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Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is used to help the male sperm penetrate the female egg for fertilization.
How intracytoplasmic sperm injection is performed
Also known as ICSI, intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a process where a tiny needle is used to inject a single sperm into a mature egg to improve the chances of fertilization. The sperm used in ICSI is typically collected through ejaculation, sperm aspiration techniques or through a small surgical incision in the testicle.
Following fertilization, the fertilized egg(s) – or embryo(s) – remain in a laboratory up to five days until ready for transfer into a woman’s uterus.
Reasons for doing intracytoplasmic sperm injection
Reproductive endocrinologists recommend ICSI in cases where:
- Low or no sperm count in ejaculate
- Poor semen output
- Sperm motility (movement) is impaired
- The sperm may have difficulty attaching to the egg
- The male reproductive tract is blocked, preventing sperm passage
- Congenital malformation of male reproductive tract
- Repeated failure of traditional IVF
Success and failure of intracytoplasmic sperm injection
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine website lists the overall fertilization success rate of intracytoplasmic sperm injection at 50-80%, although even fertilized eggs do not always result in a live birth.
Additional facts about intracytoplasmic sperm injection
- Pregnancy success rates of ICSI are similar to those of IVF using standard insemination
- The risk of birth defects associated with ICSI are slightly higher than that in natural conception. It is unclear whether this increase is due to the ICSI procedure itself or another underlying issue with the infertile couple.
- More than one embryo may be transferred after ICSI to increase the chances of a success
- Embryos produced through ICSI, but not transferred, may be frozen for later use
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