Rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in cases of fertilization failure, using a scientific literature search.


METHODS
Systematic review.


METHODS
Centers for reproductive care.


METHODS
Infertility patients with total or partial fertilization failure during an IVF cycle.


METHODS
An electronic literature search was performed in PubMed from 1992 through May 2013. The search was then expanded by using listed references from selected articles.


METHODS
Pregnancy rate. The secondary outcome measures were fertilization rate, normal fertilization rate, cleavage rate, birth rate, and malformation rate.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight studies including 1,863 patients were included. The pooled pregnancy rate was 14.4%; 194 babies were delivered.


CONCLUSIONS
Rescue ICSI can result in the delivery of a healthy newborn, although the pregnancy rates are low. The clinical evidence did not indicate an elevated rate of malformations, although the data are limited and incomplete.
Fertility and In-Vitro Fertilization Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel. Electronic address: ronitbeck@gmail.com.
Ronit
R
Beck-Fruchter
Fertility and In-Vitro Fertilization Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel; Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Michal
M
Lavee
Fertility and In-Vitro Fertilization Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
Amir
A
Weiss
Fertility and In-Vitro Fertilization Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
Yoel
Y
Geslevich
Fertility and In-Vitro Fertilization Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel; Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Eliezer
E
Shalev
D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate / Q000639:trends; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D017211:Treatment Failure
IVF; rescue ICSI; total fertilization failure