Clinical evaluation of three approaches to micromanipulation-assisted fertilization

Three different micromanipulation procedures were used to assist human fertilization in cases of severe male factor infertility. Zona drilling was performed either with acid Tyrode’s solution, mechanically following zona softening with chymotrypsin, or by partial zona dissection. The fertilization rate was lowest in the zona drilling/acid Tyrode’s group (7/40; 17.5%), although no differences between groups (zona drilling/chymotrypsin: 21/84, 25%; partial zona dissection: 31/143, 21.7%) were significant. The fertilization rate was significantly increased relative to untreated eggs from the same patients only in the partial zona dissection group (31/143, 21.7% versus 4/102, 3.9%). Oocyte damage occurred at a high rate as a result of zona drilling with acid Tyrode’s solution (13/41, 37%). Embryonic development was compromised after zona drilling with chymotrypsin: only 7/12 (58.3%) of the fertilized oocytes cleaved, and the morphology of many of the cleaved embryos was abnormal. Although only 61% (16/26) of the diploid embryos resulting from partial zona dissection cleaved, the embryonic morphology of these embryos was comparable with controls. No pregnancies resulted from the transfer of manipulated embryos. We conclude that although zona manipulation increases the fertilization rate, losses due to oocyte trauma, low rates of diploid fertilization, low rates of cleavage, and a high frequency of abnormal cleavage reduce the number of embryos available for transfer.