When is PICSI required?
ICSI and PICSI are treatments indicated for Male Factor infertility in the following cases:
- When the HBA score at semen assessment is less than 65%,indicating a reduced level of mature sperm within the sample.
Evidence from the scientific literature indicates that couples with recurrent pregnancy loss or those with slow or poorly developing embryos may also benefit from PICSI.
During PICSI, the embryologist is able to distinguish between mature sperm which have completed their full development and immature sperm which are more likely to have damaged DNA or the wrong number of chromosomes.
The Embryologist will therefore only use mature sperm to inject directly into mature eggs. Following the PICSI, the injected eggs are incubated overnight and assessed the following morning for evidence of fertilisation.
The average fertilisation rate following PICSI is similar to ICSI and IV, with 60-70% of injected eggs fertilising normally following PICSI.
