INTRODUCTION: Objective: To evaluate the impact of artificial oocyte activation (AOA) with calcium ionophore (A23187) on IVF outcomes of patients with previous history of cycle cancellations due to arrested embryos before formation of day 5 blastocysts.
METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted by evaluating records of patients that admitted for in-vitro fertilization between 2013 and 2021. Patients with previous history of developmental arrest in whole embryo cohort without fertilization failure were included in the study. Cycle outcomes of women with and without AOA were compared.
RESULTS: A total of 347 women were found eligible and included in the study. One-hundred-eighty-five of them were treated with AOA that constituted the study group and 162 women were included in control group. Rate of good quality embryos (65.3% vs. 31.1%; p<0.001), implantation rates (0.33±0.41 vs. 0.22±0.39; p=0.003), clinical pregnancy rates (43.2% vs. 25.3%; p<0.001) and live birth delivery rates (40.5% vs. 21%; p<0.001) were higher in women treated with AOA with calcium ionophore in comparison to controls. Rate of multiple pregnancy was also found higher in calcium ionophore group (5.4% vs. 1.9%; p=0.01). Mean infant birth weights were similar among groups.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: AOA with A23187 appears to improve progression to blastocyst rates, embryo quality, clinical pregnancy rates and live birth delivery rates in women with a previous history of complete embryo development arrest before formation of day 5 blastocysts.