ICSI

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Male infertility issues are common, and fertility medicine has come up with various remedies for dealing with them. Sometimes, simple hormone medication (Clomid, Gonadotropins) can be enough to help a couple conceive, despite the low sperm quality of the male. In other cases, intrauterine insemination is the best procedure to overcome low sperm counts, low quality sperm or slow moving sperm.

If sperm count is especially low or if quality is especially poor, then intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) might be the best route to take. This procedure involves taking one single healthy sperm and injecting it into the egg with a microscopic needle. When an embryo forms, it is placed in the uterus through in vitro fertilization.  ICSI is sometimes performed when the exact cause for infertility isn’t known, or when fertilization has failed previously with other treatments. ICSI provides a greater chance for infertile couples to have their own children.

Since ICSI is generally done with an IVF procedure, it can be expensive. The difference between ICSI and IVF is that in IVF, thousands of sperm are placed next to an egg to allow fertilization to take place, whereas with ICSI, a single sperm is injected into the egg.

Before a couple begins this treatment, certain tests must be performed to identify the problem. For the male, testicular production should be tested. Blood tests are also important. Genetic testing might be included to discover any inheritable condition. ICSI is for those with moderate to severe infertility, which means many different factors may be causing the problems.