The desire to successfully conceive, deliver and nurture one’s biological child is a deep-rooted human instinct. However, this desire may sometimes remain unfulfilled due to genetic or medical factors that may affect one or both partners. The presence of abnormalities in the reproductive organs, hormonal imbalances, congenital disorders, environmental factors, etc., could make it difficult to conceive and sustain a healthy pregnancy to full term.
In these cases, it would be advisable to choose fertility treatments like IVF or ICSI. These treatments have been proven to have high success rates when performed under careful medical supervision by specialists in the field, thus offering hope to countless individuals and couples. However, before proceeding with such treatments, it may be wise to know the fundamental differences between them, such as their procedure, success rate, and any risks involved, to make an educated choice.
Women may find it difficult to conceive and sustain a pregnancy due to abnormalities in their reproductive organs (ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, etc.), hormonal imbalances or genetic predispositions. Men may suffer from fertility issues caused by low quality or motility of the sperm, abnormalities in the male reproductive organs, erectile dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, genetic issues, lifestyle issues, etc. In such cases, the ability to conceive a child will be severely impacted.
When fertility issues have been diagnosed, the next step would be to seek treatments that can rectify these issues. Often, medications, surgeries or changes to lifestyle may bring about positive outcomes that result in pregnancy. However, when these fail, the next best option would be to undertake Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments. One of the most effective ART treatments is IVF (In-vitro Fertilization). Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is an advanced ART treatment that improves the chance of a successful pregnancy.
Let’s examine these two treatments closer to understand their key differences and the benefits that both provide.
IVF is a type of ART that has been a boon to countless childless couples across the world. This is a highly complex procedure where the sperm from the male partner and the eggs from the female partner are fertilised in a laboratory, usually in a fertility clinic or hospital.
Once a couple decides to go in for IVF, the fertility specialists will begin a number of meticulously monitored procedures to harvest healthy eggs and sperm from the biological parents. Let’s take a quick look at the IVF process:
_11zon.jpg)
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) is a highly advanced type of ART. ICSI is especially useful in combatting male fertility issues like:
In such situations, using ICSI could have a remarkable chance of success.
The initial steps are the same as those performed during conventional IVF. The change in technique occurs after the egg-retrieval stage. In traditional IVF, the retrieved eggs are placed in a dish along with the sperm in the hopes that better-quality sperm will seek and fertilise the eggs on their own. No external intervention is made at this stage.
However, the ICSI process takes a different route. Once the eggs are retrieved, the fertility specialist will use a small tube called the pipette to hold each egg in place while conducting a sperm injection. During the procedure, a single sperm is injected into the cytoplasm of each of the eggs using a microneedle. This intervention ensures that there is a higher chance of fertilisation. Once this procedure is completed, the fertilised eggs are carefully monitored, and if all goes well, viable embryos will begin to develop. The rest of the process is the same as that of conventional IVF, whereby embryo transfer and implantation will be initiated.
Both IVF and ICSI have their own sets of benefits and risks.
IVF is the most commonly used fertility treatment in the world. Decades of research have been done to prove the safety and efficacy of this procedure. However, it does not adequately address male fertility issues, and consequently, the success rate is a bit lower in such cases.
ICSI is especially beneficial to those who have already undergone traditional IVF with no success. It is also advantageous where the fertility issues are due to health issues being experienced by the male partner. However, ICSI carries a few potential risks. The retrieved eggs could get damaged during the procedure. Also, there is no guarantee that the eggs injected with the sperm will undergo fertilisation or that the embryos transferred to the uterus will be successfully implanted.
The decision to opt for either of these fertility treatments needs to be made after careful consideration of benefits, risks and even costs. It is recommended that an open and informed consultation with fertility specialists be conducted so that the most appropriate treatment plan may be adopted. If all goes well, there is a good chance of achieving a successful pregnancy, bringing hope and joy to those longing for parenthood.
ICSI is recommended over IVF when traditional IVF treatments have failed to yield a successful pregnancy. It is also recommended when there are major reproductive issues in the male partner.
ICSI is an advanced technique that seeks to ensure a higher chance of fertilisation of the retrieved eggs. A higher number of successfully fertilised eggs leads to a higher number of developed embryos. These can be used to increase the chances of pregnancy, as multiple viable embryos provide more opportunities for successful implantation.
Yes, undoubtedly, ICSI is a very advanced form of IVF that uses the same initial steps as IVF but makes a crucial change as to how the fertilisation of the eggs occurs. Unlike traditional IVF, where the eggs and sperm are naturally fertilised in a dish, ICSI uses a microneedle to inject the sperm into the egg in the hopes of initiating the fertilisation process.
