Fertilization, embryo quality, and cryosurvival in in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles

Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate the influence of semen quality on f ertilization, embryo morphology cleavage, and cryosurvival in conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pr ograms. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 513 couples undergoing IVF and 255 cou ples undergoing ICSI was done. Results: Semen quality influenced fertilization in IVF and abnormal fertili zation in IVF and ICSI, but no effects on the development, morphology impla ntation capacity or cryosurvival of embryos were found. Fertilization, embr yo quality and cryosurvival rates were similar after IVF and ICSI. The fert ilization rate of mature oocytes in IVF was lower when cytoplasmic immaturi ty in the oocyte population was frequent. The speed of development of embry os was 2 hr faster after ICSI than after IVE Two-cell-stage embryos survive d best after cryopreservation with propanediol and sucrose on day 2. Conclusions: After fertilization, semen parameters had no effect on the qua lity or cryosurvival of embryos in either IVF or ICSI.