Vasectomy is safe and long-lasting contraception, but sometimes life circumstances change and you may want to have another child. ICSI offers a way of using your sperm in an IVF cycle, without having to reverse your vasectomy.
ICSI after a Vasectomy
Jess is 35 and John is 38. They both have a child each from previous relationships, and John had a vasectomy before he met Jess. They now want to have a child together. Their friends recommended talking to a fertility specialist at Melbourne IVF, as they had successful treatment there the previous year. So Jess and John make an appointment with a Melbourne IVF fertility specialist, all of whom are trained in andrology (male reproductive conditions). He recommends that John undergoes a sperm retrieval procedure and the couple then undergo an IVF cycle using IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
Fertility Treatment Considerations
John could have his vasectomy reversed, but the chances of pregnancy following a reversal depend on many circumstances, including how long ago the vasectomy was performed.
ICSI is one of the most common techniques used in Assisted Reproductive Technology, and involves the direct injection of a single sperm into each egg using very fine micromanipulation equipment.
As Jess and John have had no problems conceiving before, their specialist says this technique will give them between an 25% and 50% chance of falling pregnant within a three month period using both their fresh and frozen embryos.
Their specialist carries out the simple sperm retrieval procedure in Melbourne IVF’s Day Hospital, located in the same building as the Melbourne IVF clinic. Jess undergoes her first IVF cycle, and they have six embryos created using ICSI. One is transferred, four are frozen and one is found to be unsuitable for freezing.
Four weeks later Jess has a blood test, but she is not pregnant. One of her frozen embryos is then implanted two months later, and this time they are successful.
Typical Costs for IVF using ICSI
Using ICSI technology for IVF treatment typically costs $3078.00 (out of pocket) for 1 treatment with private health insurance and $3235.81 (out of pocket) without. The out of pocket costs are based on the assumption that the private health insurance covers egg collection and embryo transfer procedures.
This includes pre-treatment appointments and tests, medicine and the treatment itself. Anaesthetist fees may be covered by both Medicare and private health cover, but Day Hospital bed fees may only be covered by private health cover.
Your costs will vary, depending on your treatment plan, your Medicare safety net and your health insurance fund. If you’d like to find out more, talk with our Public Liaison Coordinator by calling 1800 111 483.
