Laparoscopic recovery of mature human oocytes

This report provides a detailed description of a method by which mature or maturing human oocytes can safely be recovered by follicular aspiration during laparoscopy. By combining gonadotropin administration with laparoscopic recovery, oocytes which have resumed or completed meiotic division can be obtained for study without subjecting the patient to more hazardous surgical procedures. Fifteen oocytes were obtained from sixteen patients. On electron microscopic examination, four were found to have extruded polar bodies and were therefore classified as mature. Daily rather than intermittent administration of HMG, larger HMG dose, longer HCG aspiration intervals, and controlled aspiration pressures appeared to be the factors which produced the best yield of mature oocytes.