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Published on: March 2, 2017
Assisted hatching decreases pregnancy outcomes in vitrified donor oocytes
Amalia Namath1, Jonathan M Konel2, Jing Wu3
1Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact of assisted hatching on implantation and pregnancy rates among fresh embryo transfers using vitrified donor oocytes.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Subjects:
Oocyte donor recipients.
Exposure:
Assisted hatching.
Main Outcome Measures:
Rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and ongoing pregnancy.
Results:
Among the 2,617 embryos, 1,668 (64%) underwent assisted hatching. The biochemical pregnancy rate per transfer and clinical pregnancy rate per transfer were significantly lower for the assisted hatching group vs. non-assisted hatching group (72% vs. 76%; adjusted risk ratio (aRR), 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-0.99 and 61% vs. 66%; aRR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.97). The assisted hatching group also had a lower ongoing/sustained pregnancy rate (57% vs. 62%; aRR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.78-0.91) compared with the non-assisted hatching group. Spontaneous abortion may be higher for the assisted hatching group compared with the non-assisted hatching group, although not statistically significant (13% vs. 11%).
Conclusion:
Assisted hatching may be associated with decreased clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates in donor oocyte cycles.
