
What is the difference between IVF and ICSI?
- Expertise of the embryologist or specialist
- Cause of infertility in the woman or couple
- Characteristics of the gametes, egg and sperm included
Does ICSI increase the success rates of IVF procedure?
IVF with ICSI improves chances of success by removing the barriers to fertilization caused by male infertility. With this process, fertility specialists require fewer sperm, and can around issues of low sperm motility. IVF with ICSI Benefits. ICSI increases the chance of success with IVF in specific couples and situations.
What is average fertilization rate with ICSI?
When it’s a failed fertilization, we only see a mature oocyte without any pronuclei or any second polar body, so that’s a failed fertilized oocyte. Luckily, it doesn’t happen often, so ICSI is very efficient, it normally gives an average fertilization rate of 75%, which means of the 10 eggs you inject, you will have 7 to 8 normally fertilized eggs.
How to increase IVF success?
How to Increase IVF Success Rate Naturally?
- Lead a healthy lifestyle. If you have been trying to conceive, you need to put in a little effort to ensure you lead a healthy lifestyle.
- Work on Your Diet. Unhealthy food affects the quality of your egg or sperm. ...
- Supplements for IVF Success. Sometimes you don't get all the nutrition from food. ...
- De-stress. ...
- Avoid Ejaculation. ...

Why is ICSI used in IVF?
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.
How is IVF different from ICSI?
What are IVF and ICSI? IVF and ICSI are forms of assisted reproductive treatment (ART) in which eggs are fertilised with sperm outside the body. IVF is used for female infertility and unexplained infertility, and ICSI is used when there is a male cause of infertility.
Is ICSI more successful than IVF?
And they're in good company. New Scientist reports that a recent study revealed that ICSI boasts a pregnancy success rate of 24%. While IVF without ICSI still has a slightly higher pregnancy success rate at 27%, those aren't bad odds for anyone who's already tried other methods of assisted reproductive technology.
What is the success rate for ICSI?
Success Rate The ICSI procedure fertilizes 50 to 80 percent of eggs. You might assume all eggs get fertilized with ICSI-IVF, but they don't. Fertilization isn't guaranteed even when a sperm is injected into the egg.
Is ICSI painful?
Is ICSI treatment painful? No, ICSI is not a painful procedure. During the process of IVF/ICSI, the patient is anxious about the procedure being painful. However, there is no part of the procedure in which the patient may experience pain.
How long does ICSI take?
How long does ICSI take? It takes about four to six weeks to complete one IVF with ICSI treatment. You have to wait for your partner's ovaries to respond to the medication and for her eggs to mature.
Is ICSI babies are normal?
Findings from some but not all studies suggest that ICSI is associated with an increased risk for chromosomal abnormalities, autism, intellectual disabilities, and birth defects compared with conventional IVF. These increased risks may also be due to the effects of subfertility.
Does ICSI affect gender?
ICSI, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is used to interject the sperm into the center of the egg, with the goal of achieving an embryo. Since it is the sperm that determines the embryo's sex, ICSI doesn't affect the baby's gender in any way.
Does ICSI increase chance of twins?
Abstract. One of the negative aspects of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the increased risk of multiple pregnancies. Multiples of high order (triplets and pregnancies of higher order) are obsolete to both doctors and patients and need to be avoided.
What are the advantages of ICSI?
The main benefit of ICSI during IVF is an enhanced fertilization rate, which can increase the number of fertilized eggs available for transfer or freezing. For couples struggling with male factor infertility, ICSI can also increase your chances for a successful fertilization under normal insemination (such as IUI).
How is sperm selected for ICSI?
Initially, a sperm sample is prepared using multiple techniques in order to eliminate poor quality sperm. The remaining specimen of “healthy” sperm is then placed under high-magnification for visual inspection by an embryologist. The embryologist will select the “best looking” sperm using a fine glass needle.
How many eggs are needed for ICSI?
One requirement for split ICSI is a minimum number of mature eggs. We must be able to identify at least eight mature eggs on the day of your egg retrieval in order to proceed with split ICSI. If this requirement is not met, we will inject all of your mature eggs.
When to use IVF with ICSI?
Fertility doctors recommend and use IVF with ICSI when the risk of IVF failure is high due to issues with sperm quantity or quality, egg quantity or quality, or a combination of factors. Successful IVF treatment requires two important events: fertilization and implantation. Fertilization usually occurs several hours after a sperm penetrates an egg.
How does IVF work with ICSI?
IVF with ICSI improves chances of success by removing the barriers to fertilization caused by male infertility. With this process, fertility specialists require fewer sperm, and can around issues of low sperm motility.
