ICSI Treatment Offers Hope to Men with Fertility Problems

Online, June 17, 2013 (Newswire.com) - IVF treatment comes in many different forms including ICSI treatment, or IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection. During this procedure, a healthy and viable sperm is collected from the male before being injected directly into the embryo. This type of treatment has proven effective to help combat low sperm count, poor sperm motility, and an irreversible vasectomy. It can also be used to treat men that have no sperm present in their ejaculate as the sperm can be removed from the testes where it is produced making this a viable form of treating obstructive azoospermia.

There are two types of azoospermia, the name given to an absence of sperm in ejaculate. Whereas non-obstructive azoospermia means that no sperm are being created by the body, patients suffering from obstructive azoospermia do still create sperm but a range of problems may be preventing the sperm from reaching the ejaculate. Such potential problems can include vasectomies, sexually transmitted diseases, or even a urinary tract infection. Whatever causes the blockage, it prevents the man from producing sperm in his ejaculate but they are still present in the testes, where they are formed.

Approximately 65,000 UK men have vasectomies every year and this is one of the most common causes for obstructive azoospermia as well as one of the most common reasons for progressing with ICSI treatment. During a vasectomy, sperm is prevented from getting the ejaculate so while it is still formed, it is not used. The sperm still exists and this means that ICSI can be effective in these circumstances.

ICSI treatment requires that sperm be collected from the male donor. Some men having a vasectomy may choose to freeze their sperm for this very reason but, in other instances, it may be necessary to directly remove sperm from the testes. Non-surgical Sperm Aspiration, or NSA, is a simple procedure that is completed under local anaesthetic, is painless, and offers a fast and viable method of removing healthy sperm from the testes. In some cases, surgery may be necessary in order to retrieve and locate the sperm.

Testicular sperm is not considered as advanced as ejaculate sperm and has the potential for premature fertilisation. This necessitates the injection of the sperm directly into the ovary using the ICSI treatment process. During this process, healthy sperm retrieved from the testes is injected directly into the embryo. This removes the potential for premature fertilisation, increasing the likelihood of getting pregnant, and giving the couple a chance of being able to conceive and carry a baby to full term.

IVF treatments have advanced in many ways and the introduction and use of http://www.hopefertility.co.uk/what-we-do/fertility-treatments/intra-cytoplasmic-sperm-injection-icsi-treatment/ ICSI Treatment means that couples where the man has a low sperm count or suffers from obstructive azoospermia can still get pregnant. Sperm is removed from the man's testes before being injected into the embryo. This can be conducted as part of a larger IVF plan or ICSI may be used with sperm that was frozen months or years earlier.