ICSI: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) procedure in detail

Learn about the best Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Center in Egypt, with an elite group of the most experienced and qualified gynecologists, andrologists, and embryologists in the field of fertility in Egypt. With a combined experience of more than 25 years, they offer unparalleled services in fertility and reproduction.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI):

Motherhood is a dream that every woman has the right to experience, but many women face difficulties in achieving this dream naturally. There is no need to lose hope, as science keeps progressing daily. You can now fulfil your dream of motherhood through Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection at Sunrise Fertility Center, one of the best Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection centers in Egypt, under the supervision of Dr. Sherif Basha.

What is the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure?

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is a process where a single sperm is directly injected into an egg. It is one of the most advanced techniques used to achieve the dream of motherhood and treat infertility issues.

Pre-ICSI steps:

There are several steps that both partners need to be aware of in detail to ensure the success of the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure. One of the most important is to perform tests before the ICSI procedure to identify the real reasons for delayed conception, such as:

• Checking the female hormone level (FSH-LH-AMH) to assess ovarian reserve and egg quality.
• Ultrasound examination to assess the condition of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.
• Performing a semen analysis for the male sperm to ensure the sperm’s health in count and motility.

You can contact 01200682828 to learn more about the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure.

7 Tips a month before ICSI:

Dr. Sherif Basha offers important advice for the wife before starting the ICSI procedure and she must adhere to it, such as:

• Avoid smoking and alcohol.
• Reduce the consumption of tea and coffee.
• Avoid anxiety and stress, because mental well-being significantly affects the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure success.
• Lose weight if you are overweight, because this contributes to the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure success.
• Follow a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits and avoid processed foods and sugars.
• Adhere to the vitamins prescribed, especially folic acid.
• Avoid vigorous physical activity.

5 Tips for men before the ICSI:

Infertility issues are not always the woman’s fault; some men may suffer from sperm abnormalities or dysfunction, which prevents natural conception. Therefore, men should adhere to the following five tips before Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure:

• Undergo all necessary tests and analyses concerning the semen, to identify and address any sperm issue.
• Avoid ejaculation four days before the ICSI procedure to obtain a fresh sample.
• Avoid chemicals.
• Avoid exposing the testicle to high temperatures, and do not place the cell phone or laptop on the feet.
• Avoid eating foods that contain soybeans, protein bars, and energy drinks because they affect male fertility.

Is intercourse allowed before ICSI?

Intercourse is allowed before Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, but it is forbidden to have intercourse 4 days before the procedure, to obtain a good sample of the man’s semen. The doctor also recommends using contraception such as birth control pills for women and condoms for men.

Decapeptyl injection before ICSI procedure:

Decapeptyl injection is administered subcutaneously to women daily at a specific time of the menstrual cycle, as it plays a crucial role in controlling egg production and preventing premature release from the ovaries before the time specified by the doctor, by inhibiting female hormones.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection steps:

How does Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection work, or how is it done?

Many women ask these questions to ensure their safety and to understand how the procedure works to achieve a natural pregnancy and childbirth. We will explain the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection steps in detail:

• Ovarian stimulation:

The use of hormones, specifically gonadotropins and FSH, stimulate the ovaries to release a sufficient number of eggs. Then the two-week egg monitoring phase begins.

– In the first week: The doctor examines the maturity of the eggs through ultrasound and performs a blood estrogen level analysis.

– In the second week: The doctor prescribes certain medications based on egg and estrogen testing and injects certain hormones specific to the reproductive glands to stimulate egg maturation.

• Egg retrieval:

When is the egg retrieval step performed in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection?

This stage takes place about 36 hours after ovarian stimulation. The eggs are retrieved vaginally under local anesthesia and then placed in a special incubator in the embryology laboratory.

• Semen collection:

Semen is collected from the husband through masturbation. If there is a blockage that prevents ejaculation or a low sperm count, the doctor will extract the semen directly from the testicles using a simple procedure, called microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (microTESE).

• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for egg fertilization:

The Sperm are prepared in the lab by centrifugation, to separate the live sperm from the dead ones. A single sperm is picked up with a very fine needle injected directly into the egg and checked to ensure fertilization.

• Embryo transfer to the uterus:

After egg fertilization, it is placed in incubators for 4 to 5 days and monitored for growth. After confirming its development, the embryo is implanted into the uterus through a thin tube that passes through the cervix. Sometimes, the doctor transfers more than one embryo into the uterus to increase the success of the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure.

How long does the ICSI procedure take?

The Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure takes 4 to 6 weeks, starting with a blood test to measure the female hormone level, a physical examination, a semen analysis for the man, and hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries for 9 to 10 days. As mentioned earlier, egg retrieval takes 2 to 3 days, followed by 4 to 5 days to fertilize the eggs in incubators before the embryo transfers into the uterus.

What are the conditions for the success of ICSI?

