CHA Hospital Infertility Center Achieves Successful Pregnancies Using Immature Oocytes

New Treatment Potential Confirmed for Patients Who Respond Poorly to Hormonal Therapy

The Infertility Center of CHA Hospital under CHA University announced on April 8 that it has confirmed successful pregnancies in infertility patients using an immature oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM)-based therapy, a treatment method that proceeds without hormonal stimulation.

Lee Hakcheon, Director of the Infertility Center at Jamsil CHA Hospital, is explaining treatment to an infertility patient who underwent CAPA-IVM therapy. Jamsil CHA Hospital

This achievement was made by applying the CAPA-IVM (immature oocyte in vitro maturation) technique to patients who had difficulty generating embryos during conventional in vitro fertilization. Successful pregnancies were achieved at both Jamsil CHA Hospital and Ilsan CHA Hospital.

At Jamsil CHA Hospital, a 32-year-old patient with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), who had difficulty with natural conception, successfully conceived and gave birth after undergoing CAPA-IVM. This patient was at high risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) during ovulation induction, necessitating a treatment that minimized hormonal stimulation. After two procedures and improvement of the uterine environment, a frozen embryo transfer was performed, resulting in a successful pregnancy.

At Ilsan CHA Hospital, a 37-year-old patient who was unable to obtain mature oocytes despite repeated hormonal stimulation achieved pregnancy through CAPA-IVM. The medical team successfully formed embryos by collecting immature oocytes and maturing and culturing them sequentially over time, and increased fertilization stability by performing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in conjunction. The patient is currently in a stable phase of pregnancy.

This case is significant in that it demonstrates the potential of IVM-based therapy even in patient groups for whom conventional infertility treatment has proven difficult, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome or low response to hormonal therapy.

CHA Hospital has been a pioneer in this field since achieving pregnancy and childbirth using immature oocytes in 1989. With subsequent advancements in technology and accumulation of clinical experience, IVM therapy is increasingly being utilized as an alternative option for infertility treatment.

The currently applied CAPA-IVM adds a pre-maturation step to conventional IVM, providing a more stable process for oocyte maturation. It is evaluated as a viable treatment option for patients who, despite repeated IVF attempts, have poor embryo quality or high risk from hormonal stimulation.

Hakcheon Lee, Director of Jamsil CHA Hospital, stated, "With advancements in culture technology, we have been able to significantly improve many of the limitations of conventional IVM."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.