Not all eggs that are recovered from the woman are suitable for sperm injection, although this is usually a very small proportion. About 10% of eggs injected with sperm do not survive the injection procedure, and become damaged. Of those eggs that are injected, about 50-60% should fertilise, but only about 40% of injected eggs will fertilise normally and develop into embryos that are suitable for replacement into the uterus or, if the couple wish it, freezing and storage.
As with conventional IVF, the majority of couples attempting ICSI should get to the stage of embryo replacement, and about 30% of couples will get a positive pregnancy test. Unfortunately, about 25% of pregnancies are lost very early on. Thus, the chance of a clinically recognised pregnancy following a single cycle is about 30%, or one three. In other words, a single treatment cycle has a greater chance of failure than success, and it is important that couples embarking on such treatment should have realistic expectations.
As with conventional IVF, the majority of couples attempting ICSI should get to the stage of embryo replacement, and about 30% of couples will get a positive pregnancy test. Unfortunately, about 25% of pregnancies are lost very early on. Thus, the chance of a clinically recognised pregnancy following a single cycle is about 30%, or one three. In other words, a single treatment cycle has a greater chance of failure than success, and it is important that couples embarking on such treatment should have realistic expectations.
As with all techniques of assisted conception, the results are very much influenced by the age of the woman. Success rates in women over 40 are well below as 10% per attempt, even in experienced centres. The graph above shows the effect of age on success rates in the whole of the UK, and is taken from the HFEA’s data for 2002-03.
Outcomes of Pregnancy Achieved With ICSI
What are the risks of ICSI treatment? ICSI is an invasive technique and may result in the use of sperm that would not otherwise be able to fertilise an egg. For these reasons, concerns about the potential risks to children born as a result of ICSI have been raised, and several follow-up studies have been published. ICSI is still a relatively new technique, and all children conceived using ICSI are still very young. Consequently, these follow-up studies involve relatively small numbers of children and do not include effects that may only be seen in older children or in the next generation. Clearly, more studies are needed, but the use of ICSI has been potentially linked with certain genetic and developmental defects as explained below.
What are the risks of ICSI treatment? ICSI is an invasive technique and may result in the use of sperm that would not otherwise be able to fertilise an egg. For these reasons, concerns about the potential risks to children born as a result of ICSI have been raised, and several follow-up studies have been published. ICSI is still a relatively new technique, and all children conceived using ICSI are still very young. Consequently, these follow-up studies involve relatively small numbers of children and do not include effects that may only be seen in older children or in the next generation. Clearly, more studies are needed, but the use of ICSI has been potentially linked with certain genetic and developmental defects as explained below.
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