Comparison of in vitro fertilization versus intracytoplasmic sperm injection in extremely low oocyte retrieval cycles

Objective To compare the results of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in extremely low oocyte retrieval cycles. Design Case–control study. Setting An IVF laboratory in a university hospital in Taiwan. Patient(s) Between January 2003 and December 2007, infertile couples with one, two, or three oocytes per retrieval were divided into two groups: 56 IVF cycles based on 28 demographic characteristics from the ICSI group. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Fertilization rate, cycle cancellation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and implantation rate per transfer. Result(s) The normal fertilization rate was significantly higher after ICSI than after standard IVF (86.4% vs. 69.3%). The cycle cancellation and complete fertilization failure rates were comparable between the two groups. The clinical pregnancy rate per transfer (38.5% vs. 21.6%), implantation rate (23.5% vs. 11.1%), and live birth rate per transfer (30.8% vs. 13.7%) had a favorable trend, but no statistically significant differences, in the ICSI group compared with the IVF group. Conclusion(s) A higher normal fertilization rate can be achieved by ICSI in comparison with conventional IVF in extremely low oocyte retrieval cycles.