Microinjection (ICSI)

Microinjection, known as ICSI, is the laboratory step of IVF in which an embryologist places a single sperm cell directly inside a mature egg with a very fine needle under a microscope, instead of leaving sperm and egg together to fertilise on their own. It was developed for couples where the sperm count, movement or shape makes natural fertilisation unlikely, and it is now used in many IVF cycles because it gives the embryology team direct control over fertilisation. The aim is a healthy embryo that can be transferred to the womb, and the rest of the cycle, from ovarian stimulation to the pregnancy test, follows the familiar IVF path. Many couples travel abroad for ICSI to reach experienced embryology laboratories, genetic testing options and well-organised cycles planned around their stay.