ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
ICSI involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the centre or cytoplasm of an egg using a fine glass needle.
The embryo is then placed in the womb in exactly the same way as in the IVF treatment. Your Consultant will advise if you might benefit from the use of ICSI.
It is used to help fertilisation in cases of:
- Severe male factor infertility where the sperm quality is unsuitable for conventional IVF
- Where sperm has been surgically recovered
- Where a previous IVF treatment did not result in fertilisation
- Following egg freezing (where it overcomes the problem of the hardening of the outer shell of the egg following the freeze)
- Cycles where genetic testing of the embryo is being carried out
