ICSI Treatments

Infertility has been a problem for generations, but it hasn’t received much attention until recently. As the conversation about infertility has grown, so too have the strategies for resolving these issues. Though IVF continues to be the most well-known assisted reproductive technology, other approaches that have better success rates are also becoming more and more popular. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is unique among them all. Frequently referred to as ICSI Treatment, it involves a few more processes but is still closely related to IVF.

‍What is ICSI?

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI treatment for short, works by taking the best sperm out of the male, artificially inserting it into the egg, and facilitating fertilization. It continues to be a very successful method for treating infertility issues. ICSI Treatment success rates are usually in the range of 80 to 85%, meaning that about eight out of 10 eggs fertilize successfully.

When to Recommend Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)?

In the following situations, your doctor may recommend ICSI treatment: 

• If your sperm count is noticeably low. 
• When sperm have poor morphology (abnormal sperm shape) or reduced motility. 
• After a history of failed IVF treatments that resulted in little to no egg fertilization. 
• When a previous vasectomy, obstructions blocking sperm release, or an abnormally low sperm count necessitate surgical sperm retrieval. 
• When using subpar frozen sperm for treatment, especially if they were stored as a precaution or after surgical retrieval. 
• When undergoing embryo testing for a genetic disease, the accuracy of the test may be impacted by sperm adhesion to the egg’s surface.

ICSI procedure step-by-step

The ICSI treatment consists of several steps, from the preliminary assessment of the couple’s infertility issues to the implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterus of the woman. The ICSI therapy procedure is broken down as follows: 

1. Initial evaluation: To discuss their concerns about infertility and determine whether ICSI is a suitable course of treatment, the couple meets with a fertility doctor.
2. Ovarian or ICSI stimulation: Using hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the lady has ovarian stimulation to stimulate the creation of multiple eggs.
3. Egg retrieval: Under local anaesthetic, minimally invasive techniques are used to remove eggs from the ovaries of the female partner.
4. Semen collection: To identify high-quality sperm for injection, the male partner supplies a sample of semen, which is examined in a lab.
5. Sperm processing: The procedure of washing and selecting the most viable sperm cells gets the sperm ready for injection.
6. Sperm injection: A healthy, viable sperm is inserted straight into each developed egg using a tiny needle.
7. Fertilization: After fertilization, the fertilized eggs are observed in a lab to look for signs of cell division and successful fertilization. For several days, the process of developing an embryo takes place in a lab. 
8. Embryo transfer: A tiny catheter is used to insert one or more embryos into the woman’s uterus after fertilization, usually in a period of three to five days. 
9. Pregnancy assessment: A pregnancy test is performed about two weeks after the transfer of embryos to determine the outcome of the procedure.

ICSI treatment Cost

To gain a clearer understanding, let’s dissect the expenses associated with ICSI treatment in India. The procedure itself, encompassing the ICSI technique, typically falls within the range of Rs. 130,000 to Rs. 150,000 per cycle. However, this constitutes only one facet of the financial aspect. Other considerations include medication costs (varying from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 60,000), blastocyst culture (Rs. 18,000 to Rs. 21,000), laser hatching (Rs. 18,000 to Rs. 20,000), and embryo glue (Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000).

Difference between ICSI and IVF

The process of sperm-egg fertilization is the main difference between IVF and ICSI. Several eggs and sperm are placed in a lab dish to fertilize separately during in vitro fertilization (IVF). In contrast, ICSI entails injecting precisely selected sperm directly into the egg. 

ICSI shows good fertilization results and deals with problems associated with improper fertilization caused by anomalies in the sperm and egg, like polyspermy and spermatozoa’s inability to pass through the zona pellucida (ZP) and fertilize eggs. 

If a patient is experiencing serious problems with 

sperm, such as excessive fragmentation of sperm DNA, previous infertility, or low-quality embryos, the doctor could suggest IMSI (Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection). To find sperm with the best morphology and the least amount of fragmentation for fertilization with eggs, IMSI uses a high-resolution microscope.

ICSI Treatment Success Rate:

Research shows that ICSI treatment and standard IVF treatments have similar success rates in achieving pregnancy. ICSI is used in about 60% of all IVF procedures. Fertilization rates in ICSI attempts range from 50% to 80% when carried out with cutting-edge equipment and knowledge from elite reproductive specialists.

There are two main aspects of success while evaluating the results of an ICSI treatment. The first one — the ‘fertilization rate’, and the second one — the ‘pregnancy success rate’. Let us understand each one of these closely.

In the case of the fertilization rate, the process of fertilization is taken into account. In close to 80 percent of the cases, fertilization takes place after the ICSI procedure is undertaken. This is a significantly high rate.

The second one i.e. the pregnancy success rate is the rate of a successful pregnancy till the child’s birth takes place. IVF involving an ICSI treatment is more successful as compared to IVF using the other methods. This is because in the case of an ICSI – if the female is fertile, her age is relatively less, her overall health and fitness are better, and the average quality/quantity of eggs is superior, then the success rate is higher.

At the same time, there are some cases where IVF through ICSI is used even in a low ovarian reserve situation. These are the cases where a very small number of eggs are produced by the ovaries. Sometimes the quality is also poor. It is pertinent to note that the success rate of pregnancy is therefore relatively lower in these cases. The reason is that the resultant embryos could be of a lower quality, reducing the chances of a successful plantation. In these cases, we use specialized techniques like assisted hatching for better results.

The cost of ICSI is affordable at our clinics and we offer globally competitive rates with the best quality of service.

ICSI Treatment at Risaa IVC Clinic

Our clinics have been in service for the past two decades and are well-known for successful ICSI treatment. We first undertake all the necessary diagnostic tests to get a comprehensive picture of your fertility potential.

Our experienced fertility experts maintain high priority in finding the cause of infertility to recommend a suitable treatment. We provide our patients with a fixed-price fertility treatment package, giving you peace of mind and building trust with no hidden costs.

ICSI procedure is recommended to childless couples by our team in case the male partner has nil or very low sperm count. It is also suggested in case of abnormally shaped sperm or with poor motility. At our clinics, our embryologists are skilled in the ICSI procedure. In fact they perform it on almost 80 per cent of all IVF cases. The reason for this is that our ICSI fertilization rates are more than the standard IVF.

Even in case a couple has experienced a failed ICSI before, the success rate by taking yet another chance at our clinic is higher. Our expert embryologists use advanced technologies to raise the chances of conception.

At our clinic, we also use the latest techniques such as IMSI, TESE/PESA if required. Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection or IMSI is used to examine and select sperm to microinject in the egg. In TESE or testicular sperm extraction, a small incision is made in the testis to study the tubules for the presence of sperm, while percutaneous epidydimal sperm aspiration (PESA) is also performed to extract sperm by inserting a fine needle in the epididymis.

Source – Wikipedia