If you’ve watched footage of IVF, we’re pretty sure it was probably ICSI that you were watching. That’s because ICSI (aka intracytoplasmic sperm injection) brings the WOW factor to the IVF world. This is the one where we don’t just leave the egg and sperm to do their thing under the romantic lab lights, but we give them a helping hand. With ICSI, our scientists carefully inject a single sperm directly into the egg.
Your doc might suggest ICSI if you have low sperm numbers or poor sperm motility or morphology. ICSI might also be on the menu if you have previously had failed fertilisation, a vasectomy and an unsuccessful vasectomy reversal. Where male infertility is the cause behind a couple struggling to conceive, ICSI is likely to be part of the treatment protocol suggested by your doctor. It’s important to ensure that ICSI is the right treatment choice and that it addresses your specific infertility issue. Selecting the right clinic for fertility treatment is vital. Getting the right diagnosis is crucial so starting with a clinic that offers a range of treatments means your Fertility Specialist will investigate your personal situation and prescribe the right treatment approach to help you start or grow your family.
Physiological Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (PICSI – told you we love an acronym) is another version of ICSI treatment but in this case, we also include a functional test for sperm into the process. This test helps our Andrologists select the best sperm. We watch the sperm’s ability to bind to an acid called Hyaluron – a process which mimics the natural binding of mature sperm to eggs.
This form of ICSI is sometimes used for patients who have experienced poor fertilisation rates in previous cycles or poor embryo development. Other patients who might be recommended to try PICSI include those with high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation.
During an ICSI cycle, much like in an IVF cycle, we use injections of a hormone known as FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) to encourage more of the follicles to develop mature eggs. These eggs are then collected under vaginal ultrasound guidance – called oocyte (egg) pick up (OPU) or oocyte retrieval. It’s a day surgery procedure which is usually done with a local anaesthetic and light sedation.
The semen sample is prepared in Genea’s lab to find and isolate as many healthy, moving sperm as possible. Genea’s Embryologists also prepare the eggs, removing the tight outer coating of cells to assess their maturity and ease the way for fertilisation.
Once the egg and sperm have got their glow up, an Embryologist uses a special needle to pick up a single sperm and another instrument to hold the egg in place. All of this is done under the power of a microscope because sperm are so small, they can’t be seen with the naked eye. The needle carrying the sperm is inserted through the egg’s outer coating and into the egg itself. The sperm is slowly injected into the egg. We develop the injected eggs in an incubator overnight and the next morning your Embryologist will check for signs of fertilisation. The developing embryos are monitored for several days, in
Genea’s exclusive Geri® incubation system before one is transferred to the uterus. You can watch your embryos develop in
Geri via our Grow By Genea® app. If there are additional embryos, they can be frozen and stored for later use.
It's really important to remind you that sadly, not all eggs fertilise and not all fertilised eggs will go on to become embryos.
| Procedure |
Cycle cost |
Estimated out-of-pocket after Medicare rebates for 1st and subsequent cycles in calendar year |
| IVF Cycle |
$10,975 |
$5,000 - $5,600 |
| ICSI Cycle |
$11,602 |
$5,100 - $5,730 |
| PICSI sperm selection |
$300 |
$300 |
| IUI Cycle |
$2,875 |
$2,260 - $2,395 |
| Frozen Embryo Cycle |
$4,195 |
$2,605 - $3,350 |
| Egg Freezing Cycle |
|
Cycle costs are dependent on your circumstances. Please call our Fertility Advisors on 1300 361 795 or send an enquiry below to discuss further. |
Fees current as of August 2022. Please note these prices are a guide only, and subject to change. The Estimated Out-of-pocket cost is based on your Safety Net spending for the calendar year. After your consult with one of our Fertility Specialists you will be given an individualised estimate of all fees and rebates. Patients who are not eligible for Medicare should call for further fee information.
View all treatment costs