Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval in IVF: Should we really be scared of the procedure?

Abstract

Since the birth of the first IVF baby, a baby girl ?Louise Joy Brown? in 25th July 1978 [1] and the first IVF boy ?Alastair MacDonald? in 14th January 1979 [2], millions of successful IVF births took place till date. Initially oocyte retrieval was a real challenge and people had taken oocyte by laparotomy and/or by other laparoscopic techniques. These techniques were very difficult and in many cases unsuccessful because of severe tubal disease, multiple adhesions or hidden ovaries. The overall success rate was less than 50% [2]. Improvement in the success rate of OPU to 60-80% per follicle occurred between 1979 and 1980 when a foot-controlled fixed aspiration pressure control was introduced [3] and specially designed Teflon-lined aspiration needles with beveled points were used [4]. Transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR) technique was first developed by Pierre Dellenbach and colleagues in Strasbourg, France, and reported in 1984 [5]. OPU or TVOR is usually done under general anesthesia (GA) with the help of transvaginal sonography (TVS) after 34 to 36 hours of trigger i.e. human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration [6].