Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a specialized type of In vitro fertilization (IVF) in which an egg is fertilized directly by injecting it with sperm. It is recommended for partners that may have the male factor causing infertility. Your fertility specialist may recommend this process of assisted reproduction to support cases where the sperm is unable to attach to the egg. To create mature eggs for fertilization, like IVF, the female partner undergoes ovarian stimulation with the assistance of reproductive medicines. The mature eggs are extracted as the embryologist processes and prepare the sperm sample for injection. This fertilization process is similar to normal conception, with includes the sperm swimming to the egg, attaching, and penetrating to form an embryo.
What is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), and who should consider it?
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) includes injecting sperm directly into an egg to fertilize. ICSI is part of an IVF procedure. In IVF, the egg and sperm is left in a petri dish to fertilize. Whereas in ICSI, one sperm is directly inserted into the egg. ICSI is recommended in cases where the male factor is the cause of infertility. ICSI is used in 95% of patients opting for IVF.
You should consider ICSI if any or a few of the following are associated with you:
- Low sperm count
- Abnormal sperm shape (morphology)
- Sperm that is taken directly from the testicles
- Previous IVF cycles have yielded a low fertilization rate.
- To treat unexplained infertility
- Also used when Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (PGD) is planned.
- Recommended when you have a limited number of eggs available.
What to expect during Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment?
Both IVF and ICSI treatments are similar. The difference between both procedures is that on the day of the egg retrieval, for ICSI, the embryologist will inject a single sperm into each mature egg.
In circumstances when a man’s sperm quality or the male factor is the limiting factor, your fertility specialist may recommend freezing a sperm sample for possible future usage before starting your treatment plan. In some instances, the sperm quality from the male partner might decline over the course of the treatment plan; hence having a frozen sample preserved in the lab can guarantee that access to the sperm sample on the day of egg extraction.
What is the success rate of ICSI?
In 60%-80% of the cases, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can fertilize the eggs successfully. Yet, each fertility case is unique owing to various individual characteristics. Your doctor can give you a prognosis based on your medical results.