ICSI Treatment to boost your IVF success

Facing male fertility problems or fertilisation problems with standard IVF? Ask me whether combining intracytoplasmic sperm injection with IVF can improve your chances.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an advanced form of the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure. It’s used as an additional treatment for couples undergoing IVF who are affected by problems with sperm quality or quantity.

How intracytoplasmic sperm injection works

ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into the egg for fertilisation. While the IVF procedure mixes retrieved eggs with a sperm sample, this still means the sperm are required to swim to the egg and penetrate its outer layers before it can develop into an embryo.

After a comprehensive evaluation, I may recommend IVF with ICSI to you and your partner if I find:

Low sperm count
A high percentage of abnormal sperm morphology (shape and size)
Low sperm motility (ability to swim)
Complete absence of sperm in the semen
Anti-sperm antibodies (components of the immune system that attack and damage sperm)

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection may also be helpful for men who have previously had a vasectomy that cannot be effectively reversed.

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The ICSI process explained

Overian stimulation

This step is the same as that used for conventional IVF. My fertility nurse will teach you (the female partner) how to inject hormone medications at home. This increases the number of mature eggs available for collection.

Egg collection

Through regular monitoring with blood tests and ultrasound scans, we can identify the optimum time to retrieve your eggs. The egg collection procedure is performed with local anaesthesia and light sedation (awake) or under general anaesthesia (asleep) if you prefer.

Fertilisation

While the steps have been the same to the conventional IVF procedure up to now, if you’ve been recommended ICSI, this is where it differs. The experienced embryologists at Genea will inject a single sperm cell provided by your male partner into each of your matured eggs. Only normal sperm with the highest chance of forming a healthy embryo and baby are chosen for this step.

Embryo culture

The resulting embryos are monitored in a special incubator for 5 days. The GeriⓇ time-lapse incubation system is used exclusively by Genea fertility clinics. This technology is designed to mimic the environment of the uterus and can improve your success rates compared to a conventional incubator.

Embryo transfer procedure

The embryologist will choose the best quality embryo for transfer into your uterus. This is performed using a long thin tube and is typically a quick procedure with minimal discomfort.

Pregnancy test

2 weeks after the embryo transfer procedure, I will arrange for a pregnancy blood test. Waiting for this moment is often the hardest part.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is ICSI better than IVF?

If male factor infertility is not a concern, then the success rate is the same between ICSI and IVF. If there are significant sperm problems contributing to infertility, then ICSI is definitely the better option, with a 98% fertilisation success rate. If you are undergoing IVF with frozen eggs, ICSI is a necessity.

What are the risks with ICSI?

ICSI is associated with low risk, but there is the possibility of damage to your eggs during the insemination step (up to 5%). There is also a slight increase in the risk of infertility in male children created through ICSI. Importantly, however, there is no increased risk of birth defects.