Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has gained prolific attention from infertility patients around the world. This popularity is primarily provoked by the technological advancements that have occurred in the IVF field. And though most of us commonly term all infertility treatments as IVF treatments, you’ll also find another treatment being frequently mentioned during IVF consultations, which is the ICSI treatment.
Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI is also an infertility treatment similar to IVF but is recommended only for specific cases. And to understand why an ICSI specialist would ask you to prefer it over IVF, you must first know how it differs from the traditional IVF treatment.

The Origin IVF And ICSI:

In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was first performed in the 1980s, and since then, it helped many women troubled by infertility to have children. But doctors realized that the IVF technique worked only when the male sperms were healthy and sufficient. In couples with male infertility factors, IVF treatments didn’t work as expected.

Hence, in the early 1990s, the ICSI procedure was developed to tackle the male infertility factor while providing the benefits of an IVF procedure. Since then, ICSI treatment has been remarkably helpful for couples with male infertility factors in having successful IVF treatments.

The Difference Between IVF & ICSI Treatments:

The only essential difference between IVF and ICSI is the way male sperms are used during the fertilization process.

During an IVF procedure, the female eggs are retrieved and prepared for fertilization in a controlled environment. Then, thousands of sperms retrieved from the male partner are spread over each egg and kept in an incubator to fertilize and form an embryo. Finally, the most fertilized embryo is transplanted into the uterus.

During an ICSI procedure, the female eggs are retrieved, separated from each other, and prepared for fertilization. Here, the male sperms are also isolated under a microscope. Now, the ICSI specialist injects a single healthy sperm directly into an egg using advanced glass needle equipment and stores it to fertilize. The egg that develops into an embryo is then transplanted into the uterus.

When Is ICSI Recommended?

Since ICSI was developed explicitly for tackling the male infertility factor, it is typically recommended for couples where the men have:
● Significantly low sperm count, or oligospermia
● Immobile or less active sperms
● Abnormal sperms
● high levels of antibodies in their semen
● Opted for direct sperm retrieval from the epididymis (PESA) or the testicles (TESA)

Couples without any male infertility factors can also opt for ICSI treatments, but then its results will be no better than an IVF treatment. Hence, it is crucial to first consult an ICSI specialist before opting for an ICSI treatment in Pune. At SaiShree IVF, our infertility specialists thoroughly examine every factor to suggest only the most beneficial options for every individual couple. If you’re unsure what is causing your infertility issues or preventing you from having a successful IVF treatment, visit our embryology experts to learn about your best options for IVF treatment in Pune.