Get to know ICSI, IVF program for men who are infertile & bull; hello healthy

When a couple has difficulty having children, it is often assumed that the wife is incapable or infertile. But not infrequently, it is the husband or the man who has fertility problems and makes it difficult to have children. However, currently there are many solutions offered by advances in the medical field to have children more easily and to help couples who experience reproductive problems so that it is difficult to have children. One solution that can help men who have problems with fertility but want to have children is by using methods Intra Cystoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).

Maybe you often hear about IVF programs? IVF program that is often and most widely practiced today is by method In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or often referred to as the conventional IVF program. But along with technological developments, ICSI appears to make it easier for couples to have children. Then what is the difference between IVF and ICSI? Do these two things have different stages? How do the two methods compare?

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Differences in IVF and ICSI IVF programs

The main purpose of the IVF and ICSI methods is the same, namely to help married couples who have fertility problems to have children. Both of these methods are designed to carry out fertilization outside the mother's body. However, when the fetus is considered ready, it will be inserted into the uterus so that it can grow and develop normally. The biggest difference between IVF and ICSI is how the process of connecting sperm to egg causes fertilization to occur.

In IVF, or what is called the conventional IVF method, the sperm will still swim and penetrate the egg wall, so that fertilization occurs, what distinguishes it from normal fertilization is the place of fertilization. But when ICSI is carried out, the sperm no longer has to penetrate the egg wall by themselves, but is assisted by technology and medical equipment so that sperm can enter the egg easily.

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Who are the men who need ICSI?

ICSI is usually performed when IVF is unsuccessful. In addition, ICSI tends to be more for couples whose male partners are experiencing fertility problems. So, ICSI can be used as a solution for men who have the following conditions:

Produces low sperm count
There are problems with sperm, such as abnormal sperm shape and poor ability to move.
Cannot ejaculate or remove sperm

Are the side effects of ICSI the same as IVF?

When compared with IVF, ICSI has a greater chance of lowering disease genes than IVF. This happens because in the ICSI method, sperm are not given the opportunity to enter the ovum wall on their own. Under normal circumstances, the sperm that can enter and penetrate the egg wall is the best sperm among other sperm. So if ICSI is carried out, then we do not know whether the sperm is the best or not because the sperm enters the egg with the help of a medical device.

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What is the success rate of ICSI when compared to IVF?

In general, the success of ICSI fertilization is higher than IVF or conventional IVF methods. About 50-80% of eggs can be successfully fertilized by sperm using the ICSI method. But for successful pregnancy until the fetus is born, it depends on the condition of the mother and here are the estimates:

Mothers aged 18-34 years, the success can reach 44%
Mothers aged 35-37 years, success reaches 39%
Mothers aged 40-42 years, the success reaches 21%
Mothers aged 43-44 years, success only reaches 11%
Meanwhile, mothers who are more than 45 years of success are only about 2%.

It can be concluded that IVF or ICSI depends on the age of the mother who is about to become pregnant. The older the pregnant mother, the more likely it is to experience various problems during pregnancy and during the birth process. Conducting ICSI requires a greater cost than doing IVF, therefore, if you want to undergo IVF treatment, it is better to discuss it first with a specialist.