Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34480664›Full record

ArticleLasers in medical science2022

Laser-assisted hatching zona thinning does not improve the pregnancy outcomes of poor-quality blastocysts in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle: a retrospective cohort study.

Lan Geng, Jia-Qi Luo, Rang Liu, Jia-Hui Wu, Yu Shi, Qiu-Ju Zhang, Fei Liu, Jing-Jiang Liu, Amanda Kallen, Yan-Bin Peng and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Lasers in medical science, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The effect of laser-assisted incubation on bovineFrontiers in veterinary science · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Lan GengCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Jia-Qi LuoShantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515063, Guangdong, China.
Rang LiuCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Jia-Hui WuShenzhen Maternal & Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Yu ShiCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Qiu-Ju ZhangCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Fei LiuCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Jing-Jiang LiuCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
Amanda KallenDivision of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
Yan-Bin PengDepartment of Hand Microsurgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China. p1y1b1@163.com.
Jun-Sheng LiCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China. lijunsheng80s@163.com.
Xi XiaCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Futian District, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China. xixia1126@hotmail.com.
Peking University Shenzhen Hospital · CNPeking University · CNShantou University Medical College · CNShenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital · CNSouthern Medical University · CNYale University · US

Funding

National Science Foundation 81471508Research Team of Female Reproductive Health and Fertility Preservation 201612065
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

It had been suggested, after facilitating the hatching process, improved pregnancy outcomes could be attained in embryos with thick and hard zona. This study aimed to determine the effect of zona thinning on pregnancy outcomes in poor-quality frozen-thawed blastocysts. This retrospective study included 230 women (≤ 40 years) who underwent frozen embryo transfer of poor-quality blastocysts (scored < 3BB). In total, 105 patients were in the assisted hatching group in which the zona was thinned by laser before transfer and 125 patients were in the control group in which the blastocysts were non-manipulated. Patients' demographics, cycle characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the assisted hatching group and the control group. Further, regression analysis was applied to test the correlation between assisted hatching and live birth. All parameters in the patients' demographic characteristics and the cycle's characteristics were not significantly different between two groups. As for pregnancy outcomes, the second trimester pregnancy loss was significantly higher in the assisted hatching group (P = 0.035). Other pregnancy outcomes, including implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, biochemical miscarriage rate, the first trimester pregnancy loss, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were comparable between two groups. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated no association between live birth and assisted hatching (univariate, OR = 0.787, P > 0.05; multivariate, OR = 0.652, P > 0.05), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the regression model was almost 0.7. It suggested that zona thinning may not be supposed to perform on poor-quality, frozen-thawed blastocysts. The indications of assisted hatching were still needed to further investigate.

Indexed as

CryopreservationPregnancy OutcomeBlastocystEmbryo TransferFemaleHumansLasersPregnancyRetrospective StudiesFrozen-thawed embryo transferLaser-assisted hatchingPoor-quality blastocystPregnancy outcomesZona pellucida thinning

Identifiers

PMID34480664
OpenAlexW3196479084

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.