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.