Asking which one amongst IVF, IUI, and ICSI is a crucial question for those seeking infertility treatments. This is because a thorough knowledge of these techniques will help you pick the best one for yourself. All of these assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) are highly efficient and have helped a lot of couples to have babies but each of them has a different set of advantages that make them suitable (or unsuitable) for different people. Grace Fertility offers you all of these techniques for making your dream come true. If you are looking for some basic information on these ARTs before you go to a clinic, you’ve come to the right place. We will start with the least complex procedure and move towards the most complex one, understanding how they work and what merits they offer.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
Also known as artificial insemination (AI), IUI is a non-surgical treatment where the semen from the male partner is injected directly into the uterus of the female partner. This is useful for couples with male factor infertility, that is, where the male partner has sperm count or mobility issues. IUI is a less invasive and less costly process than the other 2 processes we’re going to discuss ahead. Therefore, usually, doctors recommend trying IUI before heading on to the other ARTs. It can help couples with the following problems-
1. Mild endometriosis
2. Low sperm count
3. Low sperm mobility
4. Unexplained infertility cases
5. Severe premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction problems
6. Homosexual couple trying to have a baby
7. Single women who want to conceive
But IUI won’t work if the woman’s fallopian tubes are totally blocked or removed. It also won’t be of much help to women who’ve had multiple pelvic infections in the past. If IUI isn’t a viable option for you, you can seek IVF.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
IVF is a medical procedure where mature eggs and semen are collected and the fertilization takes place outside the body, in a lab. IVF is a complex process that begins with ovarian stimulation where medicines are provided to promote the growth of several follicles containing eggs. Then, a trigger injection is given to cause the eggs’ final maturation and to separate them from the follicle walls. About 34-36 hours after taking this injection, a specialist will conduct the egg retrieval procedure. On the same day, your partner’s (or donor’s) semen sample will also be taken. After the sperm sample has been properly washed and concentrated, it is placed next to the eggs for an entire night in an incubator. Next day, checks will be done to see if fertilization has taken place or not. If the sperm sample was normal and healthy, about 60-70% eggs would’ve been fertilized. The resulting embryos are tested to pick out the healthiest one which is then carefully inserted into the uterus via a catheter. As for the remaining embryos, you may choose to discard them, donate them, or freeze them for future IVF cycles.
Till upto 15 days after embryo transplantation, you have to maintain good diet and exercise routine as it will help ensure conception. Lastly, you’ll take the pregnancy test to see whether or not the treatment was successful.
As you can see, IVF is an exhausting procedure, not just physically but also emotionally and financially exhausting. So, it is wiser to go for IVF only when you are sure that the other ARTs cannot help you and choose the best IVF centre in Gurgaon (or Delhi) to get the best treatment. Here are a few conditions where IVF is the only option-
1. If your fallopian tubes are completely blocked
2. If your infertility cannot be attributed to any known factor
3. If there is a risk of the child inheriting some deadly genetic disease
4. If the uterus environment is not conducive to the life of sperms and/or fertilization
Though IVF is a highly efficient technique, remember that even it may fail. Age is a crucial factor here as women below 35 years of age are best suited for IVF. Lastly, choosing an IVF center in Delhi would be better due to its better success rates.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
In terms of complexity, ICSI just a little above IVF because one extra step. Remember we said earlier that a normal sperm sample fertilizes about 60-70% eggs overnight? Well, ICSI is the procedure we ought to follow if the semen sample is not healthy and normal. Like, IUI, ICSI is also helpful for mainly male factor infertility treatment but it has better success rates than the former because it’s a more precise procedure. If the sperm count, mobility, and/or shape is not normal, ICSI is the way to go. In this process, the rest of the steps are the same as in IVF but the fertilization is done by manually injecting a healthy and fertile sperm into the cytopasma of the egg.
Concluding Remarks
Though IVF is way more popular, IUI and ICSI are also 2 excellent treatment options. Of course, the fastest way to get pregnant depends on the kind of infertility you are facing and if your doctors thinks these options viable or not. IUI is the least costly and minimally invasive option and it’s good for mild to moderate male-factor infertility. But severe sperm-related issues have to be addressed with ICSI. And IVF is one of the best options for multiple cases of both male and female-factor infertility. Age is also a crucial factor in deciding which option to go for. No matter what you opt for, make sure you have the full support of family members and the best professional to help you through it.
