Analysis of Clinical Outcomes of Different Fertilization Methods in Patients with ≤3 Eggs Retrieved

OBJECTIVE: To explore the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) method on the clinical outcomes of infertile women with ≤3 eggs retrieved. Study Design. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of female patients who received IVF/ICSI to assist pregnancy with retrieved eggs ≤3. The general conditions, i.e., two pronuclei (2PN) fertilization rate, abnormal fertilization rate, high-quality embryo rate, cycle cancellation rate, pregnancy rate of fresh embryo transfer, cumulative pregnancy rate, and miscarriage were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: When the number of retrieved eggs was one, the fertilization rate of 2PN was higher and the cycle cancellation rate was lower in the ICSI group than in the IVF group (P < 0.05). The pregnancy rates of fresh embryo transfer, frozen-thawed embryo transfer, and the cumulative pregnancy rate were all higher in the ICSI group than in the IVF group (P < 0.05). When the number of retrieved eggs was two, the pregnancy rate of frozen-thawed embryo transfer and cumulative pregnancy rate in the ICSI group were higher than those in the IVF group (P < 0.05). When the number of retrieved eggs was three, the fertilization rate of 2PN and the pregnancy rate of frozen-thawed embryo transfer were higher in the ICSI group than those in the IVF group (all (P < 0.05)). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with one egg retrieved, ICSI fertilization can reduce abnormal fertilization rate and cycle cancellation rate and improve cumulative pregnancy rate significantly enhancing patients' benefits. However, increasing the number of eggs retrieved decreases the advantages of ICSI fertilization.