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CompletedNCT00593775Updated May 2, 2017

The Effect of Laser Assisted Hatching in Thawing Cycles: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

An interventional study of assisted hatching in Placenta; Implantation, sponsored by KU Leuven. Completed at 1 site in Belgium. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 47 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-05-02.

Sponsored by KU Leuven · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
647
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 47 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The successful hatching process is a prerequisite for implantation. Freezing/thawing cycles can impair the hatching process by introducing changes in the composition of the zona pellucida. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that the implantation rate per embryo and the clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer is higher after embryo transfer of frozen-thawed embryos with opened or thinned ZP after assisted hatching when compared to embryo transfer of frozen-thawed embryos without assisted hatching.

All patients starting a thawing cycle (with frozen embryos on d1-d2-d3-d5) can be included in this RTC study. Assisted hatching will be performed with a non-contact 1.48 diode laser system (MTG, Germany).

Read the detailed description

In view of insufficient clinical evidence demonstrating the value of AH at the start of our study and in view of the need for higher implantation and LBRs in our ART programme within a series of reimbursed cycles, a prospective randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate the effect of AH, by modified quarter laser-assisted zona thinning (mQLAZT), in our cryopreservation program. The primary aim was to test the hypothesis that the IR per embryo transferred is higher after transfer of frozen/vitrified-thawed/warmed embryos with thinned ZP after mQLAZT when compared with the transfer of frozen/vitrified-thawed/warmed embryos without mQLAZT.

02

Conditions studied

  • Placenta; Implantation

Keywords

  • implantation rate
03

In context

Lead sponsor

KU Leuven is the lead sponsor of 358 studies on the registry; 62 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 47 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients with frozen 2pn, embryos and blastocysts who want to start an embryo thawing cycle can be included in this study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients participating in the embryo reception program are excluded.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
647 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    control

    control group without intervention

  • Active comparator
    AH group

    assisted hatching performed on the embryo

    Procedure: assisted hatching

Interventions

  • Procedureassisted hatching

    assisted hatching with laser

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. clinical implantation rate per embryo transferred

    Time frame: at 6-8 weeks of pregnancy

Secondary outcomes

  1. pregnancy rate per transfer

    Time frame: at 14-16 days after ovulation or 17 days after the start of progesterone supplementation in a hormone replacement freeze-thaw cycle

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Leuven University Fertility Center
    Leuven, 3000, Belgium
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Debrock S, Peeraer K, Spiessens C, Willemen D, De Loecker P, D'Hooghe TM. The effect of modified quarter laser-assisted zona thinning on the implantation rate per embryo in frozen/vitrified-thawed/warmed embryo transfer cycles: a prospective randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2011 Aug;26(8):1997-2007. doi: 10.1093/humrep/der161. Epub 2011 Jun 8. PubMed 21659315 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 2, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00593775
Lead sponsor
KU Leuven
Responsible party
Sophie Debrock (PhD, clinical embryologist, KU Leuven) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 15, 2008
Start date
Feb 2006
Primary completion
Jul 2008
Completion
Jul 2008
Last update
May 2, 2017

Study contacts

Thomas M D'Hooghe, MD
study director · UZ Leuven

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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