What is intracytoplasmic sperm injection
(ICSI-IVF)?
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for pregnancy or ICSI-IVF treatment is a step ahead in the IVF treatment technique, where a single sperm is injected into the centre of a single mature egg (oocyte) cytoplasm. This is done with a very fine needle called a micropipette. ICSI in Jaipur has helped couples with male infertility issues in the past couple of years by helping men with poor quality sperm and introducing them to fatherhood.
Who needs ICSI?
At Zivia IVF, we use ICSI in conjunction with an IVF cycle when we believe that fertilization is unlikely to occur using only conventional IVF. Most typically, ICSI is appropriate when there is a male infertility factor. We might recommend ICSI in Jaipur when :
- The number of sperm is low
- There’s poor sperm motility (movement)
- There’s a high number of abnormal sperm
- The sperm has been collected surgically
- There are high levels of antibodies present in the semen
- Couples reporting previous unexplained
- failures to achieve fertilization in conventional IVF, or when very few eggs have fertilized following IVF
- Sperm function tests have shown that the
- poor quality sperm that would be unlikely to achieve fertilization, or embryo quality and implantation may be compromised.
ICSI-IVF Process-a step-by-step guide
1) Ovarian Stimulation
You will get primary consultation with our fertility experts. After the consultation, the process begins with stimulating the ovaries from Day 2 or Day 3 of the menstrual cycle. In this step, scanning of follicles is done. Daily doses of hCG injections are given for 10-12 days to the female partner to grow the follicles and our fertility expert monitors the development of the follicles in the ovary using an ultrasound and blood investigations at regular intervals to control the size and quality of follicles.
2) Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval
After 10-12 days of stimulation based on the growth, an injection (trigger) is given to assist in the final maturation of the eggs and loosening the egg from the walls of the follicle. After 34-36 hours of trigger injection, the egg retrieval process takes place with general anaesthesia in the IVF unit of the Zivia Fertility centre.
3) Sperm collection
On the same day of egg retrieval, a fresh sperm sample is collected from the male partner. Male sample is most commonly collected using masturbation. If needed, sperms are extracted from testicles or epididymis using a separate procedure. The sperm sample is then processed in the lab and the healthiest sperm is selected.
4) Fertilisation
Once the eggs are retrieved the fertilization process begins. During the fertilization process, the mature eggs are placed in an incubator and are fertilized with sperm within a couple of hours. In the ICSI process, an embryologist will select a single healthy sperm and directly inject it into the egg. Egg fertilization involves the observation of embryos until it reaches the blastocyst stage. Once the sperm fertilizes the egg, it is called an embryo. Embryo Monitoring is completed in 2 to 6 days.
5) Blastocyst Culture
After the fertilisation, the embryo development process starts. Day 5-Day 6 stage from the fertilisation is called Blastocyst.
6) Embryo Transfer
Once embryos are formed based on the quality and growth of the embryos, the best embryos are transferred into the uterus of the female partner using a small tube called a Catheter.
7) Pregnancy
After the embryos are transferred into the uterus our fertility experts prescribe medicine to enhance the chances of implantation. After the stipulated time of 2 weeks, i.e. after the 14th days, pregnancy tests are conducted by our fertility experts to check the result. Here’s an example IVF treatment journey. This will give you an indication of the stages in the process and a likely number of visits to the Clinic.
How is ICSI different from IVF(ICSI VS IVF)?
Both ICSI and IVF use assisted reproductive technology (ART) to treat infertility in couples with difficulty getting pregnant. ICSI has been a highly effective treatment for male infertility problems.
In the ICSI procedure, each egg is individually injected with a single sperm. This bypasses the natural penetration of sperm into the egg.
What are the benefits of ICSI?
For couples struggling with male factor infertility, ICSI can also increase your chances of successful fertilization under normal insemination (such as IUI). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a great option to consider in the case of ejaculation problems, poor general fertility, and other male infertility issues.
How successful is ICSI?
The success of ICSI depends on how many eggs fertilize with ICSI. The ICSI procedure fertilizes 50 to 80 percent of eggs. (ICSI Success)
Are there any differences in embryo quality or pregnancy rates between ICSI and non-ICSI embryos?
Couples want to know can ICSI affect a baby’s development? The most common fear is what are the risks of ICSI to the baby? It appears that there is no difference in the overall embryo quality achieved after the ICSI procedure or without ICSI in Jaipur. Similarly, no difference in pregnancy rates has been shown between ICSI embryos and non-ICSI embryos. Some congenital deformities have been observed. The medical community believes that it’s related to infertility rather than the ICSI procedure.
What is the cost of ICSI In India?
The ICSI Cost depends on multiple factors. Some of which include below
- A hospital / Fertility center
- Pathology lab
- Radiology services for ultrasounds
- Anaesthesia doctors
- The ICSI laboratory
- The fertility doctors