Until recently, the clinical application of direct injection of a single sperm into the cytoplasm of an oocyte during IVF was not shown to be feasible. The demonstration of fertilization and live births by Palermo et al. in 1993 was the first successful application of ICSI. Since that time, ICSI has been performed extensively in multiple centers to treat patients with severe male factor infertility. To date, the success of ICSI procedures has been related to several factors: (1) the viability of the spermatozoon, (2) the quality of the oocyte, …

ICSI stands for Intro Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection. The whole technique was developed by researches of Brussels University and a science institution in St. Louis, US. The amazing thing about ICSI procedure is that men who were considered ultimately unable to fertilize have succeeded in it and the procedure implication worldwide has already resulted in more than 10,000 babies and perfectly physically, genetically and mentally babies they are. You or your spouse might be the one for ICSI procedure if you are closely familiar with one of the following cases.
The …

The embryo replacement (embryo transfer) procedure is quite simple and usually pain free. It may cause minimal discomfort and no anesthetic is used, although some women may need sedation or occasionally a general anesthetic. The male partner is usually invited to attend the procedure. The couple may also be able to view the embryos through a monitor before the embryos are replaced.
Some couples are concerned that their eggs, sperm or embryos may mix up with that of other couples. The probability of this happening in a good centre is very …

Pain. The patient may experience pain. It is not unusual for women to experience some abdominal or pelvic pain. A hot water bottle or painkillers are often helpful. However, if the pain is severe, or persists, then you should consult your doctor.
Bleeding. The patients may have to wear panty liners for a day or two following egg collection. Any bleeding should be minimal and dark or brown in colour. If bleeding is severe or bright red then consult your doctor.
Nausea and vomiting. The patient may experience nausea or vomiting for …

Conventional or standard IVF treatment involves the administration of fertility drugs, monitoring of the cycle, collection of eggs, mixing eggs and sperm together outside the woman’s body in a culture dish or test-tube. Any resulting embryos are left to grow and the best 2-3 embryos are then transferred into the woman’s womb. Any remaining embryos of good quality may then be frozen for future use. In the United Kingdom a maximum of three embryos are replaced.
IVF cycle. The diagram below summarises the IVF cycle.

The original indication for IVF was tubal …

Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA): An incision is made through the scrotal skin. Using optical magnification, the tiny epididymal tubules can be incised and sperm rich fluid aspirated. A large number of motile sperm is typically retrieved and it can be used immediately …