With increased stress in your life with the latest gadgets used at the wrong time and pizza being the reward food taking a toll on your lifestyle, there have been many cases of fertility issues with ICSI treatment being the hope for many couples looking to have a baby. However, when you are unknowingly going through a lot with men known to suffer without telling you, it is hard to get pregnant in a social lifestyle that does no good to your health. Discover more about how ICSI can be beneficial for ICSI conception and who can take this treatment.
1. Why ICSI?
ICSI or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment can help couples with male infertility get a chance to have a baby. ICSI for pregnancy is a widely used treatment in the case of male factor infertility which affects around 20- 40% cases of infertility.
2. How is ICSI done?
ICSI is carried out in multiple stages such as –
1) Stimulating multiple eggs in one ovulation cycle for female using medication
2) Collecting egg from the female patient and storing it as per the standard practice
3) Collecting the sperm and selecting the optimal sperm for injecting into the egg.
4) Checking the eggs for genetic maturity
5) Injecting the optimal sperm into the perfect egg through ICSI injection
6) Fertilizing in the incubator and growing embryos in lab
7) Transferring embryos in the womb of female
8) Tracking and performing relevant tests during each phase of the ICSI process for successful pregnancy.
3. What is ICSI?
ICSI refers to a technique in which a single sperm is injected directly into an oocyte. The procedure is performed as a part of IVF cycle and provides an effective method for assisting fertilization in men with abnormal semen parameters
4. Quick Facts about ICSI
1) IVF with ICSI has a higher success rate than regular IVF alone.
2) 50 – 80% eggs are fertilised with ICSI
3) ICSI with IVF is slightly inexpensive than IVF.
5. Who is eligible for ICSI treatment?
Diagnosed with one or more male factor infertility problems such as –
i) Low sperm count i.e. fewer than 15 million sperm per millilitre of semen
ii) Slow-moving sperm i.e. less than 5 micrometres per second
iii) Poor-shaped sperm i.e. large or misshapen head or a crooked or double tail
iv) Vasectomy i.e. history of male sterilization operation(Sperms to be collected surgically)
v) Antisperm antibodies i.e. producing disease-fighting antibodies that curtail sperm
vi) Unsuccessful previous IVF where none or only a few eggs were fertilized.
vii) Usage of frozen sperms in IVF treatment which is not of good quality.
6. How to prepare for ICSI treatment?
1) Physical assessment of male and female.
2) Hormonal assessment
3) Consider all aspects of your medical history and family history known to impact fertility
4) Quit smoking
5) Quit alcohol
6) Adopt healthy diet
7) Take supplements and vitamins as per recommendations from your doctor
8) Get adequate rest
9) Refrain from mental stress
10) Do yoga and breathing exercises
11) Build a network of supportive people
12) Get all the knowledge about the IVF with ICSI process from your doctor
13) Prepare to take the end result or outcome of the process regardless of baby’s gender
7. Pricing involved in ICSI:
Depending upon the procedure, the cost per cycle of IVF with ICSI can vary. For instance, at every stage of ICSI treatment, there are a lot of tests to be performed. Such tests will initially cost you some money and then you can decide whether to go for ICSI or not. There are costs involved at every stage including medication for stimulating egg release, collection and storage of egg, collection and storage of semen, performing the ICSI fertilization procedure, implanting the embryo growing in the lab to the womb of the female and conducting tests to ensure everything goes well with the pregnancy. Roughly, in 2022, the estimate of an ICSI cycle or cycles could cost somewhere in the middle of Rs. 2.4 lakh to 4 lakh.
8. Risk Factors involved in ICSI:
1) May cause a miscarriage during pregnancy
2) May cause baby to develop heart problems
3) May cause learning disabilities or behavior problems in children born with this method
4) May cause infertility during adulthood for children born with ICSI
9. Post-ICSI Care:
After successful embryo transfer post-ICSI, there are various measures to be in perfect health for the mother and the baby. These are as follows:
1) Avoid stress
2) Say no to caffeine
3) Say no to lifting heavy objects
4) Say no to any stressful exercises
5) No sex
6) No hot baths and douching
7) Take your medications without fail
8) Say no to alcohol, smoking and drugs
9) Follow a healthy diet and lifestyle
10) Make light to moderate movements avoiding too much bed rest.
Conclusion:
Over the period of five years, the cost of ICSI with IVF has remained stable and the procedure has become more advanced and less painful. Connect with your doctor to know more about the ICSI treatment and how it will benefit you in the long run. Consult at Kinder Women’s Hospital and Fertility Centre, Bangalore.
