If you got your IVF treatment to start a family, but it hasn’t worked, you can try ICSI treatment. It is more advanced than IVF and has the potential to boost your chances of conceiving.
In this article, Dr. Hrishikesh Pai, a renowned IVF doctor in Gurgaon, discusses ICSI treatment.
What is ICSI?
ICSI or Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a fertility treatment where a live sperm is injected into a woman’s eggs in a laboratory. This procedure creates an embryo.
ICSI is a form of IVF (in vitro fertilization). ICSI is generally used when male infertility is the cause of not being able to conceive.
Dr. Hrishikesh Pai is a renowned IVF doctor in Gurgaon with over 35 years of experience. He also has a clinic in Lucknow, where he is known as one of the best IVF doctors in Lucknow.
ICSI vs. IVF
ICSI is the form of IVF. With IVF, your IVF specialist will put thousands of sperm with an egg, and whether one of the sperm will fertilize the egg or not is known. If any sperm does not fertilize the egg, the fertilization will not occur.
ICSI involves fertilization by injecting a single sperm into a single egg. However, ISCI does not guarantee that fertilization will occur.
Who needs ICSI?
ICSI is most successful for people who have male infertility issues, says Dr. Pai. Your IVF specialist will recommend you ICSI for the following reasons:
- Inability to ejaculate
- If you have a blockage in your male reproductive system
- If you have a low sperm count
- If you have low sperm quality
- If your semen flows back into your bladder
You may need ICSI for other reasons like:
- If the IVF procedure has not been successful
- If you are a woman with age over 35
- If you are using frozen eggs or sperm to conceive
Preparation
Before the ICSI procedure, your IVF specialist will collect the eggs and sperm:
- To retrieve the eggs, if you are the woman supplying the eggs, you will get medications through injections for 8 to 14 days. These medications will stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs at a time. These eggs will then be matured using the medicine.
- After the eggs are matured, your IVF specialist will use transvaginal ultrasound to retrieve the eggs. In this procedure, a small needle is inserted through your vagina into your ovaries. A suction device that is connected to the needle collects and retrieves the eggs.
If you are not using frozen sperm, the sperm collection will take place on the same day as the egg retrieval:
- The male will give their sperm specimen at home and bring it to the lab, or they can do so in the lab.
- A semen analysis will take place to check the quality, mobility, and volume of the sperm. Then, after washing the sperm, a single sperm is separated to be injected into the egg.
Procedure
- After the sample is retrieved and washed, the single sperm is injected into the egg to reach the cytoplasm using a fine needle.
- This procedure is critical for selecting viable and healthy embryos. These embryos are kept in the lab for up to 6 days. The development and expansion of the embryos are continuously watched.
- Once the embryos are developed, 1 to 2 embryos are selected and transferred into your uterus using a catheter. This procedure can happen 2-5 days after fertilization of the embryos.
Advantages
According to Dr. Pai, the IVF doctor in Gurgaon, the following are the advantages of ICSI:
- If we compare ICSI to IVF, ICSI seems to be more successful in helping people who have male infertility.
- ICSI uses a magnification microscope for selecting good-quality sperm.
- ICSI has more success rates than IVF.
Disadvantages
According to Dr. Pai, the following are the disadvantages of ICSI:
- The odds of congenital impairments are similar to those of IVF. However, they are somewhat more significant than in normal birth. This may be due to infertility.
- Low sperm count caused by genetics might be passed on to the male child.
- It costs more than IVF.
Risk Factors
According to Dr. Pai, the following are the complications related to ICSI:
- The needle could cause damage to some or all the eggs during penetration.
- The egg may not fertilize after the injection of the sperm.
- The embryo could stop developing after embryo transfer or in the lab itself.
Success Rate of ICSI
According to Dr. Pai, who is an IVF doctor in Gurgaon, the following are the success rates of ICSI:
- ICSI has a greater success rate than IVF. ICSI has a success rate of around 80% to 85%. However, no procedure promises 100 percent success.
- It is possible that even if the sperm is directly inserted into the egg, it will not fertilize.
- Other criteria influencing ICSI success include egg quality, sperm quality, and age.
Cost of ICSI
The cost of ICSI differs from clinic to clinic, says Dr. Pai. The average cost of ICSI in India ranges from Rs. 150000 to Rs. 250000.
Conclusion:
If IVF therapy has not been effective, you may want to pursue ICSI for your infertility concerns. It has a much higher success rate than IVF. As a result, it may be beneficial in reaching your objective of creating a family.
You can visit Dr. Hrishikesh Pai for further queries and treatment.