In conventional IVF, about 70,000 washed sperm are mixed with the eggs in a culture dish in our laboratory. The sperm spend the next few hours penetrating the layers of supporting cells that surround the egg, called cumulus cells. Hopefully one sperm will successfully fertilise the egg.
If the sperm have low motility, or there are not many (low concentration), or they are unusually shaped (poor morphology), our embryologist can give the sperm some assistance penetrating the egg using intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI.
Westmead Fertility Centre has been providing fertility treatment since 1984. We introduced ICSI as soon as the technology was developed. We are pleased to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of our first ICSI pregnancy at Westmead Fertility Centre and look forward to many more!
Here is more information on the latest ICSI technology in place at Westmead Fertility Centre