Favourable pregnancy results with insemination of in vitro matured oocytes from unstimulated patients

Abstract

Background: The purpose has been to develop an in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) method for a wide range of patients. Methods: A total of 239 cycles with immature oocyte retrieval (IOC) were carried out without hormonal priming. Patients with regular cycles and normal or polycystic ovaries (PCO) and anovulatory cycles with PCOS were included. Insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) according to sperm quality was alternatively used in fertilization of the matured oocytes. Results: A total of 971 immature oocytes (mean 8.0±5.2) were collected in 122 IVM-IVF cycles and 851 oocytes (mean 7.3±4.4) in 117 IVM-ICSI cycles. The oocyte maturation and fertilization rate was 62.6% and 37.7% after insemination, and 53.9% and 69.3% after ICSI, respectively. The mean number of embryos transferred was 1.6. Clinical pregnancy rate per IOC was 23.8% in IVM-IVF and 17.1% in IVM-ICSI (ns). Implantation rate was higher in IVM-IVF (24.2%) than in IVM-ICSI (14.8%) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Insemination of IVM oocytes functions well, resulting in comparable pregnancy rates per IOC between IVM-IVF and IVM-ICSI. Good pregnancy results can be achieved both in patients with regular cycles and with PCO(S) by transferring only one or two embryos at a time. © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.