Our knowledge of reproductive medicine has expanded rapidly since the birth of Louise Brown, the first baby to be conceived by in vitro fertilization, which was performed by Professors Patrick Steptoe and Bob Edwards in Oldham, Eng land, in 1978. Hardly a year goes by without the development of a new or a modification of an existing method of assisted reproduction. Within a relatively short period, in vitro fertilization has been introduced into the treatment of female infertility. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection has also created new opportunities for the treatment of male infertility. The first edition of this book was published in 1996. In the second edition most of the chapters have been updated and additional interest is focused on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in view of the risk of malformations in newborns. This manual addresses the techniques of assisted reproduction that are avail able today. Competent authors from various centers present, in a concise way, their tried-and-tested procedures, so that the latter can be readily implemented. Due to different legal regulations, the scope of assisted reproduction is much more limited in Germany than in many other countries. For example, whereas only three embryos may be created and transferred in Germany, such restric tions do not exist in several other European countries and the United States. Furthermore, heterologous fertilization, oocyte donation, and surrogate mother hood are banned in Germany.
