Comparison of piezo-assisted micromanipulation with conventional micromanipulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection into human oocytes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of piezo-assisted micromanipulation with conventional micromanipulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) into oocytes in patients with impaired semen parameters and no success with in vitro fertilization (IVF).


METHODS
A retrospective randomized study was conducted on 204 cycles for 104 couples with piezo-assisted ICSI and 122 cycles for 96 couples with conventional ICSI. Piezo-assisted ICSI consists of two steps, namely penetration of the zona pellucida alone with a piezo-pulse and then puncturing of the oolemma with a light negative pressure without piezo, as with conventional ICSI. The tips of injection pipettes were prepared after pulling by breakage with a scalpel under a microscope, so that the inner diameter at and near the tip was 5 microm, as for conventional ICSI.


RESULTS
Piezo-assisted ICSI demonstrated significantly more favorable results, with a fertilization rate of 90.3% (conventional ICSI: 83.1%, p < 0.01) and a cleavage rate of 88.1% (conventional ICSI: 84.6%, p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Piezo-assisted ICSI is easy to incorporate a spermatozoa exactly into the ooplasm with little deformation of the oocyte during insertion. Piezo-assisted ICSI can be used effectively for human oocytes to improve the fertilization, cleavage rates.
Takeuchi
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan. shigeto@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
Minoura
H
H
Shibahara
T
T
Shen
X
X
Futamura
N
N
Toyoda
N
N
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*