• Proper diagnosis to know the causes of infertility to determine the appropriate protocol for the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection journey.
• Ensuring the endometrial thickness is suitable for embryo implantation.
• Checking the sperm quality, if the husband is a smoker, this increases the percentage of impaired and deformed sperm, thus reducing the chances of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection success. In that case, it is essential to stop smoking and seek the appropriate treatment to improve sperm quality.
• The woman should not exceed 35 years; the younger the age, the higher the chances of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection success. This is due to a better ovarian response to hormonal stimulation to produce mature eggs suitable for fertilization.
• The chances of ICSI success increase for women who have previously given birth or have had successful ICSI procedures.
• Determining the appropriate day for embryo transfer into the uterus. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the best doctor who has the experience, honesty, and multiple success stories in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.
• The rest after Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, the adherence to all the doctor’s instructions, and the stay away from stress, are the keys for ICSI success.

Tips after Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection:

• Adhere to the medications that the doctor prescribed after the ICSI procedure, the most important of which are the progesterone treatments that support embryo implantation in the uterus.
• Follow a healthy diet such as vegetables and fruits and avoid processed foods and sugars.
• It is essential to adhere to folic acid, due to its importance for the fetal nervous system and protecting the fetus from birth defects.
• Avoid overexerting the body and adhere to rest. It is not necessary to stay in bed all day, but give your body a few days of rest.
• Take a pregnancy test two weeks after Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, to allow the pregnancy hormone to rise and give accurate results.

What is the success rate of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection?

As we mentioned earlier, several conditions and factors contribute to the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedure success. The success rate of the procedure varies from the first attempt, but it depends more on the woman’s age, as follows:

– 18-34 years old: 44% success rate

– 35-37 years old: 39% success rate

– 38-39 years old: 30% success rate

– 40-42 years old: 21% success rate

– 43-44 years old: 11% success rate

– Age 45 or older: 2% success rate

Signs of Successful Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection:

There are signs of successful Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection before the test such as:

• Mild uterine contractions.
• Light spotting, which is considered one of the first signs of pregnancy.
• Breast pain and swelling.
• Pregnancy nausea.
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• Changes in vaginal discharge, as it becomes more thicker than usual.
• A slight rise in body temperature.

There are also signs of successful Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection after a week such as:

• Common pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, exhaustion, nausea, and tender breasts.
• Elevated progesterone levels in the blood.
• The (HCG) hormone level remains elevated one week after ICSI.
• Missed menstrual period.

Disadvantages of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection:

Despite the advantages of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection in treating infertility, some disadvantages may occur in some cases, especially if you deal with a doctor who lacks experience or has low success rates for ICSI procedures. The disadvantages of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection include:

• Suffering from ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
• Increased rate of premature birth.
• High rate of caesarean section instead of natural birth.
• High rate of miscarriage.
• The high cost of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.

Signs of ICSI failure:

Learn about the most important indicators and signs of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection failure:

• The absence of common pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, breast pain, abdominal pain, and lower back pain.
• Bleeding at the time of the expected menstrual period.
• Absence of cramps after the embryo transfer in the uterus.

The cost of ICSI procedure at Sunrise Fertility Center:

The price of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection varies from center to another and doctor to another, depending on the center and doctor’s reputation, their experience, and the number of ICSI success stories. You can contact us to find out the cost of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection at Sunrise Fertility Center.

The best ICSI centers in Egypt:

Sunrise Fertility Center is one of the best Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection centers in Cairo, where the center offers the latest fertility treatments that suit many cases that suffer from infertility. Sunrise Fertility Center, the best Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection center in Egypt, features the best ICSI doctor, Dr. Sherif Basha Seif – the leading fertility specialist in Egypt and the MENA region, with a distinguished team of highly trained andrologists and embryologists.

The entire team has undergone training at renowned centers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Therefore, Sunrise Fertility Center achieved the highest success rates for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, especially for cases that struggled with natural conception or previous ICSI at other centers but failed. The Center has helped many families fulfill their dream of parenthood after losing hope of starting a family and having a child to fill their lives with happiness.

Sunrise Fertility Center is also distinguished by the presence of the RI Saturn Laser machine, which performs assisted hatching to improve pregnancy rates, as well as embryo biopsies and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for cases suffering from recurrent miscarriages and repeated ICSI failures due to genetic reasons. Therefore, Sunrise Fertility Center is one of the best fertility centers in North Africa and the Middle East and is one of the few ICSI centers accredited with ISO 9001- 2000 certification.

In conclusion, Sunrise Fertility Center wishes everyone happiness and the ability to build families that benefit society by fulfilling the dream of parenthood for everyone in Egypt and the Middle East through Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. For details about the ICSI procedure at Sunrise Fertility Center, contact us through our numbers, website, or social media pages, and our team will help you as soon as possible.

With ICSI, very few sperm are required because this process involves the direct injection of the sperm into the egg.

ICSI is recommended as the best option in the following cases:

• When sperm count is very low (oligospermia).

• When sperm motility is poor (asthenozoospermia).

• When sperm have a high percentage of abnormal shapes (teratozoospermia).
• When sperm are surgically retrieved directly from the epididymis (the coiled tube outside the testes that stores sperm) or from the testes themselves.
• When there are elevated levels of antibodies in the semen that impact fertilization.
• If there have been previous cycles of poor fertilization or fertilization failure.
• If there is a high level of DNA damage in the sperm.