IVF vs ICSI

So, you've chosen to have treatment at a fertility clinic. Maybe you are having an egg collection and are choosing between IVF and ICSI. What do they mean? What are the differences? Are there any benefits/disadvantages between the two techniques? This blog post may help!

IVF stands of in vitro fertilisation. The eggs collected are mixed with the optimal volume of prepared sperm.

ICSI stands for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. With this method, eggs are stripped of their cumulus (surrounding cells) and the mature eggs are injected with a single sperm under a microscope with 2 needles: one to hold, one to inject.

With both methods, the gametes are then placed back into the incubator and left to (hopefully) fertilise overnight.

From a lab technician point of view, the quality of the sperm is a huge factor when it comes to choosing between IVF and ICSI. If the parameters are below normal ranges, it is often recommended that ICSI is performed due to the risk of failed fertilisation, where the eggs do not fertilise in the dish overnight. This risk is of course higher if the sperm parameters are poor. To overcome the issue, ICSI ensures each egg at least has one sperm injected into it and therefore has a greater chance of fertilisation occurring. IVF is used when the parameters are all normal and the chances of a "failed fert" is considered minimal. IVF is cheaper, quicker for the embryologists to perform, and less invasive. Thus having definite benefits for patients with fabulous sperm! Some patients start their journey by having IVF, and then if for any reason their fertilisation results are sub-optimal, switch to ICSI.

ICSI was first introduced into clinical practice around 30 years ago, and has revolutionised assisted reproduction, giving those who wouldn't see results with IVF, the opportunity to become pregnant. I have had the pleasure of watching my colleague perform ICSI, using a monitor linked to their microscope. It took my breath away the first time I watched it! Truly, something I will never forget and I hope one day I will be able to do myself.

It is important that the risks between the methods are discussed clearly with your doctor and embryology team and that you are happy with the plan. Communication is key. We are always happy to take the time to discuss any concerns you may have because, as always, our patients are the number one priority. If we are able to alleviate a concern, we want to, and will do our best to do so!

I hope I have helped to shed a little bit of light on what the terms mean. No matter the route to creating your embryos, make sure you ask questions and understand each step. And that finally, that you are happy along each step of the way.