When Is ICSI Recommended? What Tampa Fertility Patients Should Know

If you're considering or preparing for IVF (in vitro fertilization), you may have come across the term ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. While not every patient undergoing IVF will need ICSI, it’s a powerful technique that can make a big difference in specific situations. At The Reproductive Medicine Group, we evaluate each case individually to determine whether ICSI is recommended as part of your personalized fertility plan. 

What Is ICSI? 

ICSI stands for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg to help achieve fertilization. It’s one of the most common advancements used alongside IVF and can improve fertilization outcomes in certain cases. 

While traditional IVF involves mixing eggs and sperm together in a lab dish and allowing fertilization to occur naturally, ICSI takes a more targeted approach—often used when fertilization may not occur on its own. 

When Do Fertility Doctors Recommend ICSI? 

ICSI isn’t used in every IVF cycle. Our reproductive endocrinologists in Tampa typically recommended ICSI in scenarios where there’s a known or suspected barrier to natural fertilization. Some common reasons include: 

1. Severe Male Factor Infertility 

ICSI can significantly improve the chances of success in cases of severe male factor infertility. If there are issues with sperm count, motility (movement), or morphology (shape), ICSI can significantly improve the chances of fertilization. In cases where sperm are surgically retrieved (such as through PESA or TESE), ICSI is almost always used. 

2. Low Fertilization Rates in Previous IVF Cycles 

If you've gone through IVF before and had poor or no fertilization, ICSI may be recommended in subsequent cycles to improve outcomes. 

3. Use of Frozen Eggs 

Frozen (vitrified) eggs may have a slightly harder outer shell (zona pellucida), making it more difficult for sperm to penetrate. ICSI helps overcome this barrier by directly injecting the sperm. 

4. Limited Number of Eggs Retrieved 

If only a few eggs are retrieved during an IVF cycle, ICSI can help ensure that each egg has the best possible chance of being fertilized. 

5. Use of Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) 

When patients plan to test embryos for genetic conditions before transfer, ICSI can reduce the risk of contamination from surrounding sperm, leading to more accurate test results.