|
 ICSI is the injection of a single sperm cell into an oocyte, (egg). ICSI was first successfully used in 1992 by researchers in Belgium as a method of overcoming barriers to fertilization that primarily involve the sperm. The procedure is offered to patients with low sperm counts or a high percentage of abnormal sperm. It can also be an answer for those with a history of poor fertilization, severe endometriosis or an unexplained cause of infertility.
The Emory Reproductive Center has had excellent success in the use of ICSI. Our own Senior Embryologist, Sharon Wiker, was part of the team that reported the first birth in the United States as a result of ICSI. Ms. Wiker has assisted in the establishment of ICSI techniques throughout the United States as well as in Singapore, Great Britain, Canada and Italy.
The ICSI procedure appears simple in prinicple, but it involves the use of sophisticated equipment and requires a trained embryologist to perform. Our ICSI policies and procedures focus on protection of eggs and sperm from temperature and pH variations and fluctuations, which may disrupt spindles and contribute to abnormal chromosome distribution. ICSI involves the use of micromanipulators to isolate single sperm cells. Each sperm cell is injected directly into an oocyte (egg). By placing the sperm directly inside of the oocyte, it bypasses the natural structures that surround an oocyte, which can sometimes prevent fertilization. ICSI has resulted in a tremendous increase in the effectiveness of IVF as a treatment for male infertility.
« back to Reproductive Center Services
|
