ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)

What ICSI involves

In standard IVF, eggs collected from the ovaries are placed in a dish with a prepared sample of sperm, and fertilisation is left to happen on its own. ICSI changes that one step. In the words of the UK fertility regulator, the HFEA, “a skilled embryologist (embryo specialist) will inject a single sperm into the egg.”

Nothing else about the course of treatment changes. The HFEA describes ICSI as “performed as part of in vitro fertilisation (IVF)”, and says the treatment is otherwise “exactly the same as with IVF”. The IVF page explains that sequence.

When it is used

The HFEA says “Your doctor may recommend ICSI if: you have a very low sperm count”, or if “your sperm are abnormally shaped (poor morphology) or they don't move normally (poor motility)”.

ICSI is also how sperm collected surgically is used. When sperm is taken directly from the epididymis or the testis, by PESA, TESA or micro-TESE, the HFEA notes: “You'll need to have a fertility treatment like ICSI to use your sperm.”

Whether it is appropriate in a particular case is a clinical decision for the treating doctor. This directory does not make that judgement.

What the regulator says about risks

The HFEA states: “ICSI carries slightly more risks than some other fertility treatments, including a risk that eggs may be damaged when they're cleaned and injected with sperm.” It adds: “It has been suggested that the use of ICSI may also be associated with long-term health issues for the children born. However, we cannot prove this either way until we have more conclusive evidence.”

It lists “Risks that may be associated with ICSI include:”

• “certain genetic and developmental defects in a very small number of children born using this treatment; however, problems that have been linked with ICSI may have been caused by the underlying infertility, rather than the treatment itself”
• “the possibility that a boy conceived as a result of ICSI may inherit his father's, or donor's, infertility (it is too early to know if this is the case, as the oldest boys born from ICSI are still in their teens). However, where there is a clearly defined genetic cause of male infertility, particularly if it is associated with the Y chromosome, it is highly likely that male offspring will inherit their father's, or donor's, infertility.”

And: “There are also all the usual risks that come with IVF treatment.” Those are quoted in full on the IVF page. A clinic can explain how these apply in a particular case; this page cannot.

Variations: IMSI and PICSI

IMSI and PICSI change how the sperm for injection is chosen, not the injection itself. The HFEA lists both as treatment add-ons, which it defines as “optional non-essential treatments or tests that may be offered in addition to such proven fertility treatment”, and publishes its own rating of the evidence for each. Clinics in this directory that name them on their websites: IMSI 50, PICSI 22.

Questions

Is ICSI the same as IVF?

No. ICSI is one step within an IVF cycle: the way each egg is fertilised. The HFEA says the rest of the treatment is “exactly the same as with IVF”.

Can any fertility clinic do ICSI?

No. Under the ART (Regulation) Rules, 2022 a Level 1 clinic carries out only IUI as treatment, so ICSI is done at Level 2 clinics. Every clinic listed here shows its registered level.

How much does ICSI cost?

This directory does not publish prices, because it holds none. Ask each clinic for an itemised written quote, and ask whether ICSI is priced separately from the IVF cycle.

Which clinics near me do ICSI?

See the list above, grouped by state, with the cities that have three or more. A clinic that is not listed may still offer it.

Sources

• HFEA, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), read 25 September 2026.
• HFEA, Surgical sperm extraction, read 25 September 2026.
• HFEA, Treatment add-ons, read 25 September 2026.
• The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Rules, 2022, G.S.R. 419(E), 7 June 2022, para 10.1 (not changed by the Amendment Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 491(E)), read 25 September 2026.
• Clinic data: each clinic's own website, as read by this directory; registry level from the National ART & Surrogacy Registry extract.