Blue Sky is pleased to offer our clients equine Ovum Pick-Up (OPU).

 

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Blue Sky Veterinary Services is experienced in providing for all the needs associated with collecting oocytes from your mare to undergo ICSI fertilization.

 

Overview of the Process for Utilizing ICSI

The first step of the ICSI procedure is to recover oocytes from your mare.  The oocytes are recovered by the transvaginal follicular aspiration (TVA).  In this procedure, using ultrasound guidance, a needle is used to aspirate follicles present on her ovary.  The procedure is performed with your mare standing in the stocks under sedation and takes 15-60 minutes depending on how many follicles are being aspirated. 

 

Once the oocytes have been collected, they are carefully processed, packaged, and sent to the laboratory for fertilization.

 

The next step occurs at the ICSI lab and requires a small amount of semen that can be fresh or frozen depending on availability.  We have a strong working relationship with the ICSI lab and can assist in coordinating semen delivery so that it arrives when it is needed.

 

Once ICSI fertilization has been completed and a healthy embryo is cultured at the laboratory (process takes 7-9 days) the resulting embryos will need to be implanted into a recipient mares.  We work closely with the ICSI lab to coordinate shipping them back to Blue Sky Veterinary Services or a transfer facility of your choosing.

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Statistically there is a much higher chance of achieving pregnancies via the immature aspirations, but this is dependent on the mare having a large number of follicles.  Some mares may not be good candidates for immature aspiration and can only be done using the pre-ovulatory method. 

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Advantages:

• OPU can be performed at any stage of the reproductive cycle of the mare (and therefore at any time of year.)

• Embryos can be stored in liquid nitrogen indefinitely and transferred when suitable recipients become available.

• Recipients do not have to be synchronised at the same time as the donor mare.

• Donor mares do not have to have their competition schedules interrupted as part of an embryo transfer breeding program.

• Donor mares that do not produce embryos via conventional embryo transfer may be able to produce embryos via OPU and ICSI.

• Only one sperm cell is needed for each injected oocyte, and hence is very useful when the supply of semen is limited, for use with sub fertile stallions, or with extremely costly or exclusive frozen semen.

• A single straw of frozen semen can be used for up to 8-10 ICSI sessions.

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