How does ICSI help in infertility?

Category: Personal

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an advanced in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique that involves injecting a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of a human egg. The procedure is designed to help couples facing severe male infertility or couples who have been unable to conceive after previous in vitro fertilization attempts. ICSI retrieves as many eggs as possible, however, the developed eggs are only injected with sperm. On average, 75 to 80 percent of eggs can be collected. Male fertility Infertility affects men and women equally. If a couple is unable to conceive even after a year of unprotected intercourse they might be suffering from infertility. Male infertility can be caused by one of the following reasons: • Low sperm count or poor sperm quality, preventing it from penetrating or fertilizing an egg. • Men who have had an epididymal or testicular biopsy to try to conceive. • Any physical abnormality in the male reproductive tract that prevents him from producing sperm or ejaculating. Such problems can be solved using advanced and specialized technologies like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and other procedures. This procedure has a high success rate. Must read: Precautions to Take During ICSI Treatment Where ICSI may be recommended? ICSI is usually recommended in cases of male factor infertility where fertilization is extremely difficult. ICSI is used in the following cases of male infertility: • Oligospermia (very low sperm count) • Asthenozoospermia refers to the lack of sperm motility or motility. • Teratozoospermia is an abnormally shaped sperm. Poor sperm quality, also known as azoospermia, occurs when the sperm cannot penetrate the egg. Azoospermia is classified into two types: Obstructive and non-obstructive. Obstructive azoospermia can result from congenital absence of the vas, previous sterilization, or trauma from a previous infection. Sperm is extracted by TESE, or testicular sperm extraction when a man is unable to ejaculate but is producing sperm. Retrograde ejaculation is the removal of sperm from a man's urine. Other reasons for using ICSI include: Using frozen sperm that do not appear active. PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis) has been used in previous IVF cycles where the egg count was high and the sperm were healthy but the eggs did not fertilize. When using frozen oocytes, the eggshell may harden; In such cases, ICSI is recommended. When IVM (In Vitro Maturation) is used to retrieve eggs before they mature, ICSI will be effective. ICSI success rate in male infertility Fertilization rates at the IVF laboratory, which are currently 80 to 85 percent, can be used to predict the success rate of ICSI. Couples with male factor infertility who used ICSI achieved a 70 to 80 % fertilization rate for all eggs injected, similar to fertilization with normal sperm. In couples without male factor infertility, pregnancy rates achieved through ICSI are comparable to those achieved through IVF. Risks of ICSI Infertility Treatment There are numerous risks associated with ICSI. The risk of major birth defects in normal pregnancies is 1.5 to 3%, while the rate of birth defects in ICSI is slightly higher, which is still very rare. According to the majority of studies, babies born through artificial insemination can have imprinting defects. Imprinting occurs when the behavior of certain genes in a child depends on whether it was inherited from the father or the mother. Some researchers believe that this type of zygotic manipulation is similar to natural conception. Must read: ICSI Treatment and Precautions Conclusion Although some doctors believe that ICSI causes birth defects, this may also be due to the inherent risk of malformations in the parents undergoing the procedure. If a person wants to undergo ICSI, should consult a fertility doctor, who will advise the couple about the risks and complications associated with the procedure.