ABSTRACT
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most significant advances in the field of reproductive medicine. The first IVF baby Louise Brown, born in England in 1978, was the result of a decade of research by Drs Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. Since that time, over 400 IVF units have been established in the United States alone. Over three million babies have been born worldwide as a result of this technology and now around 1% of all babies born in the United States are conceived with IVF. Initially IVF was developed for the woman with tubal disease, but now it is the treatment of choice for other causes of infertility that are refractory to more conservative treatment. Since its introduction, all of the steps of IVF treatment have been improved upon which has resulted in continuously rising success rates over the last 20 years (Fig. 8.1). IVF is the most successful infertility treatment that can be offered. IVF has also provided a platform for the development of other treatments including egg donation, gestational surrogacy, and preimplantation diagnosis. This chapter provides an overview of the IVF treatment.
