More than 90% of male infertility is a result of low sperm count, poor sperm quality, or both. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection technology (ICSI) is a technique paired with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) that involves the identification of superior sperm cells.
The sperm selection process is conducted in a dish containing hyaluronan drops, where the best sperm latch on to the hyaluronan. Hyaluronan is a protein that appears naturally along the outer membrane of an egg, and sperm in the petri dish mimic the journey they would have followed inside the uterus. Once your embryologist identifies the best sperm cell from the ones that have bound themselves to the hyaluronan, it is injected into a mature egg for fertilisation. Research indicates that sperm cells that are filtered through the ICSI process display fewer chromosomal abnormalities and have greater DNA integrity.
ICSI is especially useful in cases of poor sperm motility, low sperm count or both. The process enables the identification of viable sperm that hold significant potential.
By picking the most viable sperm in whom chromosomal abnormalities have been ruled out, the chances of the resultant embryo implanting inside the uterus are higher.