ICSI
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) involves injecting a single live healthy sperm (identified by your embryologist) directly into the center of an egg. The technique was originally developed for those struggling with male factor infertility, as it makes it easier for the sperm to get into the egg.
ICSI is for:
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Couples who have been trying to conceive for 6+ months
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Individuals or couples with low sperm count, and other male factor infertility
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Those who want pregnancy on-demand, including LGBTQ+ couples and single women
The process,
explained simply.
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Depending on your reason for choosing ICSI, you’ll go through diagnostic testing to see what the cause of your infertility is. Depending on the results, ICSI may not be necessary or feasible, or the doctor might recommend alternative treatments to start.
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The doctor will review your diagnosis with you and discuss your treatment options. If you decide to use ICSI, our doctor and staff will go over the entire process including financials to determine if ICSI is right for you.
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Ovarian stimulation is designed to retrieve as many mature eggs as possible to increase chances of fertilization. This process involves the injection of medications daily for up to two weeks to encourage your ovaries to produce a lot of eggs.
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About 36 hours after the initial shot to induce ovulation, he eggs are retrieved via a transvaginal ultrasound with a guided needle. This is conducted as an out-patient procedure and most women go home a few hours following the procedure with minimal discomfort day of.
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The semen sample is prepared by a technique called centrifuging, which spins the sperm cells through a special medium to separate live sperm from debris and dead sperm. The healthiest sperm from the sample are then used to fertilize the eggs. Before transfer, the embryologist will evaluate the embryos based on their likelihood of successfully implanting in the uterus, or dividing properly and at a normal rate. Then, the embryologist injects a single healthy sperm into the egg.
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The embryo transfer procedure is when a very soft catheter is gently inserted through your cervix and the embryo is released into the middle of the uterus through the catheter. (If you choose to freeze your embryos, this transfer will occur at a later date).
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After two weeks, you will take a pregnancy test to determine if the IVF transfer was successful.