How does sperm fertilize eggs?
But with direct sperm injection, the fertilization process is more straightforward. Embryologists “help” sperm fertilize the eggs by placing them directly inside the egg. First, the fertility clinic collects sperm and retrieves eggs on the same day. Or, the clinic thaws frozen eggs, sperm, or both. After sperm collection ...
How does ICSI differ from IVF?
ICSI differs from IVF in one primary way. With IVF, fertility doctors mix many sperm together in a dish with a viable, healthy egg. Typically, a healthy sperm then permeates the lining of the egg and fertilizes it. But with direct sperm injection, the fertilization process is more straightforward.
How long does it take for a sperm to fertilize?
Fertilization usually occurs several hours after a sperm penetrates an egg. Under normal IVF circumstances, fertility specialists mix sperm with an egg in a dish, and allow time for fertilization to occur. Unfortunately, in a small amount of IVF cases, fertilization does not occur.
What is ICSI in a lab?
What is ICSI? ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is a simple process on the surface. Embryologists performing ICSI use a small, glass tool called a pipette to inject a single sperm into a single egg. Fertility doctors recommend and use IVF with ICSI when the risk of IVF failure is high due to issues with sperm quantity or quality, ...
How much of infertility is male?
Male infertility contributes to about 20% of all infertility cases (approximately 1 in 5 infertile couples). In male infertility factor cases, sperm cannot or do not successfully fertilize eggs, due to one or more issues. Low sperm count makes up the majority of male infertility factor cases.
What is ICSI treatment?
To fertilize a woman’s egg, the head of the sperm must attach to the outside of the egg firstly. Once attached, the sperm pushes through the outer layer to the inside of the egg (cytoplasm), where fertilization takes place.
How does ICSI work?
Doctors perform the ICSI procedure with IVF, which involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of the egg. During this procedure, the doctor inserts a tiny needle, called a micropipette (holding a single sperm) into the center of the egg.
Why need ICSI?
ICSI can help couples who have struggled with infertility, especially when infertility issues are male-related. ICSI during IVF gives you an enhanced fertilization rate, which can increase the number of fertilized eggs available for transfer or freezing.
Success rate
ICSI fertilizes 50% to 80% of eggs. You might assume all eggs get fertilized with ICSI-IVF, but they don’t. Your Fertilization isn’t guaranteed even when a sperm is injected into the egg. The following problems may occur during or after the ICSI process:
Cost of ICSI treatment in India
The IVF cost with the ICSI treatment ranges from Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 300,000. The minimum ICSI cost in India is Rs. 240000 to Rs. 250000 per cycle. This includes only the standard and traditional techniques.
Risk factors involved in ICSI
Even if ICSI can markedly increase your chances of a successful conception during IVF cycles, there are several risks associated with the process that intended parents must consider before choosing to undergo this procedure.
What is ICSI in IVF?
ICSI – the acronym meaning IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection – is a procedure that is often done together with IVF. Confused patients often ask “ What is the difference between ICSI and IVF ?”. BUT, these two treatments are exactly the same, EXCEPT for the method by which fertilisation is achieved.
What is ICSI in fertility?
ICSI is for couples who experience problems with male fertility. Infertility is a health problem that afflicts men and women equally. Of the diagnosed cases of infertility, 50 percent of couples have female factor infertility, 50 percent male factor infertility, and in 28 percent both the man and woman have medical conditions ...
What are the advantages and disadvantages of ICSI?
The biggest advantage of ICSI is that it circumvents the poor sperm count, motility and morphology that are characteristic of male factor infertility by directly injecting the sperm into the egg.
How is an egg fertilised?
In ICSI, the egg is fertilised through the direct injection of a single sperm with the use of a fine needle. This makes ICSI the best procedure for patients with male factor infertility.
What is the recommended sperm count for ICSI?
ICSI is the recommended procedure in the following conditions: Sperm concentration or count is less than 15 to 20 million per millilitre. Presence of severe male factor infertility but the couple does not want to use donor sperm.
How is IVF done?
In conventional IVF, the harvested eggs and sperm are mixed together in a Petri dish and incubated for a number of days . It is expected that the sperm will fertilise the eggs to produce embryos. However, this is assuming that the sperm are normal and active. In ICSI, the egg is fertilised through the direct injection of a single sperm with ...
Is ICSI good for vasectomy?
ICSI is also helpful in patients who have had irreversible vasectomy or are paralysed. It also greatly improves the chances of conception taking place in couples who have failed in the conventional IVF treatment alone. ICSI, however, comes with some possible disadvantages, which may include the following…. Damage to the embryos.
