BACKGROUND We present the first powered prospective study to assess whether sperm aneuploidy can predict the outcome of ICSI. METHODS Our null hypothesis was that aneuploidy rates (AR) are identical in men who achieve successful (Group A) and unsuccessful (Group B) ICSI outcome. A power calculation yielded a sample number of 56 to achieve 80% power to reject our hypothesis at the 5% significa...

INTRODUCTION Sperm chromatin integrity assessment has been suggested as a fertility predictor. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the results of sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and the outcome of IVF, ICSI and intrauterine insemination (IUI). METHODS A total of 306 consecutive couples undergoing assisted reproduction were included. IUI was performed in 131, I...

BACKGROUND To verify whether or not microinjection of sperm with a normal nuclear shape but large vacuoles affects IVF-ICSI pregnancy outcome. METHODS A comparative study testing IVF outcome parameters of IVF-ICSI, based on morphological selection of spermatozoa with normal nuclei against those based on microinjection of sperm with a normal nuclear shape but large vacuoles. An experimental gr...

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of luteal-phase acupuncture on the outcome of IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). DESIGN Randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study. SETTING University IVF center. PATIENT(S) Two hundred twenty-five infertile patients undergoing IVF/ICSI. INTERVENTION(S) In group I, 116 patients received luteal-phase acupuncture according to the princip...

BACKGROUND Although the increased risk for perinatal morbidity and mortality of babies born after ART is largely attributed to a higher rate of multiple gestations, a significantly worse perinatal outcome for singleton pregnancies following ART compared to pregnancies after natural conception has been reported as well. Most studies only include IVF/ICSI pregnancies; studies describing the perin...

BACKGROUND Complete fertilization failure after ICSI is a rare event, and it may happen repeatedly even in cases of normal sperm parameters and good ovarian response. In these cycles, alternative ICSI techniques may prove useful. METHODS Our modified ICSI (mICSI) is characterized by aspiration close to the opposite membrane (the region of the mitochondria with a high inner mitochondrial membr...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study was to compare the levels of sperm centrin a centrosomal protein that influences cell migration, in normal fertile donors and in oligoasthenozoospermic males (count 5 million/ml and motility <40%, grade c+d) undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to correlate with the outcome of ICSI. METHODS The prospective study carri...

OBJECTIVE To conduct a meta-analysis of studies assessing the effect of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) on birth defects. DESIGN Meta-analysis. SETTING Centers for reproductive care. PATIENT(S) Patients treated by IVF and/or ICSI. INTERVENTION(S) We identified all studies published by September 2011 with data related to birth defects in children conceived by IVF and/or I...

This review summarizes the introduction of ICSI in the early 1990s as an assisted fertilization procedure in couples with severe male factor infertility, who could not be helped by conventional IVF. As for current practice, the indications for ICSI using fresh or frozen-thawed ejaculated, epididymal or testicular sperm are reviewed as well as some reports on the use of ICSI in non-male infertil...