ICSI

ICSI begins with ovarian stimulation, where fertility medication encourages the ovaries to produce multiple follicles, each of which may contain an egg. You will attend monitoring appointments, including ultrasound scans and sometimes blood tests, so we can carefully track your response and the timing of treatment. When the follicles are ready, a trigger injection is given, and an egg collection is planned for 36 hours later at the clinic. If you would like a clearer picture of your fertility before treatment begins, our women’s fertility tests page can help guide your next steps.

Egg retrieval is a short procedure carried out in theatre under sedation. Using ultrasound guidance, your doctor gently collects the fluid from each follicle in the ovaries, which is then passed straight to the laboratory for the embryology team to examine for eggs. You will be given pain relief and light sedation, and most patients find the procedure manageable. Before you go home, we will talk you through how many eggs were collected, what happens next in the lab, and what to expect during recovery.

This is the stage where ICSI differs from IVF. In most cases, partner sperm is used, and a semen sample is produced on the day of egg collection. Frozen sperm can also be used, with the sample thawed on the morning of treatment. Instead of placing eggs and sperm together in a dish, an embryologist selects a single sperm under a microscope and injects it directly into each mature egg. If fertilisation happens, the embryos are then cared for in the same way as embryos created through IVF. They are usually cultured to day 5 or 6 in our EmbryoScope time-lapse incubator at no additional cost. This is the core of the ICSI procedure, step by step. Suitable embryos may then be transferred or frozen for future use through a frozen embryo transfer.

Embryo transfer is the final stage of ICSI treatment, where an embryo is placed into the uterus using a fine catheter. It is usually a quick and straightforward procedure. Depending on your treatment plan, transfer may take place in the same cycle or after embryos have been frozen for later use. In some situations, freezing embryos first can give us more time to prepare the best possible conditions for transfer. Your doctor will recommend the approach that best suits your response to treatment and your overall plan. After your embryo transfer, you will attend the clinic about 10 days later for a blood test to check if you are pregnant.