Do you ever feel like children are lovely and want to have one for yourself? Fortunately, you can be ambitious thanks to ICSI, intracytoplasmic sperm injection!
Nowadays, by expanding options for fertility treatments, like ICSI, the number of happy couples utilizing ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) methods to leave behind their infertility experiences is increasingly growing.
If you’re curious about ICSI and want to be ambitious to have a healthy and beautiful baby with these ART methods, this blog post on TebMedTourism is the best choice!
For you as future parents who are seeking to start your family with ICSI, we write a soup to nuts (from beginning to end) post in our own category! We examined all aspects of the ICSI procedure in responding to the following questions:
- What is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)?
- How is ICSI different from IVF?
- How does ICSI work?
- Why do I need to ICSI?
- Who are the best candidates for ICSI?
- What are the steps of ICSI?
- What happens after ICSI?
- What is the ICSI success rate?
- Are ICSI babies healthy?
- ICSI cost (by Country)
- What are the risks of ICSI?
- How to Prepare for ICSI Treatment?
- Differences in the utilization of ICSI around the world?
What is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)?
Definitive approaches will help the couple determine why the doctor directs them to a particular treatment, among other options. So read the following four paragraphs carefully if you disagree with your doctor!
ICSI is an abbreviation that stands for “intracytoplasmic sperm injection.” It is assisted reproductive technology (ART) used to help infertile couples become pregnant.
ICSI involves taking a single sperm and injecting it directly into an egg (microinjection). This part is the technical part of ICSI, which outstands the ICSI process from IVF!
Why do I need ICSI?
If you are immersed in a sea of information on infertility treatments and don’t know what criteria must be considered, read the following paragraph to get your feet wet!
In ART methods, you cannot beat your own drum! You should obey your fertility doctor’s opinion, which is based on the results of your lab tests, karyotyping, and other important factors; your fertility doctor will propose ICSI.
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Who are the best candidates for ICSI?
The following characteristic will turn the infertile couple into a good candidate for ICSI:
- Having male factor infertility (abnormal semen analysis)
- Experiencing several failing IVF cycles
- Unexplained fertility
- Variable sperm counts
- Having vasectomy reversal
- Presence of sperm antibodies
- To maximize successful fertilization
However, it is crucial to consider that for many couples with normal sperm parameters, the highest IVF success rate is possible without ICSI. So, your first priority should be your fertility doctor’s opinion!
How does ICSI work?
This method is one of the most popular ART treatments that help couples fulfill their dreams of having a healthy baby in their own egg or donating eggs.
Infertility treatments are sometimes scary, and it seems to keep going on is no easy feat; in another sense, alongside the necessity of patience during ART treatments like ICSI, getting to know with ICSI procedure could be very helpful! So, stay tuned!
ICSI cost
ICSI costs vary from country to country; the highest price belongs to Canada, and per cycle could cost $17,000. In European countries, ICSI costs $11,000 in Spain, $8,000 in Portugal, and $5,200 in North Cyprus.
In Asian countries like India, Turkey, and Iran, the costs will decrease to $3,700, $3,400, and $3,000.
As you see among Asian countries, the most affordable ICSI cost belongs to Iran by TebMedTourism Co. TebMedTourism, a well-skilled and well-known agency in medical tourism, considers all aspects of ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) treatments to get the best results regarding patient’s situations.
Obeying this regular and accurate approach causes a high success rate in ICSI (more than average global). Generally speaking, if you are looking for the best services TebMedTourism is the most trust-worthiest choice.
What happens after ICSI?
After ICSI means, after utilizing the microinjection technique! After implementing this instrumental method, the embryologist will monitor the fertilized egg in the laboratory for signs of successful fertilization. A healthy fertilized egg will divide into cells, forming a blastocyst, after 5 or 6 days.
Embryo transfer (ET) occurs on the fifth or sixth day after the egg retrieval procedure or based on the demanding intended parents, embryo transfer is delayed for a month or even years.
The fertility doctor will discuss with you when to transfer the embryos and ask you about your decision for keeping the rest embryos. Using ultrasound technology, your healthcare provider by inserting a catheter (long, thin tube) will inject the embryo into the uterus of the intended mother. For pregnancy to happen, the embryo must implant (attach) to your uterus.
