A SIMPLE APPROACH TO INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION

Objective: To describe a simple injection apparatus and method for performing intracytoplasmic sperm injection in a clinical IVF program. Design: A prospective clinical trial of intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Setting: A private office-based fertility program. Patients: Five couples undergoing IVF-ET with intracytoplasmic sperm injection as a treatment for male factor infertility. Interventions: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed at room temperature (23.5 to 24.5 degrees C) in a simple zwitterion-buffered medium. Main Outcome Measures: Fertilization rates, cleavage rates, clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates. Results: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed on 44 fresh oocytes from five patients. Twenty-three oocytes fertilized (52.3%) and 22 zygotes cleaved (95.7%). Three of five patients became pregnant (60%), resulting in the live birth of one normal male infant, one continuing singleton pregnancy, and one continuing twin gestation (46XX, 46XY). The implantation rate was 23.5%. Conclusion: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be performed successfully in a simple medium at room temperature using commercially available microtools.