How ICSI Improves IVF Pregnancy Success

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is an ancillary procedure used in conjunction with IVF treatment to help promote fertilization. ICSI is the injection of a single sperm directly into an egg in order to produce a high quality egg. This is the preferred method of fertilization in vitro vs. combining eggs and sperm in a lab dish. Knowing more about the ICSI process and its effectiveness can help you understand if this ancillary IVF treatment option is something you should consider.

ICSI in Conjunction with IVF

A man may be infertile even if he produces adequate quantities of sperm in ejaculate. Should his sperm be misshaped or not move correctly, fertilization will be difficult, if not impossible.

In order to be considered fertile, a man’s sperm must:

• Be present in sufficient quantities
• Be shaped normally
• Swim in the correct direction
• Swim at the right speed

Should any of these functions be diagnosed as abnormal, a man’s sperm may not be able to penetrate eggs while swimming together in a petri dish.

How ICSI Works in Tandem with IVF

ICSI may be used whenever male fertility is a concern. The process can address issues with the shape and movement of sperm and compensate for low sperm count. If sperm are produced but are not present in semen, they can be manually retrieved and then used in the ICSI process. The process may also be suggested to couples who have had low fertilization rates during other cycles.

ICSI and IVF Process

ICSI is performed in conjunction with IVF. Once retrieved, each egg is injected with a single sperm in a laboratory setting. The eggs are then monitored for signs of fertilization. The resulting embryos are closely monitored as they develop through EmbryoScope technology. Healthy embryos are then transferred to the mother’s uterus, or frozen for future Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET).

ICSI and IVF Pregnancy Success

While pregnancy success may vary based on the quality of the sperm, typically between 75 and 85 percent of eggs become fertilized with the use of ICSI. Our Pregnancy Success Rates are largely a product of the health of the embryo, which is largely tied to the quality of both the eggs and sperm.

Revolutionary Mini-IVF™

Because lower dosages of fertility medications are prescribed to only produce 3 to 5 high quality eggs, the patient’s cost per Mini-IVF™ cycle is reduced. With a Mini-IVF™ protocol, the patient’s physical discomfort is lessened because her body is not forced into producing the 10 to 15 eggs reached in a Conventional IVF cycle.

Candidates for Mini-IVF™

Mini-IVF™ is the best treatment protocol for those women who have been:

• Diagnosed with blocked or damaged Fallopian tubes due to endometriosis
• Diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Diagnosed as having a risk of developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)
• Diagnosed with a low ovarian reserve due to endometriosis
• Diagnosed with cancer and are about to undergo treatment

Mini-IVF™ has also become the preferred treatment protocol for:

• Those patients who have failed multiple Conventional IVF cycles
• Those patients suffering from male-factor infertility
• Those patients wanting to reduce their costs of treatment
• Those patients wanting to reduce their risk of multiple pregnancy
• Those patients who don’t want to create excessive embryos due to religious reasons
• Those patients who want to reduce their use of injectable medications because of an aversion to needles
• Those patients who want to undergo another fresh IVF cycle immediately after a failed cycle

ICSI and IVF Expertise

It is important to work with a fertility doctor having the expertise required to design a customized ICSI/IVF treatment protocol meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.

How to Overcome Male-Factor Infertility Using ICSI Technology

If you are struggling with male-factor infertility, Dr. John Zhang wants to help you have a baby using Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) technology. ICSI is an ancillary procedure used in conjunction with IVF treatment. Rather than allowing fertilization to happen by combining eggs and sperm in a lab dish, ICSI is the injection of a single sperm directly into an egg in order to facilitate fertilization. Knowing more about the ICSI process and its effectiveness can help you understand if this ancillary IVF treatment option is something you should consider.

ICSI in Conjunction with IVF

In order to be considered fertile, a man’s sperm must:

• Be present in sufficient quantities
• Be shaped normally
• Swim in the correct direction
• Swim at the right speed

Should any of these functions be diagnosed as abnormal, a man may not be able to impregnate a woman because his sperm cannot penetrate her egg. A man may be infertile even if he produces adequate quantities of sperm in ejaculate. Should his sperm be misshaped or not move correctly, fertilization will be difficult, if not impossible.

