Female patients receive the same ovarian stimulation as those patients undergoing a routine IVF treatment cycle.

The cells covering the oocytes are gently removed, using a mild hyaluronidase solution and hand drawn pipettes. The oocytes are subsequently rinsed several times in modified buffer solution and carefully examined for oocyte quality and maturity. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is carried out on all morphologically intact and mature oocytes.

Semen specimens are generally produced at the time of the retrieval or shortly thereafter. A conventional semen analysis is performed and the sperm is prepared for injection using the various techniques available. The sperm suspension is kept at 37°C in an incubator until the moment of injection.

Prior to injection, the sperm is specially prepared and immobilized using an extremely viscous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), enabling the technologist to aspirate a single sperm for injection directly into the cytoplasm of the oocyte.

Further assessment of the oocytes is similar to our standard IVF procedure. Approximately 16 to 18 hours after injection, the oocytes are assessed for fertilization and subsequent transfer at approximately 72 hours post oocyte retrieval.

ICSI: Is It Safe?