Ultrasonically guided percutaneous aspiration of human follicles under local anesthesia: a new method of collecting oocytes for in vitro fertilization.

Follicular aspiration was performed in 30 infertile patients by ultrasonically guided percutaneous puncture. In 18 cases the procedure was carried out under local anesthesia and in the remaining 12 under general anesthesia. The follicles were located with a dynamic sector scanner, and a needle was introduced through the abdominal wall and bladder into the follicles. Fifty follicles with a mean diameter of 19.6 mm were aspirated, and 26 oocytes were collected, giving an average recovery rate of 52%. Oocytes were obtained in 17 (57%) of the cases. Extensive pelvic adhesions did not impede the procedure, and the only complication was a transient hematuria in four patients. The technique was found to be atraumatic and inexpensive and therefore considered valuable for harvesting oocytes for in vitro fertilization.