Micromanipulation: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection and Assisted Hatching

Abstract

Since the first human birth following in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, this procedure has been used extensively for alleviation of infertility. However, because spermatozoa cannot fertilize in many cases of male factor infertility, a number of supplementary techniques have been developed to overcome this inability; these techniques are generally referred to as assisted fertilization, microsurgical fertilization, or simply micromanipulation. The application of micromanipulation to human gametes has not only allowed fertilization in cases of severe oligo-zoospermia and even defective spermatozoa, but it has also provided a powerful tool for a more comprehensive understanding of the basic elements of oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early development. Micromanipulation techniques now permit also the diagnosis and sometimes even the correction of genetic anomalies, as well as optimization of implantation rates in certain cases.