Who is ICSI for?
Most fertility clinics would recommend ICSI to couples having problems with conception to increase the possibility of a successful result. While it is necessary for success in some cases, it is not always needed.
Why ICSI fails?
The rate of fertilization after ICSI is roughly 70-80%. This means that although the treatment increases the possibility of fertilization, it does not guarantee a positive result.
Failed fertilization can be caused by different reasons. Some of which are
Oocytes activation failure This is the most likely cause of fertilization failure in ICSI. It occurs when the oocytes are unable to continue growing after fertilization. Oocyte activation is the series of events that lead to the transformation of an oocyte into a zygote.
Conclusion
The ‘go-to’ treatment for patients looking for fertility treatment is IVF because it might be more common in certain areas and amongst certain people. ICSI treatment is another worthy, and more affordable fertility treatment option that can increase success rates depending on the patient.
Continue reading
Prague is a culturally diverse city with a lively night scene and rich history. Although more recen…
What is ICSI treatment?
“ ICSI” fertility treatment stands for Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection in which a single sperm is directly injected into the centre of the egg and the fusion of the egg and sperm takes place outside the body.
What is the in vitro method of assisted reproduction?
In the in Vitro method of assisted reproduction, fertilization (fusion of egg and sperm) takes place outside the female body in a Petri dish.IVF was the first technique to be developed.
What Is IVF?
IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) is one of the most commonly used fertility treatments. The process involves retrieving the woman’s eggs and placing them into a laboratory dish that contains prepared sperm, that has been provided by the male party.
What Is ICSI?
ICSI stands for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. It is a type of IVF that similarly involves the retrieval of eggs and then selecting a single sperm and injecting it directly into an egg. The fertilised egg is then transferred into the womb at the right time, in the same way as it is with IVF.
The Main Difference Between IVF and ICSI
The main difference between IVF and ICSI involves the contact made between the sperm and the egg. With ICSI, each egg is injected with a single sperm. With IVF, the sperm naturally penetrates the egg.
How Are IVF and ICSI Similar?
ICSI is a form of IVF, meaning that the two treatments have a lot of similarities. Once both treatments have witnessed the sperm fertilise the eggs, the process remains the same for both types of treatment. The embryos are monitored in an incubator for up to five days, at which point the strongest embryos are replaced back into the womb.
To Summarise
IVF and ICSI are both key types of fertility treatment that are responsible for thousands of pregnancies each year. Although very similar treatments, ICSI involves injecting sperm into an egg, whereas this process happens naturally during IVF. For this reason, ICSI treatment is more tailored to those with issues relating to male infertility.

Why Is ICSI-IVF done?
- ICSI-IVF is typically used in cases of severe male infertility, including:2 1. Very low sperm count (also known as oligospermia) 2. Abnormally shaped sperm (also known as teratozoospermia) 3. Poor sperm movement (also known as asthenozoospermia) If a man does not have any sperm in his ejaculate, but he is producing sperm, they may be retrieved through testicular sperm extracti…
Controversial Uses
- IVF with ICSI can be a great technology when needed. However, there’s some disagreement on when it can and can’t improve success rates. Research is ongoing, but here are some situations that the American Society of Reproductive Medicine reports IVF with ICSI may not be warranted: 1. Very few eggs retrieved: The concern is that with so few eggs, why take a risk that they won’t …
ICSI-IVF
- ICSI is done as a part of IVF. Since ICSI is done in the lab, your IVF treatment won't seem much different than an IVF treatment without ICSI. As with regular IVF, you'll take ovarian stimulating drugs, and your doctor will monitor your progress with blood tests and ultrasounds. …
Cost
- The ICSI procedure costs between $1,400 to $2,000. This is on top of the general IVF cost, which on average costs $12,000 to $15,000. It may cost more than this if other IVF optionsare being used.
Risks
- ICSI-IVF comes with all the risks of a regular IVF cycle, but the ICSI procedure does introduce additional ones. Some birth defects are more likely to occur with ICSI-IVF, specifically Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Angelman syndrome, hypospadias, and sex chromosome abnormalities. They occur in less than 1 percent of babies conceived using ICSI with IVF. There is also a slightl…
Success Rate
- The ICSI procedure fertilizes 50 to 80 percent of eggs. You might assume all eggs get fertilized with ICSI-IVF, but they don’t. Fertilization isn’t guaranteed even when a sperm is injected into the egg. Remember that fertilization rates don’t tell you the clinical pregnancy or live birth rates. Once fertilization happens, the success rate for a couple using ICSI with IVF is the same as a couple u…