh. I wonder how much that costs.

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ahhh... so the hatching comes from trying to break the "shell". this sounds like a cool piece of technology!

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i think this is most advantageous to guys who have round headed sperms or those with mishapen sperms. this is like assisting the little guys in fertilizing the egg.

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do you know if this is a separate procedure? how much does this cost?

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Methinks this is expensive!

But if it has higher success rate then I am willing to try!

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to: Dionne&Dylan

I dunno the success rate but for ICSI and laser hatching it costs around $12200 in the US. you can save money if you're into medical tourism. In Barbados they do this for half the price. Same in Argentina and Panama.

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wow... so almost as much as IVF.

I've hard about medical tourism. However I still prefer treatment in the US. With travel and hotel stay I think it is the same. And I am more comfortable staying at home anyway.

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Good lord, $12200?! And is this for one session? How many sessions are there involved? This technique is 100% guaranteed because spending that much on a procedure that has a low success rate, why only rich people can afford to do this again and again!

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Laser technology has really done a lot for humanity the past two decades. From mediums of cure to weapons of destruction to entertainment. It's amazing! Pretty soon, I won't be surprised to find that lasers will be party of everyday life, and I do mean the kitchen cutlery.

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goodness gracious! my eyes almost popped out when I saw the price! with today's economy, and my current job, I don't think I'll even have the chance to think about this method. :(

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