Q1. What is ICSI?

ICSI is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. The process where the sperm is injected manually in the egg with the help of needle to fertilize the egg.

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Q2. What is difference between IVF and ICSI?

In IVF, the  egg is left with thousands of sperms to fertilize automatically in lab where in in ICSI, the fertilization is done manually and then the fertilized egg is kept to become an embryo in lab. It is one of the processes involved in IVF.

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Q3. How does ICSI work?

There are two ways that an egg may be fertilized by IVF: traditional and ICSI. In traditional IVF, 50,000 or more swimming sperm are placed next to the egg in a laboratory dish. Fertilization occurs when one of the sperm enters into the cytoplasm of the egg. In the ICSI process, a tiny needle, called a micropipette, is used to inject a single sperm into the center of the egg. With either traditional IVF or ICSI, once fertilization occurs, the fertilized egg (now called an embryo) grows in a laboratory for 1 to 5 days before it is transferred to the woman’s uterus (womb).

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Q4. Why would I need ICSI?

ICSI helps to overcome fertility problems, such as:

• The male partner produces too few sperm to do artificial insemination (intrauterine insemination [IUI]) or IVF.

• The sperm may not move in a normal fashion.

• The sperm may have trouble attaching to the egg.

• A blockage in the male reproductive tract may keep sperm from getting out.

• Eggs have not fertilized by traditional IVF, regardless of the condition of the sperm.

• In vitro matured eggs are being used.

• Previously frozen eggs are being used.

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