How is intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection with frozen embryos?

The various techniques of IVF always generate discussion and concern among couples. The course, techniques, results ... There is no harm to discuss with her doctor to make these techniques in serenity. The slightest stress could impact on the results ...
Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI is a technique of in vitro fertilization, which involves directly injecting a selected pre sperm into an egg. The injection is carried out with a micropipette under a microscope. This is a very recent and generally indicated at issue male fertility technique.

ICSI is performed when fertilization between the sperm and egg can not be done spontaneously or when conventional IVF failed. The biologist then selects the most mobile sperm and fertilized (a single sperm).

After ICSI, embryos obtained after fertilization are implanted directly into the uterus, supernumerary embryos will be frozen.

These frozen embryos can be used when:

- Embryo transfer fees failed and did not result in pregnancy

- The couple want another pregnancy

- There is a malformation of the uterus that involves only one embryo is transferred each time

- As part of an embryo donation

Moreover, for the same couple, it is forbidden to carry out a new IVF technique if there are still frozen embryos that can be used.

Freezing embryos is carried out in liquid nitrogen at -196 ° C, a few days (3 days) after oocyte retrieval. Thus, only embryos that could withstand these conditions can be frozen.

In case of failure of ICSI with fresh embryos, the use of frozen embryos is necessary. And the embryos will be thawed in a process or a cycle determined by the laboratory. Thawing the same or sometimes the day before the transfer takes place (depending on the stage of embryonic development). Some embryos may be destroyed after thawing. But there are technical standards that allow biologists to validate the transfer of an embryo (more than 50% intact blastomeres or embryos resumed development 24 hours after thawing).

However, the gynecologist is alone able to give indications as well as the time and date of the transfer, according to the results of examinations, assessments and assessment of the state of the endometrium. In this case, the laboratory will be contacted in advance to prepare the embryos. Moreover, the transfer time is usually specified by the laboratory, depending on the duration of the defrost cycle.

The transfer of thawed embryos will be made depending on the nature of the cycles of women. It is preferable that the transfer is a spontaneous and normal cycle. The blood samples as well as followed by the gynecologist to determine the exact time of ovulation. However, the woman may require ovarian stimulation before embryo transfer. Whatever the case, the transfer also takes account of the embryonic age.

Then, the embryo transfer takes place in the same way as for a fresh embryo. Blood tests and monitoring of pregnancy are also made with the same principles as for a fresh embryo.

ICSI with use of frozen embryos is essentially different from that with the use of fresh embryos using the technique of freezing and thawing. And because of this process, the success rate is lower with frozen embryos.