Infertility | Fertility | Ovulation | Conception | Pregnancy

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Explained

Today, there are many procedures that can help couples with infertility issues and they are then able to get pregnant. One of those procedures is intracytoplasmic sperm injection, also known as ICSI ...

Conceiving a baby is a very natural process for most people. There are some, however, who are not able to conceive a child with ease.

Today, there are many procedures that can help couples with infertility issues and they are then able to get pregnant.

One of those procedures is intracytoplasmic sperm injection, also known as ICSI. This procedure is mainly used when dealing with problems of male infertility and can also be used at times when other methods of in vitro fertilization have not been successful.

ICSI involves accurate maneuvers to successfully pick up one single live sperm and then insert it directly into a human egg. For this procedure to work, the female must take fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries in order to produce several mature eggs. The eggs are extracted through the vagina.

The procedure uses equipment such as inverted microscopes and ultrasound equipment to choose and pick-up sperm one at a time into a specially made tiny hollow needle.

The needle is then accurately and very carefully inserted into the egg's outer shell and membrane. The sperm is then inserted into the egg's inner part. Normally, about 70 to 85 percent of eggs that are injected with sperm using this procedure result in fertilization.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection does involve some risks. The first risk comes during the procedure; a small amount of eggs may be irreparably damaged with the use of the needle that is used during the ICSI procedure. The other risk may happen during development. There is a small increase, about 4%, of the chance that the baby may develop a chromosomal abnormality.

While physicians are not sure why this 4% risk exists, they do know that sex chromosome abnormalities can also cause some issues of its own. Sex chromosome abnormalities carry the risk of problems such as a higher risk of miscarriage, heart problems that may require surgery in infants and an increased risk of learning disabilities and behavioral issues in children.

Procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection have been called miraculous procedures and most certainly feel like miracles to those that are trying to conceive. Many couples have been able to conceive a child using this method of infertility treatment.

While most couples who want to start a family don't always think of the probability of having an infertility problem, between 10% and 15% of couples attempting to have a child in the U.S. must deal with fertility issues. With ICSI, the likelihood of a couple who are trying to conceive a baby after one month of unprotected intercourse is around 25%. This number increases to 85% to 90% after the couple has attempted for over a year.

Next article: In Vitro Fertilization - Methods And Procedures

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