Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a highly specialized technique of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) used for the treatment of severe male factor infertility. The treatment of ICSI involves the injection of a single sperm into a mature egg directly by an expert embryologist.

This is different from conventional IVF, in which several sperm are placed in the eggs in a special dish and left to fertilize without the involvement of an embryologist.

Whereas ICSI has revolutionized the field of fertility treatments, it's not a standard part of every IVF cycle. Fertility experts carefully assess each patient or couple's medical background, lab tests, and history of past treatment before prescribing ICSI. It's a potent tool—but most effective and apt in certain conditions.

Doctors consider ICSI in the following five conditions.

One of the most common indications for the use of ICSI is where male infertility exists.

• Low sperm count

• Poor sperm motility (movement)

• Abnormal sperm shape

• Previous vasectomy or blockage problems

In these situations, sperm can find it difficult to penetrate the egg by itself. ICSI enables embryologists to choose the healthiest sperm and inject it directly into the egg, greatly enhancing the likelihood of fertilization.

If a couple has already tried IVF previously and experienced poor or no fertilization even if there was a good quantity of eggs and sperm ICSI is normally suggested in the following cycle.

Infertility that is unexplained can be particularly frustrating since standard checks do not show a distinct reason why pregnancy is not occurring. Under these circumstances, physicians may apply ICSI as an active measure with IVF to enhance fertilization results. It's a way to eliminate possible sperm-egg interaction problems that aren't detectable through standard testing.

When a woman produces very few eggs during the IVF cycle, every single one is of tremendous value. ICSI ensures that every egg has the maximum chance of being fertilized and thus minimizes losing a valuable chance.

If a couple is going to have Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A) which screens embryos for chromosomal defects ICSI is normally preferred. That's because classical IVF techniques can risk contamination with the nearby sperm, whereas ICSI involves a single sperm, thereby lowering the possibility of faulty results in genetic screening.

ICSI is an advanced and very effective method, but it's not for everyone. Your fertility expert will take your entire medical history and fertility background into account to decide whether ICSI is the best option for your IVF cycle. It's all about optimizing your chances for success safely and efficiently. If you're unsure whether ICSI is appropriate for you, have an open conversation with your doctor.