What the differnce between ivf and icsi?
ICSI is an optional treatment that can be done with an IVF cycle. You cannot do ICSI without IVF but you can have an IVF cycle without doing ICSI. IVF refers to the entire procedure – it includes the medications to over-stimulate the ovaries leading to the production of multiple mature eggs, monitoring via bloodwork and ultrasounds, retrieval of the eggs and then fertilization in the lab. In a “basic” IVF cycle then put the sperm and eggs together for fertilization. ICSI is an additional step – instead of just putting the egg and sperm in the same place, they actually take the sperm and inject it into the center of the egg using a hollow point needle. This is done with couples that have male factor fertility issues. The concern is that there is not sufficient sperm in the sample to hope they meet on their own so this additional step needs to be taken. Hope this helps!
