How does ICSI differ to IVF?

The world of fertility treatment can seem like a minefield, especially when you’re new to the abbreviations for words you may otherwise not have come across.

Here we consider how IVF and ICSI differ, and when ICSI would be recommended as opposed to conventional IVF.

What is IVF?

IVF places your eggs with prepared sperm in culture media within a laboratory dish. The sperm will naturally penetrate the egg leading to fertilisation overnight. The resulting embryos will develop in an incubator for three to five days. Your embryos are monitored by an embryologist and the best will be chosen for transfer to your womb.

What is ICSI?

With Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) a single sperm is selected by an embryologist, taken up in a fine glass needle, and injected directly into each egg. Your fertilised egg (embryo) is then transferred into your womb in the same way as an IVF cycle.

How are IVF and ICSI similar?

ICSI is similar to IVF as eggs and sperm are collected from each partner or donor. On the day of egg collection, an embryologist inseminates the eggs and the following day selects out those that are fertilised. They are kept and monitored in an incubator for up to five days and the best embryos are transferred into your womb to implant.

What is the difference between IVF and ICSI?

ICSI differs from IVF as each egg is individually injected with a single sperm, bypassing the stage where the sperm has to naturally penetrate the egg.

When is ICSI used?

ICSI is used if the sperm is unlikely to fertilise an egg naturally. This may be when:

• Sperm count is very low
• Sperm can’t move properly
• Sperm has a high rate of abnormality
• Sperm is retrieved directly from the epididymis (PESA) or the testicles (TESA), from the urine, or by electro-ejaculation
• There are high levels of antibodies in the semen
• Previous IVF treatment has resulted in failed fertilisation
• Sperm has been frozen

What ICSI offers

ICSI treatment offers men with very few sperm (oligospermia), no sperm (azoospermia) in their semen but have had successful surgical retrieval of sperm, or high numbers of abnormal sperm that are unable to fertilise an egg, the chance of having their own genetic child with their partner.

For patients using frozen sperm, or who have had a previous failed cycle due to low fertilisation, it also offers the chance of achieving a pregnancy.

IVF and ICSI at Complete Fertility

Our expert fertility consultants at Complete Fertility Centre will advise you on the best fertility treatment for your needs, based on fertility investigations as required.

We have world-class success results for IVF and ICSI and highly competitive fixed price packages.