ICSI Treatment in Chennai

ICSI is recommended when total motile sperm count is below 5 million, when sperm morphology is severely abnormal, after previous IVF cycles with poor fertilisation, when using surgically retrieved sperm (TESA or micro-TESE), or when using frozen sperm with reduced post-thaw motility. Dr. Rukkayal assesses your specific semen parameters to determine the best approach.

Using high-powered magnification, Dr. Rukkayal evaluates each sperm for progressive motility, head shape, and structural integrity. She personally selects sperm that demonstrate the healthiest morphology and movement pattern, ensuring that clinical knowledge of your case directly informs this critical laboratory decision.

For male factor cases, ICSI significantly improves fertilisation rates — typically 75 to 85 percent of injected mature eggs will fertilise. Standard IVF with severely impaired sperm may result in very low or zero fertilisation. ICSI ensures direct sperm delivery into the egg, though fertilisation still depends on egg quality.

Yes. ICSI requires only one viable sperm per egg. Even when TESA or micro-TESE yields a small number of sperm, ICSI can achieve fertilisation. Dr. Rukkayal has extensive experience handling precious surgical samples where careful selection from limited material is essential.

Large population studies confirm that ICSI children have the same developmental outcomes as naturally conceived children. The technique has been used worldwide since the early 1990s with an extensive safety record. Any marginally increased risks relate to the underlying infertility factors rather than the ICSI procedure itself.

No. The stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo culture, and transfer process is identical to standard IVF. The only difference occurs in the laboratory — instead of placing sperm around the egg, a single sperm is injected directly. The female partner experiences the same treatment timeline and protocol.

Low ICSI fertilisation usually points to egg quality factors or oocyte activation issues. Dr. Rukkayal may recommend calcium ionophore assisted activation, modified stimulation protocols to improve egg maturity, or additional investigations such as sperm DNA fragmentation testing to guide the next cycle strategy.

Absolutely. When DNA fragmentation is elevated, ICSI allows Dr. Rukkayal to select sperm with better morphological indicators, which often correlates with lower fragmentation. Additional techniques such as MACS (magnetic activated cell sorting) may be recommended to further select sperm with intact DNA.

When sperm parameters are normal, standard IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection produce comparable fertilisation and pregnancy rates. However, in cases of significant male factor infertility, ICSI typically achieves much higher fertilisation rates — 75 to 85 percent — because it bypasses the need for sperm to penetrate the egg naturally. Dr. Rukkayal recommends the approach that best fits your clinical situation rather than applying one method universally.

Extensive research involving hundreds of thousands of children conceived through intracytoplasmic sperm injection shows no clinically significant increase in birth defect rates attributable to the procedure itself. Any marginally elevated risks observed in some studies are generally linked to the underlying parental infertility factors rather than the microinjection technique. ICSI has a well-established safety profile spanning over three decades of clinical use worldwide.

ICSI is typically performed as part of an IVF cycle, and the additional cost for the ICSI procedure itself ranges from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 on top of the standard IVF cycle fee. The total cost including stimulation medications, egg retrieval, ICSI, embryo culture, and transfer generally falls between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh. We provide a transparent cost estimate during your consultation based on your specific treatment plan.