By Denise Donati

A major breakthrough in the treatment of infertility occurred in 1992 with the first reported successful pregnancies from the technique known as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection or ICSI.

Approximately 15% of all couples will experience infertility during their lifetime. In around 40% of couples, the cause is due to abnormalities in the sperm sample. Prior to the widespread use of ICSI, men with severe sperm abnormalities had to either accept that they would never become biological fathers, or accept the use of donor semen to achieve a pregnancy.

ICSI involves collecting eggs from the woman though an IVF procedure. Only very low numbers of sperm are needed for the technique, which means that it can even be used for men who don’t have any live sperm in their semen sample, but are able to have sperm removed directly from the testicle using a procedure known as surgical sperm collection.

Once both eggs and sperm are collected, each individual egg is injected with a single sperm. The majority of these eggs will show signs of fertilisation, and subsequently divide and develop into embryos. One embryo can then be transferred back into the woman’s uterus usually on day 5 when the embryo is classified as a blastocyst.

The opportunity for men who were considered infertile to be able to father their own children in previously untreatable situations saw the technique of ICSI establish itself over the last 15 years. At the present time in Australia, approximately 50% of all IVF treatment cycles will use ICSI as part of the treatment.

Until recently, ICSI has been an added expense to a couple having an IVF cycle, putting it out of the reach of some couples who need it. After much lobbying from the medical and nursing professions, and patient support groups, the Federal Government introduced a Medicare rebate for ICSI procedures in May 2007. The Medicare rebate for ICSI is currently $355.30 (subject to change) when used in conjunction with an IVF cycle.

If you would like to know more about ICSI and the associated rebate, call Fertility Solutions Sunshine Coast 1300 337 845 (1300 FERTILITY).