Ex-vivo oocyte retrieval for fertility preservation

Abstract

To report a novel fertility preservation strategy in a woman with recurrent serous borderline ovarian tumor in the conserved ovary involving ex-vivo retrieval of in vivo matured oocytes and subsequent embryo cryopreservation. Case report. Tertiary infertility care unit. A 27-year-old woman presented for follow-up visit with a history of borderline serous adenocarcinoma treated conservatively with left oophorectomy and fertility-sparing laparoscopic staging. Ultrasound scan revealed a recurrent disease in the right ovary. Ex-vivo retrieval of mature oocytes after ovarian stimulation. Fertility preservation. The patient underwent ovarian stimulation followed by a laparotomy and oophorectomy on the day of oocyte retrieval. A puncture of the follicles was performed in the operating theatre with a maximum ischemia time of 14 minutes. Eleven mature oocytes were aspirating, resulting in seven zygotes for cryopreservation. Mature oocytes can be successfully retrieved ex-vivo from the oophorectomy specimen after a controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) protocol. This method provides a possible strategy for fertility preservation in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer without the risk of cancer cells spillage associated with the standard transvaginal oocyte retrieval.