Normal conception and pregnancy are delicate and highly regulated processes. If this process of conception is disturbed due to a low sperm count or sperm structure abnormality, then external help is required. ICSI is one such procedure. ICSI makes the decision to seek infertility treatment viable and affordable. By definition, ICSI stands for Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm injection. This simply means men’s sperm should penetrate the outer layer of the egg. Sometimes, the attachment of sperm to the egg does not happen, so fertilisation does not take place. This may be due to the thick outer layer of the egg or sperm’s head being unable to penetrate. ICSI is a procedure where a single sperm is injected into the egg with the help of a micropipette in the laboratory. We at Yash IVF have seen several couples visit our center with a severe deficit in semen quality. Obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia (azoospermia is the medical term for no sperm in the ejaculate. Many of them are well read and have many interesting questions. That’s why we have picked up a few to answer them. So let’s address them one by one. Does the ICSI procedure happen inside the human body? The sperm sample is prepared by taking out dead cells and debris. The sperm cells that bind the zona pellucida (egg outer layer) are collected through a microinjection needle and subsequently used to perform ICSI. Sperm selection with ICSI leads to improved quality of embryos and implantation rates. How often does ICSI work for the first time? Directly putting sperm into the egg should ideally result in a 100% success rate, but that is not the case. With ICSI treatment, the successful fertilization rate is between 60-80%. It is very important to understand the difference between the fertilization process in the body and outside of the human body. The human body has a lot of processes in place to ensure the best sperm fertilises the egg. ICSI has truly changed the picture of fertilization in cases of sperm abnormalities. Could ICSI help to conceive? During ICSI, the sperm doesn’t need to find the egg. This means that it can help couples where the man’s sperm can’t reach the egg or can reach the egg but not fertilise it. ICSI is of great help in the following circumstances: Problems with sperm count, a high percentage of abnormal sperm(regarding motility and structure), problems with erection How can you improve the success of ICSI? Maintain a healthy weight. Optimize sperm health through exercise, diet, medications, and correction of previous ailments. Always look out for excellent doctors and an in-house embryology laboratory. reducing stress and anxiety. On priority, quit drinking and smoking. Look into screening tests and supplements under the guidance of a doctor. Ensure you have vitamin D, zinc, etc. How many sperm does one require for ICSI? Ideally, it is one sperm which is active, which is the requirement for fertilization of an egg in ICSI. Initially, a sperm sample is prepared using various techniques to eliminate the poor quality of sperm. After washing sperm to get rid of debris, dead cells, and others, one sperm is picked up by a micropipette for ICSI. Embryologists perform the selection of healthy sperm under a high-resolution microscope. Are ICSI babies normal? Yes, IVF and IVF/ICSI are safe. Specifically, the ICSI procedure is often performed on patients who have low sperm count or motility issues. The joy of parenthood is quite possible. A lot of improvements in media and procedures along with increased use of this ICSI have proved that the babies born from this ICSI are as normal as non-ICSI ones. What are the necessary things to look into before the ICSI procedure? They can only perform the ICSI process after doing the following: Ovary stimulation to aid in egg development Retrieval of the eggs Implantation of an embryo into the uterine wall How reliable is ICSI? The most reliable and proven ICSI method offers better conception and fertilization. It is the treatment of choice for all cases of male subfertility and infertility issues. Various research and in-depth records state that the chances of birth defects in a baby are almost the same whether conceived naturally or by an IVF-ICSI procedure. What are the differences between classic IVF and ICSI? There are many striking differences between classic IVF and ICSI. However, after the fusion of sperm and egg, the rest of the steps are the same. The most important difference is that In terms of insemination, ICSI needs only one sperm cell per oocyte, while the IVF process needs 50,000–100,000. Once fertilized, they transferred the egg on day 5 to the uterus to continue its development. Cost is another important factor. When was the first child born from ICSI? Gamete micromanipulation was a technique used for the first time in a Singapore-born child in April 1989. Gianpiero Palermo developed the technique at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in the Center for Reproductive Medicine. Actually, the discovery was made by a mistake. It produced the first embryo by ICSI in 1990, and the first successful birth by ICSI took place on January 14, 1992, after an April 1991 conception. We at Yash IVF are happy to share the success story of a couple who struggled with male infertility for 5 years. Mr and Mrs Caroline Paul visited the centre with all the reports of previous procedures. Mrs Caroline, 29 years old, with 2 years of infertility, good AMH, severe oligospermia, advancing age, and a sedentary lifestyle rather made the concern, along with obesity. Mr Paul took medications for a year. After correct diagnosis, the testicular biopsy of the husband was done, sperm were retrieved and started IVF ICSI treatment. Positive pregnancy test after 2 weeks of embryo transfer followed by transvaginal ultrasonography to find the intrauterine single live pregnancy.
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