5 Facts About ICSI You Must Know
If you’re interested in undergoing in vitro fertilization for conception, you may have come across ICSI. This is known as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, a specialized form of IVF which is used for specific cases of male infertility. It would involve injecting one single sperm into a mature egg.
Its aim is to increase the IVF fertilization rates, though there’s much more to ICSI than that main purpose. If you want to learn more about ICSI to see if it’s for you, read on as I show you the five facts about ICSI you must know.
ICSI is all about pinpointing the best sperm to collect and inject into mature eggs. Not only can this help improve the fertilization and pregnancy rates, but it also addresses egg-related problems. As technology continues to advance, so does the process, lessening any ICSI IVF risks today.
With that being said, here are the —
Five important facts you need to learn about so you know what to expect:
1. Less Need For Donor Sperms
The first ICSI procedure was done in 1992, with the use of donor sperms to help with success rates. However as more studies and improved technologies come along, donor sperm use has dropped.
Today, up to 95% (even more) of men can be birth fathers because of the continually improving ICSI procedures. The procedure has truly helped with male infertility, known as the 2nd IVF revolution because of how helpful it has been. And what’s great about it is that it continues to revolutionize with more studies and ways to improve ICSI.
Now, couples will be able to parent their own blood children, which is a beautiful advantage. While donor sperms aren’t anything to be ashamed of, a future father would want their children to be their own.
2. It’s Not As Expensive
You’ll be surprised by how inexpensive the ICSI procedure is, making it a good recommendation to do with IVF. On average, ICSI would cost between $1,400 to $2,000.
However, you can reduce the costs by looking for the right fertility clinics who already include ICSI as a part of the IVF treatment package. After all, the procedure only requires one skilled embryologist to do, only taking a few minutes.
Fortunately, there ARE clinics that offer such packages, though it’s mostly overseas (most UK clinics do not offer it, though some US clinics might). Before you do pay for an ICSI procedure, do your research in choosing a fertility clinic first. That way, you can prevent overspending and get the expected treatment in good packages and costs.
3. The Procedure’s Not Only For Men
When ICSI was first introduced in the 90s, medical professionals thought that it only benefits couples who have male-infertility issues. Yes, it does isolate the best sperm based on sub-optimal sperm samples. But there are some studies showing how pregnancy rates are sometimes better compared to the usual IVF fertilization methods.
While more statistics and studies are needed to prove it, we know that ICSI has truly developed in the past 25 years. With improved micro-manipulation techniques down to more accurate equipment, expertise is sharpened and more detail.
Because of all this, even patients producing fewer eggs or have histories of poor fertilization can try ICSI to help increase the success rates of the entire procedure. Whether the issue is a male-factor or not, it’s still worth looking into ICSI and having it with your IVF cycle.
4. When Do Men Need ICSI?
ICSI is recommended for patients who are unable to get pregnant from the basic IVF treatments. They are also used when there isn’t enough normal or healthy sperm present based on the test sample given to predict better IVF success. But when exactly will men need it?
First, you will need to undergo a semen analysis which looks into five key factors, which hare the concentration, morphology, volume, motility, and progressive motility. If ever the concentration of sperm is less than 15 million per milliliter, then ICSI is recommended. This is also the same if the progressive motility has a score of less than 32% or when morphology is less than 4%.
This is why it’s crucial to have a good doctor for both male and female patients to learn about these terms. They will also know what’s best for them based on the results from various tests made.
5. What Are The Success Rates, Exactly?
IVF cycles that use ICSI have different factors which can make or break success. Because of this, it’s a bit difficult talking about the exact benefits of ICSI.
For female patients who are fertile with the male having sperm issues, then ICSI has a higher chance of succeeding. So it is also the female’s fertilization and prognosis which also affects the success rate of the procedure.
Furthermore, the ICSI procedure has higher chances of succeeding depending on the embryologist’s expertise, the lab quality, as well as the doctor’s skills upon handling the embryo transfer.
Wrapping It Up
When it comes to IVF and ICSI, you have to do your research before making any final decision. I hope that these five facts about ICSI you must know gave you more of an idea about this procedure. So don’t wait any longer and look more into the different procedures of IVF now.
If you have any questions or want to share your experiences and knowledge on ICSO, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated!
