Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a revolutionary treatment used to treat fertility problems in men. Many of the top infertility clinics in Pune suggest ICSI to childless couples who are unable to conceive naturally. Here are a few important things that you should know about ICSI.

Individuals who have a low sperm motility, low sperm count, an irreversible vasectomy or if they have a missing or damaged vas deferens, the tubes that carry seminal fluid to the penis from the testes may be viable candidates for ICSI treatment.

ICSI begins in the same manner as IVF. The female spouse is administered injections of a fertility drug so as to stimulate her ovaries and allow them to develop many mature eggs for the fertilization process. Usually, a woman’s ovaries are capable of releasing only a single egg a month. Once the eggs mature, the male and female spouses will have different procedures. The woman receives an anaesthetic so that her eggs can be removed from her ovaries by the process of inserting a needle through her vaginal wall. Some of the best IVF consultants in India may also use ultrasound to locate a woman’s eggs.

The man will be expected to provide a sperm sample which will be evaluated and assessed for motility, quality and count. If the man’s ejaculate does not contain enough sperm, medical practitioners may use a needle to remove some from your testicles or from the passages that carry the sperm. A biopsy of the testicular tissue may also be recommended if they aforementioned techniques do not work. They are fairly painless procedures that are performed under local anaesthesia. At times, the sperm is retrieved and then frozen beforehand until the woman’s eggs are ready to be fertilized.

Then, the specialist will inject the sperm into the woman’s eggs one at a time. After around 2 to five days, the fertilized eggs will resemble a ball of cells. This is an embryo. Around 2 to 4 embryos will be inserted into the uterus of a woman using a catheter and any extra embryos will be frozen for the next cycle if this one doesn’t succeed. The embryo is implanted in the uterine wall of the woman and will grow into a baby.

The woman can take a pregnancy test after around two weeks of the embryos being placed in her uterus.

It usually takes around four to six weeks for one cycle of ICSI to be completed. A couple will have to wait until the woman’s ovaries respond to the fertility drugs and for her eggs to mature. The process of retrieving the man’s sperm and the woman’s eggs usually takes about an entire day, so be prepared to spend that time at the clinic. The woman will have to return to the clinic so that the embryos can be placed inside her uterus. She can however, return home the very same day.

According to research, the process of ICSI gives couples a 34 percent chance of conceiving as well as a 28 percent chance of having a baby.

ICSI is a useful treatment for those with male-factor fertility problems. Since the process occurs in the lab, it reduces the chance of poor fertilization. This procedure however can be expensive or some couples.