Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a laboratory procedure and a form of micromanipulation. It involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg using a glass needle called a micropipette.

ICSI is recommended for

• infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) due to male infertility.
• patients with a previous history of lack of fertility after conventional IVF

Three to five days after ICSI, the resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus or frozen for future use.

ICSI may be performed due to failed fertilization with IVF or male infertility such as low count, low motility and poor quality of sperm. In cases with no sperm in the ejaculate due to a blockage, sperm aspiration or testicular biopsy may be performed to retrieve the sperm for ICSI.