ICSI - A Better Option

What makes ICSI a better option?

"It is a better option because it offers the promise to every man to father his own baby despite his medical problem," explains Dr. Malpani.

For an IVF or IUI to be effective your husband's sperm count should be at least 10 to 15 million. Anything below 10 million reduces the chances of success in IVF and IUI.

Whereas, an ICSI can be effective even if your spouse's sperm count is less than five million or for that matter even zero.

If you are unable to conceive in your first attempt, you can go for it month after month during your ovulation cycle or until you conceive, provided you have the budget for it.

"I know of a couple abroad who have tried this treatment around 10 to 11 cycles," says Dr. Malpani.

How does ICSI Work?

It is a new infertility treatment in which a single sperm of your spouse is injected into the centre of your egg in order to achieve fertilisation.

In a simpler term it means: one egg plus one sperm equals to one embryo.

When is ICSI Advised?

This treatment is recommended if:

• You have failed to achieve fertilisation following other fertilisation treatments such as IVF or IUI.
  
• Your husband has low sperm count, or poor motility of sperms, or high levels of angiosperm bodies in his semen.
  
• Your husband suffers from a complete lack of sperm also known as azoospermia.
  
• The frozen sperm is limited in number and quality.

"In fact, the rate of success will fall even further if you happen to be above 35 years in age. This is because the quality of eggs produced post 35 tend to go down," informs Dr. Malpani.