In Vitro Fertilization is also called IVF.
For a patient who is approaching an assisted reproduction process for the first time, the techniques may initially seem very similar to each other, failing to grasp the differences between IVF, ICSI and IUI.
Especially in the initial phase, the specialist must guide the patient through the various stages of the process, paying attention to explaining and illustrating the therapies he will undergo, using language he can understand.
However, the doctor-patient dialogue fails very often, with the result that the latter is forced to gather information online from forums or blogs, compare himself with other patients, and, in many cases, receive incorrect indications. In this regard, we try to briefly list the main PMA techniques, highlighting the differences between ICSI and IUI.
IVF
IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilization with Embryo Transfer and represents the first artificial insemination technique. ivf treatment pakistan, IVF is recommended for couples with proven fertility problems: for women, especially in the case of tubal pathologies (obstruction of the Fallopian tubes), while for men when mild issues are found in the seminal fluid.
This technique can be used especially in patients who have already conceived naturally because it is more certain that the spermatozoa can spontaneously penetrate inside the egg cell. We illustrate how this first technique works to explain the differences between IVF, ICSI, and IUI in more detail.
ICSI
We continue by listing the differences between IVF, ICSI, and IUI and describing in more detail the characteristics of ICSI and how it differs from other techniques.
ICSI stands for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection and is suggested to patients of advanced maternal age (>36 years) in cases where the production of oocytes is poor or, in the case of males, if there is seminal severe damage, such as the total absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate. It is necessary to aspirate them directly from the testicle.
In the initial phase, ICSI is identical to IVF: it begins with the hormonal stimulation phase and then moves on to the aspiration of the oocytes. The difference is that in ICSI, a spermatozoon is selected by the biologist and injected into the cytoplasm of an oocyte using a micro-needle to “force” fertilization. This operation is repeated for all the oocytes to be inseminated. The subsequent phases are identical to IVF.
IUI
IUI stands for IntraUterine Insemination and is very useful in cases where the patient is young, the tubes are open, and the seminal fluid has average values or little alterations. Since it requires an average ability of the sperm to fertilize the egg inside the reproductive tract, the sterility tests must show an acceptable quality of the sperm (number, movement and shape, fragmentation, antibodies).
This technique is recommended for couples without an apparent cause of sterility and where the tubes are patent. However, IUI Cost in Pakistan, IUI can also be valid in women with ovulatory disorders, provided that they respond adequately to hormone therapy.
To conclude the list of differences between IVF, ICSI, and IUI, it must be said that in the latter case, the woman will have to start with hormonal therapy to stimulate the growth of the follicles and induce ovulation: generally, clomiphene citrate (tablets that are taken for five days from the 3rd to the 7th day of the cycle) or gonadotropins (injections administered for approximately 10-12 days) is used.
