Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a process which is carried out in the embryology laboratory and is specially indicated for patients with male factor infertility problems.
The ICSI process involves selecting a single, morphologically normal sperm into the cytoplasm of a mature oocyte (egg). The process is carried out using specially designed glass micropipettes. Once the sperm is injected into the egg, the further process of development and Embryo transfer would remain exactly the same as in general or conventional IVF cases.
ICSI works like magic for many male factor patients. In all the conditions mentioned below, ICSI gives excellent results.
- Oligospermia – Medical condition where the sperm count is very low
- Asthenozoospermia – Medical condition where the sperm motility is very poor
- Teratozoospermia – Medical condition where the sperm morphology is very poor
- Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) – Medical condition where the sperm count, motility, morphology – all parameters are sub-optimal.
- Azoospermia – Medical conditions where there are no sperms seen in the ejaculate semen sample, along with disruptive pathology- blocked or abnormal ejaculatory ducts. In such condition, the sperms can be retrieved surgically. ICSI combined with surgical retrieval of sperms gives a real hope to all these men to have their own genetic child! Depending on the problem, sperms can be retrieved form the testes by testicular sperm extraction (TESE) or epididymis with the help of microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA).
Some other factors where ICSI can help also include:
- Issues related to Binding of sperms and egg Penetration
- High Presence of Antisperm antibodies (immune or protective proteins which connect and destroy sperm) in order to stop fertilization
- Continuous fertilization failure with usual IVF culture and fertilization techniques
- Frozen sperm collected prior to cancer treatment that may be limited in number and quality
Apart from the quality of egg and sperm, one of the major factor affecting ICSI outcome is the skill and experience of the embryologist performing the ICSI process. In ICSI, the sperm is selected by the embryologist, so the judgement of the embryologist is extremely crucial to success. Our Founder Goral Gandhi has 25 years of experience in the field of Clinical Embryology. She has trained over 500 embryologists in various embryology techniques including ICSI. One of the popular courses she runs delas with increasing success rates of ICSI cycles. (www.learnivf.org)
Goral Gandhi takes immense satisfaction and pride in making men fathers with their own genetic sperms instead of donor sperms.
