The head of a man's sperm must adhere to the exterior of the egg before it may fertilize a woman's egg. Once connected, the sperm makes its way through the egg's outer layer to the cytoplasm, where fertilization occurs.

For some reason, sperm may be unable to enter the outer layer. It's possible that the sperm can't swim, or that the egg's outer layer is too thick or tough to penetrate. According to the Best fertility & IVF specialist, in certain situations, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can be used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to aid in the fertilization of the egg. A single sperm is injected directly into the cytoplasm of the egg during ICSI.

How does ICSI function?

IVF may be used to fertilize an egg in two ways: conventional and ICSI. 50,000 or more swimming sperm are put close to the egg in a laboratory dish in conventional IVF. When one of the sperm penetrates the cytoplasm of the egg, it fertilizes it. A micropipette is used to deliver a single sperm into the center of the egg during the ICSI procedure. After fertilization, the fertilized egg (now termed an embryo) develops in a laboratory for 1 to 5 days before being transferred to the woman's uterus, whether via standard IVF or ICSI (womb).

Can ICSI have an impact on a baby?

If a woman becomes pregnant naturally, her kid has a 1.5 percent to 3% risk of having a severe birth problem. ICSI has a comparable risk of birth abnormalities as IVF, however, it is somewhat greater than spontaneous conception.

The slightly increased risk of birth abnormalities may be related to infertility itself, rather than the therapies employed to overcome it. If a woman conceives normally, her child has a 1.5 percent to 3% chance of having a serious birth issue. ICSI carries a risk of birth defects similar to IVF, however, it is somewhat higher than spontaneous conception.

The slightly higher risk of birth defects might be due to infertility rather than the treatments used to treat it.

When is ICSI treatment useful?

The sperm does not have to travel to the egg or enter the egg's outer layers during ICSI therapy. If you're having trouble fertilizing because of male infertility issues, your doctor may suggest ICSI. The following are some of the factors:

• Low sperm count

• Poor sperm motility

• Previous unsuccessful IVF procedure

How is ICSI treatment performed?

Fertility medications will be given to you, much like in normal IVF therapy, to encourage your ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs for fertilization. You will have a brief outpatient procedure when your eggs are ready to be retrieved. The eggs are either utilized right away or refrigerated and used later. Similarly, sperm is collected from the sperm sample of the male partner. These sperm are cleaned, and the best sperm is selected. The entire fertilization operation is carried out under a strong microscope.

After that, the fertilized egg is placed in the incubator. After 24 hours, such an egg begins to exhibit symptoms of fertilization. The egg divides and develops into an embryo.

Whether they do IVF with or without ICSI, a couple's chances of having a single kid, twins, or triplets are the same after fertilization occurs.

If you have fertility-related issues, Contact Gynaecologist & IVF specialist Dr. Sonali Gupta.