ABSTRACT
It has now been almost 40 years since in vitro fertilization (IVF) was developed by Edwards and Steptoe. Over these decades, practice in assisted reproductive technology (ART) has evolved from a new experimental procedure into a well-established routine treatment of infertility driven by the development of new procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), extended culture, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), vitrification, ongoing research, the development of better and safer products and culture media, more stringent quality control programs by commercial companies, and a better understanding of possible factors that might have an impact on the outcome of the procedure. Although success rates have improved over time, it is hard to define which laboratory practices contribute to this success (1). In a survey of U.S. high-performing centers, factors that were identified were experience of physicians, embryologists, and staff members, as well as consistency of approach, attention to detail, and good communication as being vital to excellent outcomes.
