ICSI
If you have male factor infertility or a history of sperm problems, ICSI can help you.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is used during the fertilization stage of an IVF procedure. The embryologist will carefully examine the sperm, selecting only the healthiest ones, then directly implant them into each egg.
If you only produce a small number of eggs, ICSI may improve chances of fertilization and give you more embryos to use for IVF.
ICSI is recommended if your infertility involves
- Low sperm count
- Poor sperm motility
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Abnormal sperm
- Sperm anti-bodies
- Eggs too strong for the sperm to enter
ICSI follows the same steps as a normal IVF process, except at the fertilization stage.
Step 1: Preparation
Step 2: Baseline Test
Step 3: Stimulation
Step 4: Trigger Shot
Step 5: Egg Collection
Step 6: Fertilization
The embryologist will check the eggs and prepare them for fertilization.
After semen collection, the sperm is washed and the embryologist examines it for quality.
If sample selections of the sperm are abnormal, weak or have poor motility, the embryologist will decide to use an ICSI procedure.
The strong, healthy sperm will be separated from the group, then the embryologist will hand select the best sperm and inject it directly into the egg.
The egg with a single good sperm inside is left to fertilize in an incubator and become an embryo.
Step 7: Embryo Transfer
Step 8: The Two Week Wait
Step 9: Pregnancy Test
ICSI prevents abnormal sperm from reaching the egg first, which gives you a higher fertilization rate and creates more good embryos to use in your IVF treatment.
