Wilfried Feichtinger
The Modern Laboratory · People
The Modern Laboratory
Wilfried Feichtinger
He helped bring Austria's first IVF baby into the world, then put the ultrasound probe where the eggs could be reached.
Vienna. Wilfried Feichtinger was born in Vienna on 19 October 1950. His mother was Russian, and he could talk with Slavic-speaking patients in their own language. He studied medicine at the University of Vienna and in 1977 began training in gynaecology under Hugo Husslein at the Second University Women's Hospital in Vienna.
Austria's first IVF baby. Early in 1979 he flew to London, on his own initiative, to learn from Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. Back in Vienna he, Peter Kemeter and Stefan Szalay built an IVF programme at the clinic. On 5 August 1982 Austria's first IVF baby was born, making Austria the sixth country with a successful IVF programme. Soon afterwards Europe's first IVF twins were born in Vienna.
Out of the hospital. In late 1982 Feichtinger and Kemeter set up IVF in Kemeter's private practice in Penzing, one of the first outpatient IVF centres. In June 1983 they hosted an international IVF congress in the Hofburg. At the end of 1984 they moved into a villa in Hietzing. Feichtinger directed the institute there, which later carried his name, until 2018, when his son Michael took over.
Seeing from inside. An Austrian ultrasound maker gave them a new vaginal scanner, and soon a needle guide that clipped to its side. Now the picture and the needle shared one path. In 1986 Feichtinger and Kemeter described the method in Fertility and Sterility: eggs were recovered from 86 per cent of follicles. Transvaginal egg collection, guided this way, was adopted around the world.
A full life. Feichtinger spoke several languages, sang opera with passion, and with his wife Brigitte had seven children. He died on 3 June 2021, after a long illness.
Also see: Peter Kemeter, Pierre Dellenbach, Suzan Lenz, Robert Edwards, Patrick Steptoe
About the sources
- Medical University of Vienna, news: “MedUni Wien trauert um Wilfried Feichtinger” (meduniwien.ac.at), June 2021: born Vienna 1950; died 3 June 2021 after a long illness; trained under Hugo Husslein; Austria's first IVF baby 1982, sixth country; Europe's first IVF twins; transvaginal ultrasound-guided egg retrieval in the mid-1980s; private institute founded 1984, taken over by his son Michael in 2018; opera singer; seven children with his wife Brigitte.
- Kemeter P. 25 Jahre Geburt des ersten IVF-Babys Österreichs: eine Wiener Erfolgsgeschichte, Teil I and Teil II. Journal für Fertilität und Reproduktion 2007;17(3):17–20 and 17(4):13–21 (kup.at): Feichtinger joined in September 1977; his mother was Russian; London trip 1979; ARGE founded 25 November 1982 in Penzing; Hofburg congress 22 to 24 June 1983; Hietzing villa, December 1984; vaginal scanner and side-mounted needle guide.
- Wikipedia: Wilfried Feichtinger, consulted October 2026, for the exact birth date (19 October 1950) and the 1977 start of residency.
- Feichtinger W, Kemeter P. Transvaginal sector scan sonography for needle guided transvaginal follicle aspiration and other applications in gynecologic routine and research. Fertility and Sterility 1986;45(5):722–725 (abstract: recovery rate 86% per follicle).
- Kemeter P, Feichtinger W. Trans-vaginal oocyte retrieval using a trans-vaginal sector scan probe combined with an automated puncture device. Human Reproduction 1986;1(1):21–24.
- Campbell S. A short history of sonography in obstetrics and gynaecology. Facts, Views and Vision in ObGyn 2013;5(3):213–229 (the Vienna needle guide on the vaginal probe became the standard technique).
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Compiled with AI-assisted research and checked against the original sources. Not yet peer-reviewed. Corrections are warmly welcomed.
