Should few retrieved oocytes be as an indication for intracytoplasmic sperm injection?

To reevaluate whether relatively few oocytes obtained in one cycle are an indication for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

A total of 406 cycles with three or fewer retrieved oocytes performed in 396 non-male infertile couples were retrospectively reviewed. Cycles were classified into three groups by different fertilization techniques: the in vitro fertilization (IVF) group, insemination with conventional IVF; the ICSI group, insemination with ICSI though semen parameters were normal; and the rescue ICSI group, re-insemination with ICSI after conventional IVF failure.

The ICSI group resulted in higher normal fertilization compared with the conventional IVF group. Correspondingly, the cycle cancellation rate was decreased in the ICSI group, though it was not statistically significant. The clinical pregnancy rate and implantation rate were lower in the ICSI group compared with the conventional IVF group. Rescue ICSI was a method to avert total fertilization failure in conventional IVF, increasing fertilization and ensuring embryo availability for transfer, but the normal fertilization was the lowest due to delayed insemination and the chance of pregnancy was very little.

Obtaining only few oocytes in one cycle is not considered as an indication for ICSI when the sperm sample is apparently normal. Rescue ICSI is either not recommended if conventional insemination fails. Such patients should not be subjected to the unnecessary costs and potential risks of ICSI.