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Intracytoplasmic
sperm injection (ICSI) is a new procedure that allows
couples with sperm problems to have IVF treatment. Developed
in Belgium in 1992, ICSI is the process of injecting a
single sperm into an egg.
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It
is a remarkable procedure since it allows men with only very few
sperm to have a chance of having their own children.
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What is the normal process of fertilization
during an IVF cycle?
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The eggs that are collected from your
ovaries are kept in special incubators in the IVF
laboratory. Your sperm sample is processed to recover the
strongest and best swimming sperm to be used to inseminate
the eggs.
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Poorly swimming and dead sperm are discarded as medical waste.
Because the egg has a thick shell and is surrounded by thousands of
follicle cells, the Embryologist will usually add about 100,000
sperm to each egg. Adding so many good sperm to each egg disperses
the follicle cells and usually ensures that one sperm will get in to
fertilize the egg. |
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Will my sperm be
able to fertilize our eggs?
All couples having IVF treatment will have their sperm sample
analyzed by the laboratory staff. As well as checking the basic
parameters of the sperm sample, such as count and motility, the
laboratory will examine how well the sperm are swimming and whether
or not the sperm are physically normal. It is important that the
sperm are strong swimmers and that they are the correct shape to be
able to reach and penetrate the egg. In general, men with
"normal" sperm samples have nothing to worry about and do
not need ICSI. However, if we think that you need ICSI we will talk
to you after we examine your sperm sample. Any man that has had
consistently poor sperm samples, and men that need to have their
sperm recovered surgically will always need ICSI. |
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What does ICSI
involve?
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If a decision has been
made by you and your Physician to have ICSI, the laboratory
will get specific instructions on how many eggs to inject.
Sometimes, couples with borderline sperm samples will decide
to have some eggs injected and some inseminated normally. |
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In the laboratory, the follicle cells are removed from around each
egg with an enzyme solution. One by one, the naked eggs are held by
gentle suction on a glass holding pipette, and a single sperm is
injected. The tiny glass needle containing the sperm is gently
pushed through the shell of the egg and the sperm is deposited in
the egg cytoplasm.
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Suction applied by a
glass holding pipette keeps the egg from moving during the
injection. A single sperm is picked up in a tiny micro needle.
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The needle has a
sharp tip and can be gently pushed through the shell of the egg and
into the cytoplasm
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The sperm is
deposited deep inside the egg and the empty needle is withdrawn.
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Is ICSI a safe
procedure?
ICSI is different from conventional insemination since we
clean away the follicle cells from around the eggs and an
Embryologist chooses the sperm to be injected. A small number of
eggs do not tolerate the injection procedure and you can expect that
about 5% of eggs die as a direct result of ICSI. However,
fertilization rates, embryo quality and pregnancy rates are the same
as for couples who do not have ICSI.
It is important for you to be aware that ICSI may have some risks
for resulting children also. Studies published in scientific
journals have shown that children resulting from ICSI are more
likely than other children to have a genetic abnormality. The risk
of such an abnormality is usually 2 children per 1000 births, but
with ICSI the risk is 8 children per 1000 births. The problems seen
in the affected children can be very serious (e.g. heart defects) so
your Physician will talk to you in detail about your risks before
committing to the ICSI procedure.
Who can I talk to if I have further questions?
If you think that you might need ICSI during your IVF cycle,
your Physician will explain the procedure and the risks. The medical
staff at center is familiar with the scientific literature and can
give you the latest information. We encourage you to ask questions
and you can speak to a member of our staff at any time. |
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Fertility
Treatment |
Average
Cost USA |
Average
Cost Europe |
Affordable
Fertility's Cost* |
| IVF |
$8300 |
6000
Euro |
$6,500 |
| ICSI |
$9500 |
7500
Euro |
$6,500 |
| 4 Donor Eggs |
$20,000+ |
20,000+ |
$7,500 |
| 8 Donor Eggs |
N/A |
N/A |
$9,500 |
| Medication
Expense |
$3000+ |
2000+ |
$1600 |
Included
in our services:
Affordable
Fertility inclusion of the Whole Person Fertility treatment program,
combines the most advanced fertility treatments, with a holistic
program, that includes acupuncture, pre-implantation massage and
optional Estancia visits, to ensure that our patients receive the best
care available.
Included in the Packages, are accommodations in an exclusive apartment
for the treatment period of maximum 14 days, acupuncture treatments,
massage, airport transfers, bi-lingual guides and personal assistance
while in Buenos Aires.
