This procedure is most commonly used to overcome male infertility problems, although it may also be used where eggs cannot easily be penetrated by sperm, and occasionally in addition to sperm donation. It can be used in teratozoospermia, because once the egg is fertilized, abnormal sperm morphology does not appear to influence blastocyst development or blastocyst morphology. Even with severe teratozoospermia, microscopy can still detect the few sperm cells that have a “normal” morphology, allowing for optimal success rate.

If you are diagnosed with male fertility problems, such as a low sperm count or sperm that are unable to penetrate the egg, conventional IVF is unlikely to result in fertilisation.

This is when Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI treatment) is recommended. ICSI can also be used if the male partner has previously had a vasectomy. It is part of your IVF treatment cycle, and the main difference is the technique we use to achieve fertilisation.

How does ICSI work?

A single sperm is injected into each egg, using very fine micro-manipulation equipment. As the human egg is one tenth of a millimetre in diameter and the sperm 100 times smaller, this is a very delicate procedure performed by highly skilled embryologists under a microscope.

We can also use this technique when sperm are not present in the semen, and have to be obtained surgically from the male reproductive tract.

Is ICSI successful?

Together with IVF, ICSI is one of the most common techniques used in Assisted Reproductive Technology. Since it was introduced, it has led to the birth of many thousands of babies worldwide.

To know more, please make an appointment with our embryologists.