How is ICSI different from IVF?
What makes ICSI different from IVF? This is the key point of this section of this blog post! Those who have undergone IVF cycles are especially interested in the distinctions. Let’s dive into the details!
The most significant difference between ICSI and IVF is how fertilization takes place. With ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into an egg, whereas with IVF, thousands of sperm are placed into a dish of eggs. The egg is then allowed to choose the best sperm, which will be the one to fertilize it.
Beyond the pain, process, and time involved, competent patients often ask about ICSI cost and ICSI success rates.
ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) and IVF (in-vitro fertilization) are both techniques used in fertility treatment, but some key differences exist, which we mentioned in the following items:
- In terms of success rates, studies have found that ICSI has a slightly higher rate of successful pregnancies than IVF. This is because the direct injection of the sperm into the egg helps avoid any factors that could reduce fertility, such as blocked tubes.
- In terms of pain and process, both treatments involve a period of hormone injections and ultrasounds before egg collection and the procedure to insert sperm into the egg. Both treatments are usually done under a general anesthetic for the egg retrieval step. Therefore, most women experience a deficient pain level.
- In terms of the time frame, IVF cycles take slightly longer than ICSI cycles.
Overall, ICSI and IVF are viable treatments for those looking to conceive; however, understanding their differences is vital to help you decide which treatment is best.
Is ICSI better than IVF?
No, ICSI and IVF are not inherently better than each other. A couple’s individual circumstances are strongly determining. For some couples, ICSI may be the right choice because the sperm quality is lower than usual, making fertilization more difficult without ICSI. However, for couples with good-quality sperm, IVF is often just as effective as ICSI. Ultimately, the decision between ICSI and IVF should be based on the couple’s medical history and their fertility doctor’s advice.
What are the steps of ICSI?
ICSI involves several steps: egg stimulation and retrieval, sperm collection, embryogenesis in the laboratory, and finally, embryo transfer. If, according to the opinion of your healthcare provider, ICSI is the proper fertility treatment for you, being familiar with all the steps and preparing for them can be helpful!
The Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) procedure is similar to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with a few technical differences. It involves retrieving a woman’s eggs, fertilizing them in a laboratory, and injecting one sperm into each mature egg.
- Egg stimulation or egg retrieval
The first step in the ICSI procedure is egg retrieval. The female partner is administered a hormone-containing drug to increase egg production. An ultrasound probe is used to visualize the ovaries, allowing the doctor to use a hollow needle to remove the eggs.
- Microinjection step
Next, the eggs are brought to a lab where fertilization takes place. This involves placing the eggs in a special incubator and then combining them with the partner’s or donor’s sperm to achieve fertilization.
The following step is where ICSI distinguishes itself from IVF. In this step, a single sperm is selected and carefully injected into each mature egg using a specialized micropipette. This step is typically performed under a powerful microscope and involves removing the tail and nucleus from the sperm.
- Embryo development and transfer
Finally, the eggs are returned to the incubator to continue development. Once the embryos have developed, the doctor will transfer them to the woman’s uterus, where they can implant and develop into a fetus.
What is ICSI success rate?
It is very intellectual that before entering an ART method and complicated procedures, investigate this method very accurately. Especially the most crucial part is the ICSI success rate. To break down barriers, you should know everything about the most effecting factor on ICSI success rate!
The ICSI success rate is inversely age dependent, which means the success rate will decrease as age increases.
Although, according to the last result published in 2022, the average ICSI fertilization rate is 60-65%; it should be remembered that successful first implantation of embryos does not lead to a successful pregnancy. Early embryo failure and miscarriage are the other risks to be considered when determining IVF/ICSI success rates, Viz. Particularly live birth and healthy baby makes valid and actual ICSI success rates statistics.
- For women under 35, the ICSI success rate is 1%.
- For women from 35 to 39years, the ICSI success rate will decrease to 1%.
- For women over 40, the ICSI success rate will reach 4%.
Does ICSI have higher success rates?
