ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) has made it possible for many men to have children, who would previously have been unable to do so. We recommend it to men when we have any reason to believe an egg would not be fertilized through IVF alone.
ICSI involves injecting a single healthy sperm directly into an egg to fertilise it, turning it into an embryo. The embryo is then transferred into the womb a few days later.
We suggest ICSI to men who have:
We’ll also recommend ICSI if fewer than 50% of eggs have been fertilised during a previous round of IVF.
Since the approach began, it’s been used in almost half of all cases of IVF treatment.
This video runs through the main differences between traditional IVF and ICSI
Before the invention of ICSI, men who were told their sperm was of poor quality had little to no option moving forward. Further pressure was put on IVF treatments, with increased rounds in hopes of a better sperm performance than had happened previously. This led to more money being spent, and in many cases, more disappointment.
ICSI gives men with poor quality sperm a chance they wouldn’t have had before. It means an egg can be fertilised using just one sperm, meaning potentially fewer rounds of IVF are required to help you conceive.
While ICSI can increase the chances of couples conceiving, as with any medical intervention it does pose very mild risks that you should be aware of. You can talk these through with your fertility specialist if you have any concerns.
During a consultation, we will discuss all the risks of any chosen IVF treatments based on your specific circumstances
ICSI slightly increases fertilisation rates. On average, there is a 60-70% chance of fertilisation per egg, and more than 90% of women have at least one egg fertilised when their partner undertakes this treatment.
However, there is no significant increase in pregnancy rates with ICSI compared to just IVF alone.
We offer ICSI treatments as part of our IVF package, when we’ve done tests to understand the quality of the male’s sperm.
If you decide that ICSI is the route you’d like to go down, it costs an additional £1,400 on top of the price of IVF, which is £4,250 per cycle or £3,950 per cycle depending on if doing a fresh embryo transfer or having an elective freeze of all embryos.
We will always discuss the different options, such as any lifestyle changes that may help, with you before suggesting you take this path, and will do all we can to help you and your partner bring a child into the world.
If you’d like to know more about ICSI and how it could help with your fertility journey, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority offers some in depth reading on the subject.
You can also find more information about ICSI on NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Get in touch with one of our dedicated IVF advisers for more information on this, and how we can help you conceive.
At Zita West Clinic, we understand that each individual person needs an individual approach to starting a family. From the moment you walk through our door, you will receive personalised and comprehensive guidance and advice to help you through your fertility journey: the future of your family starts here.