Human oocyte cryopreservation: past, present and future

Despite inferior results in the past compared with embryo freezing, oocyte cryopreservation has made great strides in recent years. In fact, it has become a necessity in assisted reproduction technology, providing alternatives to legal, moral and religious problems originating from embryo freezing. Recent advances in freezing technology, modifications of conventional protocols used and continuing optimization of vitrification have efficiently improved the method. A historical description of the method's progression over time, and a comparison of principles, procedures and results as reported in the literature are presented in this review.