[Performance of laparoscopic follicle puncture and oocyte recovery for in-vitro fertilization]

In-vitro fertilisation of human egg cells and subsequent embryonal transfer offers a possibility to sterile women with oviducts incapable of functioning, to become pregnant after all. This article describes the performance of laparoscopic follicular puncture and extraction of egg cells for in-vitro fertilisation. Laparoscopic follicle puncture as described here was performed from July 1982 to March 1983 on 130 patients at the Gynaecological and Obstetric Hospital in Lübeck. 585 follicles were punctured and 404 egg cells obtained, 210 of which met the criteria of a pre-ovulatory egg cell. Of the 210 pre-ovulatory egg cells, 177 could be fertilised. In 95 patients, embryo transfer was effected in the 2-cell to 8-cell stage. The fertilisation rate obtained was 84%, with an embryo transfer rate of 71%. Since this patient group also included andrological causes of sterility, this figure can be considered quite satisfactory, which is decisively due, among other things, to the puncture technique described here. Pregnancy was attained in 14 cases so far. It is certain that the pregnancy rate can be improved still further.