Ever since the birth of the first in-vitro fertilization (IVF) baby in 1978 (1), the advancement in ovulation stimulation regimes, oocyte collection and culture mediums has been phenomenal. However, the technique of uterine embryo transfer remains largely unchanged, since it was first described. The vast majority of transferred embryos fails to implant in spite of improvements in ovulation indu...

Preimplantation development directs the formation of an implantation- or attachment-competent embryo so that metabolic interactions with the uterus can occur, pregnancy can be initiated, and fetal development can be sustained. The preimplantation embryo exhibits a form of autonomous development fueled by products provided by the oocyte and also from activation of the embryo's genome. Despite th...

Human reproduction is a relatively inefficient process and therefore the number of infertile couples is high. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have facilitated the birth of over five million children worldwide. ART, however, superimposes its own relative inefficiency on the preexisting inefficiency of normal reproduction. The efficiency (expressed as pregnancy rate) is generally not mor...

BACKGROUND Embryo transfer, a crucial step for achieving pregnancy after in vitro fertilization, is an operator-dependent technique but the number of procedures required for a trainee to reach proficiency is unknown. We set out to evaluate the learning curve (LC) of embryo transfer using a specifically designed statistical tool. METHODS The first embryo transfers performed by five trainees we...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of the 2004 Italian regulations (insemination of <or=3 oocytes/cycle, transfer of all embryos, prohibition of embryo cryopreservation) on outcomes of assisted reproduction treatment (ART). DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING The Center of Reproductive Medicine, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy. PATIENT(S) Women undergoing ART for the firs...

Embryo transfer in camels was initiated to respond to demand from the camel industry particularly in the United Arab Emirates since 1990. This paper reviews the research performed in critical areas of reproductive physiology and reproductive function evaluation that constitute a pre-requisite for a successful embryo transfer program. A description of donor and recipient management as well as a ...

cumulative embryo score (ces) is one of the many embryo scoring methods which have been developed to help clinicians to transfer high quality embryos and predict pregnancy rate in assisted reproductive techniques (art) cycles. regarding the existing difference in ces calculation this study was done to compare two methods in order to determine the more practical and preferable one. in a retrospe...

BACKGROUND The risks of premature birth and perinatal death are increased after in vitro fertilization. These risks are mainly due to the high incidence of multiple births, which relates to the number of embryos transferred. METHODS We performed a randomized, multicenter trial to assess the equivalence of two approaches to in vitro fertilization with respect to the rates of pregnancy that res...

Although the mechanisms under which sex ratio is controlled in nature remain unknown, researchers have attempted to treat sperm in an effort to predetermine the sex of the offspring. The methods of sperm separation that have been repeatedly reported to isolate fractions rich in X- or Y-chromosome bearing sperm are serum albumin gradient swim-up and flow cytometry. However, the ability of the se...

Ovarian stimulation increases the risk of ovarian torsion. During an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle, the effects of ovarian torsion on retrieved oocytes and subsequent pregnancy chances are not clear. Moreover, no cases of ovarian torsion occurring following oocyte retrieval but prior to same-cycle embryo transfer have been reported. Such cases present a clinical dilemma with respect to opt...