IVF - ICSI: What You Need To Know?

ICSI stands for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. It is a special type of assisted reproductive technique that allows the embryologist to carefully select a good quality sperm and fuse it with the cytoplasm of the egg.

ICSI is recommended mostly when there is repeated failure of IVF or when there is a problem with the sperm quality and quantity. ICSI allows the embryologist to selectively choose a healthy sperm and fuse it with the egg for further stages in the IVF.

Egg damage may take place, however, it rarely occurs. It is estimated that egg damage takes place in less than 2 percent of the cases in which IVF and ICSI are carried out. It is a safe technique and when conducted by an experienced embryologist, success rates can touch as high as 100 percent.

Normal ejaculation is not a direct indication for ICSI as IVF without ICSI alone is successful in such couples. ICSI is usually used to address male infertility issues such as abnormal sperms when it comes to their anatomy, morphology, quality, or quantity and complete absence of sperms in the ejaculate due to some obstruction. It is also recommended in case a previously frozen sperm is being used for conception.