Clinical outcomes and development of children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using extracted testicular sperm or ejaculated extreme severe oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia sperm: a comparative study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and development of children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with extracted testicular sperm or ejaculated extreme severe oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) sperm. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Infertility clinic at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. PATIENT(S): A total of 126 ICSI cycles were performed using extracted testicular sperm from men with azoospermia and 65 ICSI cycles using fresh ejaculated sperm from men with extreme severe OAT. INTERVENTION(S): Retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes and development of children born after ICSI with extracted testicular sperm or ejaculated extreme severe OAT sperm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Fertilization rates, number of grade 1 zygotes and number of embryos produced, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion and live birth rate per transfer, perinatal outcomes, and birth defects. RESULT(S): The demographic and clinical factors, including age, E₂ level on hCG day, number of oocytes retrieved, normal fertilization rate, zygote grade 1 score distribution, number of top-quality embryos transferred, clinical pregnancy rate per transfer, chemical pregnancy rate per transfer, implantation rate, live birth rate per transfer, and abortion rate per transfer, were similar between the groups. Sixty live births resulted from 48 extracted testicular sperm cycles and 21 live births from 19 extreme severe OAT. The obstetric and perinatal outcomes were similar between the groups, and children conceived by using ICSI were healthy and without major psychomotor or intellectual development retardation. One case of tetralogy of Fallot occurred in each group. CONCLUSION(S): There is no evidence of differences in the clinical outcomes and development of children result after ICSI with extracted testicular sperm or ejaculated extreme severe OAT sperm.