Ibukun Okanlawon: Blastocyst Development After Overnight IVM of MI Oocytes
Ibukun Okanlawon, Clinical Embryologist at Havilland Fertility Clinic, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“In my previous work with GV oocytes, I’ve shared outcomes where overnight in vitro maturation (IVM) resulted in successful blastocyst development, including a euploid embryo.
In those cases, I had little concern about oocyte aging, as GV oocytes still need to progress through MI before reaching MII. The time in culture is largely spent reaching maturity, not sitting in it.
However, carrying out IVM on MI oocytes raised a different question for me. Their transition to MII can occur at any point during culture, making the exact timing of maturity unknown (without time-lapse technology).
What if an MI oocyte reaches MII much earlier than we detect, and then remains at MII for several hours before ICSI?
Could this lead to oocyte aging and impact outcomes: fertilisation, blastocyst development, aneuploidy risk, or implantation potential?
Case 1 (images attached):
- 6 MI oocytes retrieved
- No IVM at 3.5 hours post-denudation
- Cultured overnight
- At ~19 hours post-denudation, all 6 reached MII
- All 6 injected → all cleaved (Day 1)
- Day 5: 2 expanded blastocysts
- Day 6: 3 expanded blastocysts
- Total: 5 blastocysts cryopreserved (quality: fair and poor)
Case 2:
- 3 MI oocytes retrieved
- No maturation at 4 hours post-denudation
- Cultured overnight
- At ~22 hours post-denudation, 2 reached MII
- All 3 injected (2MII, 1MI)
- Day 1: 1 (0PN), 1 (2PN), 1 cleaving embryo
- Day 5: 1 blastocyst (grade 4BC)
It would have been interesting to biopsy these embryos and see what the PGT results showed, as well as the implantation outcomes following FET.”
Stay updated on all scientific advances in the field of fertility with Fertility News.
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:27Hrishikesh Pai: Rethinking Male Infertility
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:25Eric Verdin: Wrapping Up the Reproductive Aging Summit at the Center for Healthy Aging in Women
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:21Investigating Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Idiopathic POI – RBMO
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:18Sue Ritchie: Why Aren’t We Talking About Male Fertility More?
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:13Salma Yasin: Every Day of BFS Study Week 2026 Has Been an Exceptional Learning Experience
-
Sep 18, 2026, 20:01Qingcai Wang: Over 35 and Torn Between Trying Longer and Starting IVF?
-
Sep 18, 2026, 19:58Bhumika: Can a Woman Become Pregnant Again While Already Pregnant?
-
Sep 18, 2026, 19:5215 More Experts Join the International Fertility Forum Mumbai 2026
-
Sep 18, 2026, 19:50Curious About What Happens Behind the Scenes in the Labs? – Sims IVF