IMSI is a sperm microinjection procedure, where sperm is evaluated under very high microscopic magnification and used for microinjection.
When it is compared with in vitro fertilization and ordinary microinjection, it allows morphological evaluation of a sperm cell with higher quality.
In conventional microinjection, a viable sperm cell is evaluated under maximum magnification of 200 to 400x. On the other hand, IMSI increases this magnification rate up to 6000-8000x, as state-of-the-art microscopes are used.
Sperms are evaluated under extreme magnifications and intracellular structures and nuclear morphology are examined. Thus, structural problems especially in head of the sperm can be detected, which cannot be seen with normal microinjection, and thus, healthy sperms can be easily selected and development of embryos with higher quality is allowed and ensured.
Studies report that genetic materials of the sperm are stored in vacuoles located in nucleus at head of the sperm. Evaluation of vacuoles at laboratory settings offers tips about DNA structure. In normal pregnancies, sperms with any DNA defect are spontaneously eliminated. Any damage in sperm DNA may lead to abnormalities in embryonic development and pregnancy. Therefore, pregnancy rates increase by 15 to 40 percent in microinjection practices, if sperms are evaluated under high magnification..
Who are good candidates for IMSI?
Patients with severely deteriorated sperm quality
Sequential failures in IVF cycles
Recurrent miscarriage
Failure of conception despite healthy eggs
Idiopathic infertility
Poor or slow embryonic development