Objective: To report a novel approach to fertility preservation by in vitro maturation and embryo cryopreservation after LH surge and ovulation.
Design: Case report.
Setting: Two university-based reproductive endocrinology clinics.
Patient(s): Forty-year-old woman with breast cancer seeking fertility preservation before chemotherapy.
Intervention(s): The plan was ovarian stimulation and retrieval of mature oocytes, followed by IVF; however, premature LH surge and ovulation occurred before oocyte retrieval. Because no mature oocyte was recovered, follicles <10 mm in diameter were also aspirated.
Main outcome measure(s): Recovery of immature oocytes after ovulation, in vitro maturation of these oocytes, and fertilization and vitrification of generated embryos.
Result(s): Four immature oocytes were recovered, and two matured in vitro. After fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, embryos progressed to the four-cell stage on day 2 and were vitrified for future use.
Conclusion(s): This case illustrates that under time constraints, immature oocytes can be recovered after ovulation and used to generate embryos for fertility preservation.