LAUSR

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the role of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the treatment of non-male factor infertile patients aged ≥ 39. Methods This is a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial, between March 2018 and December 2019. Sixty-nine patients were recruited, and sixty patients participated in the study. Their ovaries were randomized prior to the beginning of the ovarian stimulation: the oocytes from one side ( n  = 257) were allocated to the ICSI (ICSI arm), while those of the contralateral side ( n  = 258) were allocated to conventional insemination (IVF arm). The fertilization rate per oocyte retrieved, number of zygotes (2PN), and cleavage-stage embryos were assessed and compared between the two study groups. Results The average number of zygotes (3.1 vs. 2.7 p  = 0.45), the fertilization rate (72.4% vs. 65.1% p  = 0.38), the average number of cleavage-stage (2.8 vs. 2.4 p  = 0.29), and the average top-quality embryos (TQE) cleavage-stage embryos (1.7 vs. 1.6 p  = 0.94) were comparable between the two groups. The TQE rate per randomized oocyte (41.2% vs. 41% p  = 0.8) was also similar in both groups. Conclusions ICSI does not improve the reproductive outcomes of advanced-age patients undergoing conventional insemination for non-male factor infertility. Trial registration NCT03370068