Dear Colleagues,

Today Infertility treatment can easily be evaluated by the monthly pregnancy rates however, only an excellent cooperation between urologists, gynecologists and infertility specialists dealing with all aspects of human reproduction leads to the desired aim. Also fertility preservation in cancer patients with the specific necessary treatments fall into this category. Pregnancy rates include monthly fecundity and cumulative pregnancy rates. It is the purpose of this special issue to point out the present surgical possibilities on the male and female site to achieve and preserve human fertility. 

The wonderful results of human In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Embryo Transfer (ET), of Intra Cytoplasmatic Sperm Injection (ICSI), genetic pre-implantation diagnosis, of sperm and oocyte production from stem cells etc. are well accepted today. Nethertheless basics in reproductive surgery in the male and female are still very much required and performed. Inadequate reproductive surgery ranges from absence of diagnosis, ovarian damage, decreasing the follicular reserve to adhesions and even iatrogenic infertility. Particulary surgery on the genital tract within the reproductive age requires surgical skills, expertise and anatomic functional knowledge. 
In the female we would like to emphasize the following surgical possibilities, which can also be named as fertility enhancing endoscopic surgeries:

Laparoscopic Myomectomies; 
Laparoscopic resection of adenomyosis; 
Laparoscopic ovarian cystectomies; 
Laparoscopic ovarian follicular puncture in PCOS; 
Laparoscopic tubal surgery; 
Laparoscopic surgery for ectopic pregnancies; 
Laparoscopic endometriosis surgery; 
Laparoscopic correction of hydrosalpinx; 
Hysteroscopic polypectomies and submucous myomectomies; 
Hysteroscopic corrections of uterine malformations; 
Hysteroscopic adhesionlysis

In the male:
Varicocele corrections; Prostate surgery; Infertility surgery 

Fertility preservation
Ovarian tissue freezing; Oocytes, sperm and embryo freezing; Social freezing
Prof. Liselotte Mettler

Guest Editor