In vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive techniques.

Each year, thousands of pregnancies are achieved worldwide by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and its modifications, commonly grouped under the general term "assisted reproductive techniques" (ARTs). The IVF program at the University of Southern California (USC) was among the first to be established in the United States and had the distinction of achieving success, in 1981, with the first IVF infant to be born on the West Coast. This paper discusses patient selection, superovulation techniques, methods of follicle aspiration, sperm preparation, embryo transfer procedures and management of the luteal phase of ART cycles. The various ARTs are described, as are the expected success rates. Particular emphasis is placed on the techniques of oocyte donation and unstimulated IVF, both of which play prominent roles in the treatment of infertility in the USC program.