How long does ICSI treatment take?
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) is a process which is performed to fertilise the egg, improving the chances of conception. This process is done when a male is unable to produce healthy sperm and cannot fertilise the egg. It is generally useful in cases of infertility in men, such as low sperm motility, low sperm count, erectile dysfunctions, or when there is no suitable cause of infertility.
Process of ICSI treatment
The process of ICSI is explained below in steps.
- Female Egg Development
The infertility specialist will first give fertility drugs to the woman to stimulate the production of a healthy egg in the ovaries. The doctor will keep a check on the egg development. The ICSI treatment starts when the egg is fully matured and ready to be retrieved.
- Sperm Retrieval
The male is asked to produce a sample of the spermatic fluid in a cup, or the sperm are retrieved surgically. Multiple eggs are also retrieved from the ovaries of a woman by using a fine needle through an ultrasound probe. The process may cause mild discomfort for a short period.
- Injecting a Healthy Sperm Into an Egg
The semen sample obtained from the man is washed, and healthy sperm is isolated. The healthy sperm is then injected into the egg using a fine needle. It may take 24 hours for a sperm to fertilise the egg and turn into an embryo.
- Keeping a Check on the Embryo
The embryos are kept under observation in a lab for five to six days. The doctor will check the embryos for growth. All the fertilised embryos are not transferred to the uterus of a female. Thus, the doctor will choose the healthy and most viable embryos to transfer into the womb of a female.
- Embryo Transfer
Once the embryos develop to a certain stage, one or two healthy embryos are transferred to the uterus of a female using a catheter and ultrasound probe. This is done two days or five days after fertilisation. Due to the transfer of multiple embryos, there is a risk of multiple pregnancies. Therefore, some women want to transfer only a single embryo. The doctor waits in such cases and transfers the embryo only when it reaches the blastocyst stage. Extra embryos are saved and frozen for later use if a particular IVF cycle fails.
After this, the process is similar to a normal pregnancy. The embryo should get attached to the uterine wall and should develop naturally. The doctor will ask to perform a pregnancy test two weeks after the transfer of an embryo to the uterus.
Time Taken by ICSI Treatment
The time taken for ICSI treatment may vary from couple to couple. In some women, the development of eggs takes place after giving medications, but in some women, it may take two or more cycles for proper egg development. Therefore, the time taken for ICSI treatment may vary from 9-11 months till the delivery.
Conclusion
ICSI treatment is the best-suited choice of treatment for infertility in men. When ICSI treatment is combined with IVF, it gives excellent results. The treatment gives hope to infertile couples to bear a child and offers them the happiness of parenthood they need.