Today, fertility issues are on the rise due to various reasons. With the recent developments in the healthcare industry, getting pregnant with fertility problems is no longer a nightmare. Men and women may face difficulty in conceiving on their own and opt for multiple assisted reproductive techniques. In-vitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection are the popular procedures that help people with fertility issues to get pregnant. IVF and ICSI are completely different procedures and are likely to give better results. Continue reading to know in detail the difference between IVF and ICSI.
In-virto Fertilization, or IVF, is a well-known assisted reproductive technology. It is also an effective fertility treatment method to get pregnant when you suffer from fertility issues. During the IVF cycle, eggs from a woman and sperm from a man are extracted and allowed for fertilisation in a laboratory. This increases the chances of conception. The fertilised embryo is then transfered into the uterus for implantation. If the fertilised embryo implants on the uterus lining,it results in pregnancy. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks to complete a single IVF cycle. In selected cases, people might have to go for multiple IVF cycles for a successful pregnancy.
Before the start of your IVF cycle, your doctor administers ovarian stimulating hormones to produce multiple eggs in a single cycle. High-quality eggs are retrieved from the follicles at the right time. An ultrasound or blood test can help to ascertain and retrieve the eggs at the right stage. During the day of the IVF procedure, a needle is inserted to extract eggs from your ovary. Immediately, the eggs are placed in a petridish with sperm collected from your partner on the same day. The egg and the sperm are left for fertilisation. The fertilised embryo is then placed in your uterus with the help of a catheter. It is advised to stay in bed for 1 hour after embryo transfer. You can go for a pregnancy test after two weeks to detect conception.
Couples who suffer from fertility problems or who face difficulty in conceiving naturally can very well go for IVF treatment. If you suffer from any of the following reproductive issues, then IVF is the best option to conceive.
● Block in the fallopian tubes
● Endometriosis
● Ovulation disorder
● Poor Ovarian Response
● Poor semen parameters
● Premature ovarian insufficiency
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, is a recent assisted reproductive technology with better results. During the ICSI procedure, high-quality sperm collected from men is injected into the center of the egg extracted from women. This increases the chance of fertilisation as the sperm is directly inserted into the egg, resulting in a fertilized embryo.
Your doctor conducts a physical examination before the ICSI procedure to study ovarian functions and prepare your body for the fertility procedure. Ovulation induction hormones are injected to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs. Fully mature and high-quality eggs are extracted from your ovary by inserting a thin needle into the vaginal wall.
Within an hour of ejaculation, semen collected by the male partner, is processed. The healthiest and most motile sperm is selected and nourished. It is then directly inserted into the oocyte of the egg for fertilisation.
ICSI is highly recommended for couples with male-factor infertility issues. During semen analysis, if your doctor notices abnormal reports stating low sperm count or low sperm quality, the ICSI is an effective choice for becoming pregnant. If you're a couple suffering from any of the following fertility issues, then you can undergo an ICSI procedure.
● Unexplained fertility
● Low sperm count
● Poor motility
● Repeated IVF failure due to poor fertilisation.
Both IVF and ICSI are effective assisted reproductive technologies widely popular among couples who face difficulty in conceiving naturally. These two techniques are different modes of fertilisation. During IVF, the egg and the sperm are placed in petridish for fertilisation, but in ICSI, the sperm is injected into the centre of the egg for easy fertilisation. ICSI is the ideal fertility procedure for male factor fertility issues. In IVF, fertilisation occurs by natural selection, but with ICSI fertility procedure improves the chance of fertilisation as the healthy sperm is picked and injected into the cytoplasm of the eggs where fertilisation occurs. The success rate with ICSI is slightly better than that with IVF
ICSI & IVF can be combined when few eggs are kept for IVF & the others for ICSI where the sperm is directly injected to the egg
ICSI vs. IVF success rates depend on multiple factors. The rate of complete fertilisation failure is low with the ICSI procedure, which increases the success rate of ICSI compared to IVF. The fertilisation percentage is about 50 to 60% with IVF procedures, whereas it is about 70-80% with ICSI procedures. Nearly 8 eggs out of 10 fertilise with the ICSI procedure, increasing its effectiveness. The implantation rate of both treatments is the same, provided the couple does not suffer from any uterine factors
Both IVF and ICSI are effective artificial reproductive treatment procedures with better success rates. Your fertility specialist chooses between the two based on the type of fertility issue you suffer from. Combining both IVF and ICSI can increase the success rate of the fertility treatment.
Yes, ICSI is more expensive than the usual IVF procedure, as ICSI increases the success rate of the traditional IVF procedure.
Yes, IVF can be done without ICSI if the sperm quality is good.
