Time-lapse monitoring: pros and cons

Medically assisted reproduction (MAR) has continuously developed since the first successful steps over 40 years ago. For example, culture media and culture environment are far more complex than they were in the beginning and can optimally support the pre-implantation development of the embryos until transfer. However, the biggest challenge for the in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory is to identify the one embryo with the best implantation potential. Classically, selection is based on certain morphological changes in a distinct chronological order. However, new technologies, such as time-lapse (TL) monitoring, have made interesting and highly dynamic events in a temporal manner (morphokinetics) visible to us for the first time. Many of these new morphokinetic parameters correlate with the implantation potential of an individual blastocyst. However, recent studies show that the clinical benefit may not be as high as promised. This summary will briefly review the current state of research and list the advantages and disadvantages.