Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

ICSI is actually a process very similar to IVF; however, in addition to the procedure carried out in IVF, ICSI involves involves selecting a single motile normal sperm and injecting it directly into the centre (cytoplasm) of an egg by an embryologist

This procedure is usually recommended for couples who have:

• Fertilization failure in the past
• Significant sperm abnormality such as low sperm count, low sperm motility and abnormal shaped sperm

What does it involve?

To start, you will have to take fertility medications to induce ovulation during your cycle before the ICSI because this process requires a lot of eggs to ensure the success of the treatment.

Similar to standard IVF treatment, the mature eggs are collected from your ovaries under anaesthesia during the procedure. Meanwhile, your partner will be asked to provide a semen sample. The sperms are then evaluated and the healthiest sperms are selected for the ICSI procedure.

After the eggs and sperms are collected, the ICSI process will take place in the laboratory in which one sperm is injected directly into the centre of the egg by an embryologist.

Fertilized eggs are observed over the next few days for proper development, they will then be transferred into your uterine cavity.

If the ICSI procedure has been successful, your doctor will discuss with you and your partner about the number of embryos to be transferred to your uterine cavity. Usually several embryos are transferred to improve your chances for pregnancy. This procedure is relatively simple and takes only a few minutes. Your doctor will place a speculum inside your vagina, insert a small catheter through your cervix into your uterine cavity, and transfer the embryos through the catheter. The transfer causes minimal discomfort.

You will be asked to do a pregnancy blood test at the clinic about 2 weeks after embryo transfer. It is recommended that you should not do a home pregnancy test before that time because some of the fertility medications may cause false results if the test is performed too early.

Advantages of ICSI

ICSI is the most commonly used method to overcome male infertility problems. By selecting a single healthiest sperm and directly injecting into the egg, it bypasses the problem of penetration, which may not be easily done by less healthy sperm in a natural environment, thus enhancing the chance of pregnancy. Other benefits include:

• Most effective procedure for male infertility
• Overcoming sperm quality problems

Disadvantages of ICSI

• Possibility of transmitting infertility to offspring
• Technically demanding
• High costs