In weighing which procedure is proper for you and has a higher success rate, neither intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) nor in vitro fertilization (IVF) is inherently superior. It all comes down to the particular circumstances of each couple.
ICSI might be the most appropriate choice when sperm quality is less than optimal, as this method can make fertilization easier. Conversely, couples with better sperm quality may find that IVF can be just as effective. Therefore, you and your fertility specialist should discuss your medical history and decide on the best treatment method.
Are ICSI babies healthy?
Retrospective data suggest that IVF and IVF/ICSI are safe. Health risks to mother and child are greatly increased with assisted reproduction, including multiple pregnancies and premature birth. When the couple demands genetic tests like PGD/PGS/NGS possibility of birth defects and genetic diseases will get to zero percent in the baby.
Perhaps you’ve heard from the news or media or by googling find yourself that ICSI babies could struggle with heart problems in infancy, learning disability, or risk of infertility in ICSI babies in adulthood.
But we remind you that your decision should be based on facts, not according to gossip. According to research, only less than one percent (0.093) of ICSI babies could have an intellectual disability which is set side by side of 0.062% base risk!
What are the risks of ICSI?
Although ICSI is one of the modern and safe methods in ART treatments, like the other technical treatments, expecting some risks, such as the following issues, is intellectual!
- Increased risk of miscarriage
- Multiple gestations
- Increased risk of preterm delivery
- Increased risk of low birth weight
Dangerous Symptoms after ICSI?
Fortunately, there are not any dangerous symptoms of ICSI! If you follow precisely all instructions of your fertility doctor! You can get the best result, healthy pregnancy, and a happy baby! Good protein sources include beans, eggs, nuts, grains, salmon, and yogurt. Thanks to fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, oranges, berries, dates, sprouts, broccoli, etc., which eliminate your post-IVF digestive condition, you can keep your body healthy.
How to Prepare for ICSI Treatment?
Preparing for all types of ART methods will need to have a healthy approach at least 6 months before.
Changing your lifestyle up to six months before starting infertility treatment is better.
Recently, researchers have found a significant negative association between consuming alcohol and IVF/ICSI success rate. So, your lifestyle is one of the most important factors that could impact final results!
For preparing for ICSI following tips should be considered:
- Avoid consumption of alcohol, smoking, and tobacco
- Follow a healthy diet
- Use prenatal vitamins
- Maintain your BMI between 18.5-25
- Manage your stress level
In the following, we will discuss some tips that could help you get the best ICSI success rate!
1. Boost your body before ICSI
Modern life, work pressure, unhealthy lifestyle, financial problems, and many other factors make couples use many fancy drugs, including antidepressants, anti-allergic and anti-allergic medications. Indeed, the arbitrary use of pain relievers has become a habit.
Before entering an ICSI/IVF procedure, inform your fertility doctor about your medication. If you are suffering from a specific cancer-like illness, and you have used chemotherapy drugs, have thyroid issues and have taken thyroid medication, or because of your mental health concerns at a particular time, have used antidepressants or other medicines. It’s best not to hide it because each of them can harm your ICSI success rate.
2. Boost your body after egg retrieval in ICSI treatment
In ICSI, like IVF, at the first step, gathering eggs from the intended mother and receiving hormones via injections is unavoidable! This hormonotherapy will stimulate a woman’s ovary to produce more than one egg. Injecting sperms in prepared eggs (in the lab dish) via a microinjection method called ICSI.
In an all-in-one post, the best IVF diet plan, we discuss a diet that helps your body get rid of excess hormones after egg stimulation and retrieval! Antioxidant supplements such as inositol and natural detoxification foods such as avocado prepare a comprehensive set for patients to be anxious about their health.
Differences in utilization ICSI around the world?
The primary source for asking similar questions is an article from the USA that focuses on male infertility issues in different regions in the USA. Overall, looking at the popularity of ICSI in the world depends on male infertility in destination countries! Many male infertilities push men to utilize ICSI.
According to statistics, ICSI popularity in front of IVF from 1993-20199 rapidly increased but not at a particular point in the world! Data says ICSI utilization in 2011 was 66.5 in the world. This story is keeping on in which way that in 2019 33% of IVF and 66% of ICSI included the ART cycles.
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