PICSI

What is PICSI?

The PICSI(Physiological Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) procedure is the actual dish with the hyaluronan enzyme micro dots.  Hyaluronan is a naturally occurring biopolymer found in all human cells including the gel layer surrounding the oocyte.The hyaluronan enzyme is the agent that acts like a “magnet” to attract the healthiest and matured sperm. This enzyme allows the sperm to bind to these micro dots on the dish.

PICSIprocedure is based on mature sperm binding properties. Sperm selection by hyaluronan binding helps minimize unexplained ICSI failure by ensuring selection and injection of mature sperm with high DNA integrity.Thisprocedure gives the best quality embryos, increases implantation rate and reduces the chances of miscarriage.

HOW IS PICSI PERFORMED?

The PICSIis performed on a dish precoated with Hyaluronan microdots where mature and structurally normal sperm will bind to hyaluronan.The Sperm is added to the dot of hyaluronan, within minutes the sperm are attached by their acrosome to the surface of the dot.These individual bound sperm have DNA integrity are selected and injected to the eggs by ICSI procedure.

Who are advised for PICSI?/INDICATIONS FOR PICSI

• Very low number of motile sperm with normal appearance
• Problems with sperm binding to and penetrating the egg(HAS test).
• Repeated implantation failure/spontaneous miscarriages.
• Prior or repeated fertilization failure with standard IVF /ICSI procedure.
• Frozen sperm collected prior to cancer treatment that may be limited in number and quality.
• With TESA / TESE (Sperm can be obtained by testicular biopsy).

Is PICSI better than ICSI?The research proved that hyaluronan-bound PICSI-selected sperm are, in the vast majority of cases, more mature, exhibit less DNA damage, and have fewer chromosomal aneuploidies. However, evidence show that there is no statistically significant difference between PICSI vs. ICSI in terms of clinical outcome.