title: The effectiveness of intracytoplasmic sperm injection combined with piezoelectric stimulation in infertile couples with total fertilization failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) combined with piezoelectric stimulation in infertile couples with a history of total fertilization failure (TFF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical IVF laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one couples undergoing ICSI on sibling oocytes having at least one previous ICSI attempt with TFF.
  
  
  METHODS
  ICSI or ICSI with piezoelectric activation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertilization rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients were allocated to two groups: group I included 21 patients with only one previous TFF and group II included 50 patients with more than one previous TFF. Collectively, a total of 823 metaphase II (MII) oocytes were retrieved in 78 oocyte retrievals. In Group I, combined ICSI with piezoelectric stimulation was applied to 123/211 (58.2%) of MII oocytes (group IA), whereas standard ICSI procedure was applied to 88/211 (41.8%) of MII oocytes (group IB). The fertilization rate was 62% and 12% in group IA and group IB respectively. In group II, piezoelectric activation was applied in all 612 MII oocytes, of which 296 (48.3%) were fertilized. The rates for implantation and pregnancy/embryo transfer were obtained as 30.6% and 44.1%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Piezoelectric activation seems to improve IVF outcome in patients with previous TFF history.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, Ufuk University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Volkan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baltaci
authors.forename: Ozge Uner
authors.initials: OU
authors.lastname: Ayvaz
authors.forename: Evrim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Unsal
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aktaş
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baltaci
authors.forename: Feriba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turhan
authors.forename: Sarp
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozcan
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sönmezer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome