In vitro fertilization by micro-injection – ICSI

In some cases, instead of a simple invitro fertilization, the doctor recommends ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection or intracytoplasmic sperm injection): a single sperm is injected directly into each of the mature eggs using a microscopic needle ( hence its English name: Intracitoplasmatic spermatozoizi).

This method is used for men whose semen is of poor quality, as it allows the choice of the best possible quality sperm. It is sometimes also used when several attempts at conventional IVF have failed.

The IMSI is an ICSI in which an even more powerful microscope is used to choose the fertilizing sperm with more finesse (it grows 6000 times instead of around 400 times for the ICSI). It is hoped that better results will be obtained in men with a large number of poor quality sperm.

The collection of sperm from the epididymis or from the testes (PESA, MESA or TESA or TESE).

Some men have no sperm in the semen, or no semen. It is sometimes possible to collect sperm at their source, in the testes or the epididymis.

Sperm are collected directly from the epididymis (PESA, Aspiratia percutanata a spermei epididimale), MESA (microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration), or in the testes (TESE, Extracția testiculară a spermei) or TESE (testicular sperm aspiration), under Anestezie locala.

The sperm are then collected and processed, the best of them being used for IVF with ISCI or IMSI microinjection.