Trying to have a baby and not being able to conceive is one of the hardest things couples could have to do. If you have been attempting the IVF or ICSI treatment for this issue and it has failed, IMSI could be a massive help. It is more advanced than ICSI and has an excellent success rate.

In this article, Dr. Hrishikesh Pai, one of the best IVF doctors in Delhi, explains the procedure of IMSI.

What is IMSI?

Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection (IMSI) is an infertility treatment beneficial for severe male factor infertility. It is used to examine and select sperm using a high-magnification digital imaging microscope for microinjection into the egg.

IMSI is an advanced version of ICSI, having 16 times higher magnification power than ICSI. It offers advantages like improved sperm quality and selection of viable sperm.

An IVF specialist can help with the IMSI treatment. Dr. Hrishikesh Pai is one of the best IVF doctors in Delhi. He works at Bloom IVF center Delhi.

Who needs IMSI?

IMSI is beneficial for people who have repeatedly failed the IVF process. Couples who have been unable to conceive through ICSI-IVF can also opt for this technique, says Dr.Pai, one of the best IVF doctors in Delhi.

Following are some of the reasons when a doctor advises you to take an IMSI treatment:

  • Low sperm motility
  • A large amount of irregularly shaped sperms
  • Age more than 40 years
  • An insufficient amount of normal sperm

It can also be helpful in the following cases:

  • Previous multiple abortions or miscarriages
  • Two or more failed IVF cycles
  • High level of DNA fragmentation in the semen

IMSI is a massive help in case of severe male infertility. It can also help doctors determine the difference between normal and abnormal sperms.

Procedure

According to Dr.Pai, the following are steps taken for the IMSI procedure:

  • Sample preparation: When the sample is first collected, it is treated witha specific solution toremove any impurities.
  • Sperm Selection: The sperms are examined under a microscope to choose a suitable sperm to inject into the egg. IMSI helps determine sperm morphology through a high magnification of around 6600X. Only the morphologically normal sperm is injected into the egg.
  • These sperms have a better pregnancy rate. We can observe the minute vacuoles and sperms with abnormal head size, and large vacuoles are not chosen. This way, the doctor can choose the most viable sperm.
  • Egg Selection: A needle is introduced under ultrasound guidance. It is done to aspirate the egg follicles for collecting the eggs. After the selection, the eggs are washed to remove unwanted components. Then these are observed under an inverted microscope to choose healthy eggs.
  • Sperms Injection: The selected sperm is placed in the pipette and injected into the egg under the microscope. Then these microinjected eggs are cultured in a culture petri dish in an incubator overnight.

Then, to observe the signs of fertilization, these eggs are monitored at regular intervals.

After the embryo formation, they are inserted into the uterus.

Advantages of IMSI

  • In IMSI, the risk of miscarriage is reduced.
  • IMSI increases pregnancy rates due to improved embryo quality.
  • It is helpful for couples who have unexplained infertility.

Disadvantages of IMSI

  • IMSI is a time-consuming process. It takes one to two extra hours to complete as compared to IVF.
  • IMSI is more expensive than IVF.
  • It is not available in most IVF centers.

This treatment is available in Dr. Pai’s Bloom IVF center, an IVF doctor in Delhi.

Success Rate of IMSI

IMSI has helped increase the pregnancy rates by 30% to 60%. It has been helpful even with men who have the worst infertility issues. Couples who have failed IVF or ICSI-IVF cycles have also benefited from this.

Couples who have unexplained infertility also have benefitted massively from this. It also decreases the rate of abortions.

Cost of IMSI in India

The cost of IMSI in India is around Rs. 1,50,000 to Rs. 3,50,000, in addition to the cost of ICSI. This cost is less than many of the countries in the world. The costs may also differ, depending on the clinic to clinic.

Conclusion:

IMSI is an advanced technique to help infertility issues. It has a higher success rate than IVF and ICSI treatment. If you have failed these two procedures, maybe you will get a chance at conceiving by using the IMSI procedure.