Micromanipulation, the handling of egg and sperm by microscopic instruments, is used to improve the chances of fertilization in cases with impaired sperm function. ACRM offers the most advanced micromanipulation technique, called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), in which a single sperm is injected directly into the egg using a glass micro-needle. ICSI has revolutionized the treatment of male infertility by overcoming barriers to sperm entry into the egg. Fertilization is possible even in cases with low sperm or compromised sperm function.
As many as one third of the infertility cases in the United States may be attributed to the male partner. There are several possible causes:
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has proven to be very effective for treating male infertility. This is because the motile (swimming) sperm can be collected and concentrated from the husband's semen and placed in direct contact with the egg in a culture environment in the IVF laboratory. Through the increased number of swimming, and presumably functional, sperm around the egg, the chances of fertilization are improved over intercourse or intrauterine insemination.
There are cases of male factor infertility which cannot be addressed even through IVF. In these cases, there are so few sperm, or sperm which are completely immotile (not swimming at all), that even if they are placed in culture with the egg, fertilization will not take place.
An ideal approach to these severe forms of male infertility is to directly inject a single sperm cell into the egg. In this way, the sperm cell is relieved of the work of penetrating the several layers which surround, nourish, and protect the egg. Also, relatively few sperm are needed since only one sperm cell is required for each egg.
Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection is a technique that allows fertilization in cases that would have been virtually hopeless.
Be aware, however, that even though the sperm is placed inside the egg by the injection procedure, the fertilization process may not be completed. Fertilization is a complex continuum of sperm and egg interaction, not simply the entry of the sperm into the egg. If this interaction does not occur following delivery of the sperm into the egg, fertilization failure may still result.
Needle inserted
Sperm injected
Sperm left inside
ICSI is performed using instruments called micromanipulators. These allow the biologist to "handle" the cells under microscopic observation with magnification of 200 to 400 times. The egg is gently held steady using an instrument called a holding pipette. Using a glass micro-needle, a single sperm is aspirated into the tip of the needle and then carefully injected into the egg. The egg can be examined 15 to 18 hours later to determine if fertilization has occurred.
The pregnancy rates achieved through IVF with ICSI is comparable to those observed with IVF without ICSI. In both IVF with and without ICSI, the incidence of pregnancy is dependent upon a number of factors: the woman's age, any infertility factors she may have, the number of embryos transferred to her uterus, and uterine receptivity.
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