Fertilization, pregnancy and embryo implantation rates after ICSI with fresh or frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa.
This study aimed to determine whether fertilization and implantation rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fresh or frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa were comparable. Between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1996, 65 ICSI cycles with testicular spermatozoa and 35 cycles with frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa were carried out. In 50 out of 65 ICSI cycles, testicular spermatozoa could be retrieved and in 34 out of 35 cycles carried out with frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa, motile spermatozoa could be recovered. The fertilization rate after ICSI with frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa was significantly lower (71.1%; P < or = 0.008) than with fresh testicular spermatozoa (79.3%). The pregnancy rate was similar for both groups (38.2 and 26.5 %). The implantation rate per transferred embryo, however, was significantly lower in the frozen-thawed rather than in the fresh testicular sperm group (9.1 versus 24.6%; P = 0.001). The live birth rate per transferred embryo was also higher in the group in which fresh testicular spermatozoa were used (18.8 versus 7.9% P = 0.043). This retrospective study shows that is possible to achieve a high fertilization rate after ICSI with both fresh and frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa but implantation and live birth rates per transferred embryo, however, are significantly lower after ICSI with frozen-thawed than with fresh testicular spermatozoa.
De Croo
I
I
Infertility Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium.
Van der Elst
J
J
Everaert
K
K
De Sutter
P
P
Dhont
M
M
D015925:Cryopreservation; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*