How ICSI Works in Tandem with IVF

ICSI may be used whenever male fertility is a concern. The process can address issues with the shape and movement of sperm and compensate for low sperm count. If sperm are produced but are not present in semen, they can be manually retrieved and then used in the ICSI process. The process may also be suggested to couples who have had low fertilization rates during other cycles.

ICSI and IVF Process

ICSI is performed in conjunction with IVF. Once retrieved, each egg is injected with a single sperm in a laboratory setting. The eggs are then monitored for signs of fertilization. The resulting embryos are closely monitored as they develop through EmbryoScope technology. Healthy embryos are then transferred to the mother’s uterus, or frozen for future Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET).

ICSI and IVF Pregnancy Success

While pregnancy success may vary based on the quality of the sperm, typically between 75 and 85 percent of eggs become fertilized with the use of ICSI. Our Pregnancy Success Rates are largely a product of the health of the embryo, which is largely tied to the quality of both the eggs and sperm.

Revolutionary Mini-IVF™

Because lower dosages of fertility medications are prescribed to only produce 3 to 5 high quality eggs, the patient’s cost per Mini-IVF™ cycle is reduced. With a Mini-IVF™ protocol, the patient’s physical discomfort is lessened because her body is not forced into producing the 10 to 15 eggs reached in a Conventional IVF cycle.

Candidates for Mini-IVF™

Mini-IVF™ is the best treatment protocol for those women who have been:

• Diagnosed with blocked or damaged Fallopian tubes due to endometriosis
• Diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Diagnosed as having a risk of developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)
• Diagnosed with a low ovarian reserve due to endometriosis
• Diagnosed with cancer and are about to undergo treatment

Mini-IVF™ has also become the preferred treatment protocol for:

• Those patients who have failed multiple Conventional IVF cycles
• Those patients suffering from male-factor infertility
• Those patients wanting to reduce their costs of treatment
• Those patients wanting to reduce their risk of multiple pregnancy
• Those patients who don’t want to create excessive embryos due to religious reasons
• Those patients who want to reduce their use of injectable medications because of an aversion to needles
• Those patients who want to undergo another fresh IVF cycle immediately after a failed cycle

ICSI Expertise

It is important to work with a fertility doctor having the expertise required to design a customized IVF treatment protocol meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.

How ICSI Technology Enhances IVF Egg Fertilization

ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection – is a specialized egg fertilization technique used during the IVF process. Look: ICSI bypasses a number of common reproductive conditions preventing sperm from fertilizing an egg. A single sperm cell is injected directly into an egg under the guidance of a microscope. ICSI has revolutionized the treatment of male-factor infertility.

Why is ICSI important?

• ICSI is used to maximize the rate of egg fertilization
• ICSI lessens the chances of sperm not being able to penetrate the wall of the egg

ICSI is recommended for most couples undergoing IVF – especially these candidates:

• Unexplained infertility – known as idiopathic infertility – when the cause cannot be pinpointed
• Male-factor infertility – a man’s sperm is not able to fertilize a woman’s egg
• Combined female- and male-factor infertility

Today, ICSI is routinely recommended to improve fertilization in all IVF cases – regardless of diagnosis.

Sperm Retrieval for ICSI

When a man has a low sperm count and/or motility, a semen sample is collected through masturbation. The semen sample is processed in a special solution to obtain optimum ICSI results.

When a man is suffering from azoospermia – no sperm in ejaculate – sperm is microsurgically retrieved from the testicle or epididymis. This is commonly known as testicular sperm retrieval. Microsurgery to remove sperm from the testicles or epididymis can be performed under local or general anesthesia and requires short recovery periods.

Obstructive Azoospermia (no sperm in semen) can be corrected by the surgical removal of sperm directly from the testis or epididymis of the testicle.

• Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA)
• Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESE)
• Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESA)

Non-Obstructive Azoospermia (sperm count with impaired sperm) may be caused by hormonal problems, testicular failure, varicocele, or varicose veins in the testicles. Non-Obstructive Azoospermia can be corrected through TESE – testicular sperm extraction. TESE is a surgical technique using fine needle aspiration performed with local anesthesia.Read more: How ICSI Technology Enhances IVF Egg Fertilization