Male infertility can be one of the many reasons why a couple may have issues with conceiving. However, procedures like Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection can come to their rescue. Reproduction specialists and Embryologists at American Hospital’s Fertility Center are experts in diverse treatment options for infertility, including ICSI, which greatly increases the likelihood of successful in-vitro fertilization.
The chances of pregnancy are significantly reduced if the sperms have low motility or poor morphology. In cases where male infertility may be lessening a couple’s chances of getting pregnant, they can opt for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) which can provide the male partner to use his own sperm to father a child.
Often when problems with fertility arise due to sperms, doctors recommend ICSI. The procedure requires the extraction of the sperms by conducting a testicular biopsy or from the semen sample, and later the healthier sperm is selected to be combined with an egg to successfully facilitate fertilization and pregnancy.
In recent years, ICSI has slowly become a necessity for many couples who are unable to conceive due to male infertility. Male infertility can be caused by a number of reasons including:
• Lesser sperm count than normal
• Reduced sperm motility or the sperm may have trouble attaching to the egg
• A blockage in the male productive tract or duct
• Difficulty achieving ejaculation
• High concentration of abnormal sperms
• Poor sperm morphology
• Infectious disease or immune-mediated infertility
When sperms are unable to fertilize eggs while patients are going through IVF treatment, our reproductive specialists at our IVF center in American Hospital may recommend ICSI, which is also a great solution for those who have a minimal sperm count.
After typical in-vitro fertilization has begun, to increase the number of mature eggs and also generally improve the healthy ovaries, doctors then begin ICSI by taking ovary stimulants.
Afterward, the development of the ovaries is carefully monitored by your gynecologist by conducting ultrasounds and blood tests. After the maturation of the eggs to the desired size and number, a minimally invasive procedure is conducted to carefully remove the eggs from the uterus through the cervical cavity.
The next step is to retrieve the sperms but that depends on what the underlying cause of male infertility is. In cases where the ducts are blocked, doctors can collect sperms through surgery. If the patient’s semen has a minimal sperm count, then doctors can conduct a biopsy in order to remove tissues that contain sperm from the testicles or extract sperms from the area where there is a blockage.
Afterward, the sperms are sent by the doctor to an embryology laboratory where a microscope is used to carefully select healthy sperms and are then injected into healthy eggs. After a 24-hour time period, the egg with the injected sperm in checked to see any signs of fertilization. If fertilization has occurred, the gametes are monitored under a controlled environment for 5-7 days until it develops into an embryo. At this point of the process, a couple can choose to check for any genetic disorder and chromosomal abnormality that may be there, if they wish. In the last step, the embryo is transferred to the uterus for implantation.
Intracytoplasmic sperm is an effective way to increase the chances of fertilization and pregnancy in case a couple is facing trouble due to male infertility. If you would like to schedule a consultation for your inability to conceive or have any questions regarding ICSI, you can use our secure online form to schedule an appointment with one of our fertility specialists at the American Hospital’s Fertility Center.
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