Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection or ICSI is a modified and advanced form of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), which is the first infertility treatment for tackling male factor infertility cases. ICSI is a specialized ART method and is often used in conjunction with or as a part of IVF treatment. This specialized treatment involves selecting and injecting a single sperm directly into the matured egg. ICSI is commonly recommended in cases of male infertility.
ICSI can be considered a specialised version or a type of IVF treatment. In the typical IVF treatment, thousands of sperm are combined with the eggs in a culture dish. So the outcomes of the process are chance-based and there are chances of multiple fertilizations or no fertilization at all.
Whilst ICSI facilitates better chances of fertilization as the single sperm cell is directly injected into the single egg. So the process is not left up to chance, as the directed efforts call for higher chances of success of the fertility treatment. However, ICSI as a fertility treatment does not promise fertilization and is rather a more advanced and direct technique to promote fertilization.
If the cause of infertility is poor sperm or motility in men, then ICSI could be the procedure that can help with fertilization, consequently increasing the chance of artificial conception. In ICSI, a single sperm is selected through certain techniques, and the healthiest and most motile sperm is injected into the egg with the assistance of microscopic injections. All of this is done to encourage higher chances of fertilisation.
Both the ICSI and IVF treatments result in the formation of the embryo, which is then transferred to the uterus of the patient. And when the embryo successfully attaches to the lining of the uterus, that’s when the treatment is complete.
ICSI is recommended as a part of IVF or in cases of male factor infertility. Following are the cases where ICSI treatment is suitable:
ICSI is a more invasive treatment than IVF, and thus, requires more caution and there are certainly more risks involved. For instance, there are chances of egg damage during the insemination procedure, and the ICSI treatment requires utmost caution and accuracy. And the final results of the ICSI treatments depend on the age of the female patient, family history, and previous pregnancy complications. So the risks that may arise during the ICSI treatment may not be attributed to the treatment itself, but to other known or unknown factors. Therefore, a thorough analysis of reproductive health through various tests and scans is done on both the patients to assure safe conception and higher chances of success with fewer risks involved.
ICSI is an advanced ART treatment that is effective when it comes to the fertilization of eggs since the chances of fertilizations are 50% to 80% in ICSI. However, once the fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus of the woman, then the success rate for ICSI becomes the same as that of IVF.
The ICSI process is not at all painful since the patient is given anesthesia during the procedure. However, some patients may experience some discomfort or little cramping when the egg retrieval is done using a needle, which is a part of the ICSI process. So the treatment is not painful but slightly uncomfortable.
To select the sperm for the ICSI procedure, sperm motility and overall morphology are taken into consideration. The medical expert selects the single sperm cell based on its motility and appearance, places the same into a tiny needle, and inserts it into the egg. So the most motile and healthy sperm is chosen for injection.
ICSI is part of the IVF treatment and is usually suggested after several failed IVF cycles. This advanced treatment provides enhanced chances of fertilization as compared to IVF. This is also very true if the cause of childlessness is male factor infertility. However, ICSI is a complex procedure that poses more risk for egg damage, while there is no such risk in the IVF procedure. So ICSI is just an advanced procedure that is suggested in specific infertility cases and may not be better than IVF but works best as a part of IVF.
Now that you have decided to give fertility treatments a try, then the next possible step is to get consulted. So contact us now and have your face-to-face consultation arranged with our great fertility experts. You can get a consultation over a video call or voice call. You just have to fill out the contact form or give our friendly staff a call at +91 9599754411. We are happy to help you in your journey to parenthood and give you the best assistance as you move through the arduous infertility process.