Treatment plans
include the following:
- Ovarian stimulation monitoring
- Anesthesia for egg retrieval
- Egg retrieval
- ICSI
- Fertilization and culture
of the eggs
- Embryo transfer
- All physician, IVF
lab, and facility fees associated with IVF
Excluded
services:
- Prescreening tests
- Medications
- Assisted Hatching
- Embryo or sperm Cryopreservation (freezing)
- Sperm freezing and freezing of any extra embryos after the
transfer are optional
- Storage of frozen sperm or embryos
- Pregnancy testing and
pregnancy monitoring
Cost
for additional procedures:
- Blastocyst culture and transfer (day 5 transfer) - no
additional cost
- Sperm freezing - $100
- Embryo freezing - $700
(includes 1 year of storage)
- Embryo storage -
$600/year
Pre-treatment
tests are not included, such as the following:
- Ovarian
reserve testing:
- FSH,
LH and estradiol blood tests prior to the treatment of the
menstrual cycle
-
Semen analysis, if one has not been done
recently
-
Infectious disease screening blood work for both
partners
Medication
Cost
Medication
costs can be as low as $1500 for a cycle, but average about $1700 and
can be higher than this (rarely as high as $2,500). The cost of the IVF
stimulation medications depends on the particular drug chosen as well as
the dose and duration of stimulation needed to get an optimal response
from your ovaries. Insurance sometimes will cover the cost of IVF
medications.
Frozen
embryo transfer cycle cost
If
leftover embryos are frozen, our charge for thawing, culturing and transferring
the embryo is $2900.
Combining the Whole Person
Health Concept, including Acupuncture with each treatment!
The Whole Person Health Concept begins and ends with you, our patient in
mind. The infertility road can be a long and frustrating one, but through
the experience of our team and of our patients, we have incorporated this
"Whole Person Care Health concept," to ensure that you
will experience the most advanced fertility treatments, combined with
holistic care, that includes acupuncture, massage and optional Estancia
visit.
Acupuncture -- Part of the Holistic Care Program
We, at Affordablefertility.com, have expanded the Whole Person
Health concept, to include two Acupuncture treatments during your fertility
treatment. The theory behind the mechanism
of improvement is that acupuncture helps to reduce stress and increase
circulation to the uterus and pelvic organs, which aids in ovarian
stimulation and implantation. More
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In addition to acupuncture,
we offer optional massage treatments in the comforts of your lodgings.
Benefits of Fertility Preconception Massage
- Fertility Preconception massage is designed to support your body’s
natural reproductive processes and rhythms, and is ideal for all women
who have the desire to get pregnant.
- This method focuses on cleansing and clearing the body of adhesions
and energetic blockages and increasing blood flow to the spine and
pelvis.
- A combination of abdominal massage, cranial sacral massage, jaw
massage and foot reflexology is incorporated to stimulate cleansing,
support, and balance the endocrine system.
If you have been trying to conceive for some
time, you may find that your sense of purity of conception is replaced by
the inflexibility of timing. Oftentimes, as medical interventions and
assistive technologies come into play, it is easy to become distant and
removed from your original, love-filled intention. Fertility massage is
for both the women and the men.
Benefits of massage:
- Increases flexibility Massage relaxes tense
muscles and tones loose muscles.
- Improves sleep Massage relaxes the nervous
system by releasing endorphins into the women’s body.
- Relieves depression and anxiety caused by the
fluctuation in the hormone changes.
- Decreases the discomforts Some discomforts
relieved include backache, leg cramps, edema, headache, sciatica and
swollen ankles and feet. Massage helps with cramping, tension and
knots in the muscles.
- Helps control blood pressure. Massage can ease the
load on the women’s heart
- Eases muscle fatigue caused by lactic acid and
other cellular waste.
- Helps control varicose veins. Massage improves the
lymphatic and circulatory systems.
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Estancia Visit -- Providing the needed Rest & Relaxation
Why to come to
Estancia La Margarita?
When the Aguiló
family decided to open the doors of La Margarita in the
early 90s to guests and rural tourism, they had no idea what visitors
would think of
their estancia. Although they themselves passionately loved the clean,
fresh air and wide-open skies of the pampas, they were uncertain whether
vacationing tourists would feel the same way.
They need not have worried. Reading the comments book at the estancia
makes it extremely apparent that from the very first day, those who came
were overwhelmed by the peace, tranquility, and friendliness at La
Margarita. Visitors from all over the world comment again and again on
how beautiful, calm, and peaceful the estancia is. They describe the
delicious food, great horseback riding, and warm staff. The words
“fabulously rewarding time”, “didn’t want to leave”, and
“the real Argentina” appear constantly. There is no better proof
that La Margarita offers a unique opportunity to experience Argentine
hospitality than the testimony of satisfied guests. For more on
the Estancia Retreat
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