Assisted Reproduction Techniques

More evidence has accumulated since the first edition, and all chapters have been updated, with the addition of new ones. As well as covering the counseling, medical, surgical and laboratory steps of ART, this edition also addresses training issues, organizational and business skills, and social media use.

Khaldoun Sharif, Amman, JordanArri Coomarasamy, Birmingham, UK2021

Louise Brown, the world’s first baby conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), was born on July 25, 1978, in Oldham, England. Since then, in a relatively short time in terms of scientific evolution, over 4 million babies have been born worldwide from IVF treatment.

IVF and other assisted reproduction techniques (ART) involve counseling, medical, surgical and laboratory steps, all contributing to the eventual potential success of the process. As sure as night follows day, at each step various challenges could be encountered.

The aim of this book is to stimulate resourceful thinking in the ART practitioner when dealing with those challenges, by outlining various management options, the reasoning behind them, and the evidence on which they are based. The practitioner would then be better equipped to choose the most suitable solution that best fits the needs of each particular patient.

Khaldoun Sharif, Amman, JordanArri Coomarasamy, Birmingham, UK2012

This is intended to be a highly practical manual, providing viable solutions to real‐life ART problems. To this end, the major sections of the book have been written mirroring the patient’s journey in the ART process. In addition, each chapter has been written concisely, starting with one or more case histories outlining the problem, followed by a discussion on how the problem occurred, how it could have been prevented, what management options are available, and the reasoning and evidence behind them.

Also, high‐quality medical care involves not only doing the right thing but also explaining it clearly to patients and answering their questions. Accordingly, we have included in each chapter a list of patients’ questions and their suggested answers.

How will you get the most out of this book? We suggest you read the case history and work out some management solutions yourself before reading the rest of the chapter. Compare and contrast your solutions with the options provided in the book. Discuss with your colleagues – seniors and juniors; nurses, counselors, embryologists, and clinicians.