ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is used throughout the IVF treatment process. It's the therapy of choice for male infertility in in vitro fertilization. Fertilization of the egg cell and sperm is not predicted by putting them in culture overnight in this approach, which is also known as the microinjection method. An very small needle is used to implant a single sperm cell into the egg cell. Under a microscope, this procedure is performed.

Low sperm motility is a common cause of male infertility. In sperm with restricted mobility, natural pregnancy is not feasible. Sperm cells must swim and fertilize the egg cell in the fallopian tube in order for a spontaneous pregnancy to happen. However, sperm cells with restricted motility lose their function before reaching the egg cell.

Sperm motility is often poor in patients with low sperm count. People with a high sperm count, on the other hand, may have a poor sperm motility. For pregnancy to happen, not all sperm must reach the fallopian tubes. Around 40% of the sperm must be motile. This is a total mobility rate of 40%, though. Sperms may spin around themselves as well as swim forward. Natural pregnancy necessitates forward motion. The capacity of 32 percent of sperm cells to migrate ahead enhances the chances of a spontaneous pregnancy by a substantial amount. Couples will be required to seek IVF therapy if this rate cannot be attained.

Fertilization takes place in the laboratory during IVF therapy, and only the highest-quality egg and sperm cells are used. The ICSI procedure is used to treat decreased sperm motility. Fertilization is supposed to happen once a single sperm cell is placed straight into the egg. Even if sperm motility is poor, embryos may be obtained in this technique.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a procedure that involves injecting sperm into the cytoplasm of the sperm cell.

ICSI is one of the processes that will allow the couple to have a kid with in vitro fertilization therapy, particularly in circumstances when male infertility is preventing them from having a child. IVF therapy, on the other hand, is a lengthy procedure that involves a number of steps.

A single living sperm cell is injected into an egg cell during intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Couples suffering from male infertility will have a far better chance of having a child thanks to this procedure. The ICSI approach, on the other hand, is advised for couples who have previously attempted but failed to conceive via IVF. This method allows for the creation of embryos that will result in a successful pregnancy by bypassing many of the obstacles to fertilization.

The ICSI technology has made having a modest quantity of sperm cells no longer an issue for the future father. This procedure may be completed with only one healthy sperm cell. Multiple embryos are prepared for transfer in order to maximize the success rate of IVF therapy, and when the highest quality embryos are chosen from these embryos, the selected embryo and/or embryos are transferred to the uterus.

Microinjection Method: What Is It? What's the process like?

The sperm is placed in the centre of the egg cell using a needle using the microinjection procedure. Couples considering IVF treatment, in particular, may be curious about the microinjection procedure. The methods used in ICSI are identical to those used in conventional IVF up to egg harvest.

The sperms are collected and left in the culture media where the egg cells are located in conventional in vitro fertilization methods. Sperms should fertilize the eggs naturally in this manner. Quality embryos are identified and transported to the uterus when the fertilization procedure is completed.

Sperm cells are not anticipated to fertilize the egg cells acquired from the pregnant mother in the microinjection ICSI process. Instead, an incredibly tiny needle is used to insert a live sperm cell into the centre of the egg cell. Before donating a sperm sample, the father-to-be should refrain from sexual activity for 2 to 6 days.

The sperm-containing semen is first cleansed in the laboratory using a specific solution after the man's sperm is extracted. Dead sperm cells or cell fragments are isolated while live sperm are kept. After that, sperm cells are concentrated and excess liquid is removed using centrifugation. Nearly 30,000 motile sperm per milliliter are present at this level.

Why Do Egg Sperm Refuse to Accept?

The egg cell, in particular, does not accept every sperm, according to research undertaken in recent years. Just before they are fertilized, the sperm cells communicate with each other as they migrate towards the egg. When the egg cell's chemical signals reach the sperm, the sperm cell starts to swim flatter and closer to the egg. These substances released by the egg serve as a sperm guidance system. However, not every sperm cell that reaches the egg will be accepted.

There are a variety of reasons why the egg in an ICSI treatment does not accept the sperm. This is not, however, due to a technological issue. After injection, some eggs do not survive. It is clear that the egg does not accept the sperm, particularly when the eggs have been gathered for a long period. This also means the egg isn't of good quality.

Another reason the egg rejects the sperm is because the sperm cell retains its density after reaching the egg cell. In this situation, the sperm cell's DNA stays closed in the sperm's head. Fertilization fails because the DNA cell cannot reach the egg.

The egg does not become active and does not react to fertilization, which is another reason why it does not accept the sperm. The most frequent reason why the egg does not accept the sperm and fertilization does not occur following ICSI is due to non-activation of the egg.

Is ICSI Required for Me? When is it best to use it?

After the examination, it is decided if the patient requires ICSI. When the cause for a couple's inability to produce a baby after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse is proven to be a male-induced infertility issue, ICSI may be required. Sperm injection into the egg cell is possible thanks to the ICSI process. The embryo is obtained after this procedure.

In today's IVF applications, the ICSI method has nearly become the de facto norm. ICSI is favored in couples who have had unsuccessful IVF treatments, when male sperm count and motility are poor, and when the reason of infertility is unknown. Because the cause of infertility in the majority of instances is unknown, ICSI considerably improves the chances of conception during IVF therapy.

What is the success rate of ICSI?

The number of successfully fertilized egg cells is directly related to the success rate of microinjection (ICSI). Fertilization occurs in around 80% of the egg cells injected with ICSI. The failure rate is estimated to be between 3% and 5%. Unsuccessful outcomes include those in which no embryo can be obtained, such as when the egg refuses to receive the sperm.

Is ICSI Harmful to an Infant's Development?

ICSI is a therapeutic procedure that is both safe and successful. However, certain results have been discovered in a limited number of trials. According to these studies, the ICSI procedure increases the chance of autism, intellectual impairment, or congenital disability when compared to the standard IVF approach. However, the likelihood of such events happening is less than 1%. ICSI embryos can be genetically tested in the same way as IVF embryos can. Single gene illnesses may be detected with these genetic testing, and action can be done based on the findings.

What Is the Difference Between IVF and ICSI Treatment?

In IVF therapy, IVF and ICSI are really sub-types of this technique. The classic IVF approach was created to help couples conceive a baby in situations of infertility in women, such as fallopian tube blockage or endometriosis. In this approach, eggs are placed in the culture medium, and then sperm cells from the intended father are added. Following that, the sperm cell is anticipated to pass through the outer shell of the egg cell, known as the zona pellucid, and insert its DNA in the ooplasm of the egg, as in the normal pregnancy process, and fertilization will occur.

ICSI, on the other hand, is a considerably more recent method than IVF. This method was created for IVF treatment of couples who are unable to conceive owing to male infertility. A single sperm cell is injected into the egg using a needle in the ICSI process. This procedure is performed for each egg cell that is healthy and of good quality.

The cell's likelihood of fertilization via the ICSI procedure is roughly 80%. Because the procedure is carried out in a lab setting. The likelihood of fertilization of eggs in the standard IVF approach, on the other hand, stays around 50%.