Icsi Infertility
As an in vitro fertilization procedure, intracytoplasmic sperm
injection or ICSI infertility is a method of overcoming infertility problems among
males. This medical procedure involves injecting one sperm into an
egg directly. Provided that the eggs are healthy and the sperm does not belong to severely abnormal
parameters, fertilization and pregnancy rate are expected to be within 75%. In some cases, however,
ICSI infertility may be too severe due to the extent of sperm defects in terms of
morphology, motility and count. Egg membrane abnormalities and prolonged unexplained infertility may also be
reasons why fertilization rates may be too low or no fertilization may occur at all.
Fertilization and pregnancy involves a series of complex biochemical and
physical events between the sperm and the egg. In a conventional fertilization process, the egg can only be reached
after the sperm has already swum long distances. If the sperm is weak, it would not be able to reach the egg cell.
And if it may get to the egg, it still needs to have enough strength to penetrate through the coat protecting the
egg for fertilization to take place.
Severe male factor infertility can be countered by using ICSI
methods. Through intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the problem with sperm motility or count can be remedied because
the sperm is injected directly into the egg. As a result, there is a higher chance for a woman to get pregnant even
if her partner has fertility problems.
Who Needs ICSI Infertility Treatment
The ICSI infertility treatment follows no hard and fast rule in
determining who should receive such sperm injection procedure. In this field of medicine, somewhere in between
minor and severe male factor infertility may need to undergo the treatment. A greater percentage of IVF clinics
already use the procedure to help couples or individuals who really want to have babies of their own but are having
difficulty at achieving success.
Compared to the number of cases involving ICSI infertility treatment more than a decade ago, the present number and statistics
are relatively higher due to the advancement of medical technology and the increased knowledge gained from years of
experience on this field of medicine. These days, more couples are able to conceive with the help of this kind of
treatment.
Why Use ICSI Infertility Treatment
Here are some reasons why many couples prefer to use this kind of
treatment to deal with problems related to difficulty in conceiving a baby:
• Despite infertility problems, there are still couples who do
not want to entertain the idea of using donor sperm insemination. Many men still want to conceive a baby coming
from their own flesh and blood.
• Some couples may have tried IVF methods in the past but to no
avail. Even if there is an issue with low fertilization rate, they may still want to try another method like ICSI
treatment.
• Low egg yield during retrieval may be an additional problem
which cannot be solved by conventional insemination which is done by mixing together the sperm and the
eggs.
Success Rates with ICSI Infertility Treatment
With the ICSI method, it has been shown in many clinical tests and
research that the fertilization success rate is approximately 70% to 85%. It may be different from the pregnancy
rate involving the same procedure because certain factors will be considered such as the quality and the quantity
of the egg.
In vitrio fertilization with ICSI has a higher success rate compared
to other fertilization procedures. But if we are going to take a look at the bigger picture, the factors that would
affect success rates are the following:
• The quality of the eggs
• The ICSI technique employed
• The skills of the specialist transferring the embryo
• The quality of the laboratory
• The specifics of the case of the couples or individuals involved
Cases that Would Benefit from ICSI Treatment
There are several male fertility cases that can be treated using the
ICSI treatment procedures. Some of the most common male fertility conditions are the following:
• Low motility of the sperm
• Low sperm count
• Irreversible vasectomy
• The semen has no sperm content at all
• The vas deferens is either damaged or absent
• Retrograde ejaculation
• The semen has a very high count of white blood
cells These cases would definitely benefit from undergoing ICSI
treatment because a couple may still have the chance to conceive even if the male partner has a problem with
fertility.
Taking all these ICSI infertility facts into consideration, you may
want to consider checking out insurance offers for fertility coverage. With an increased chance to conceive, you
need to make all the necessary preparations for the possible expenses involved in conceiving a baby as well as
other medical expenses. You can try to find the best coverage so you will have lesser worries with hospital bills,
laboratory tests and medication costs.
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