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.
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.
| Procedure |
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Costs 1st cycle of Calendar Year (AUD) (Safety Net not reached) |
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Costs subsequent cycles (AUD) (Safety Net reached) |
Cycle Cost (AUD) |
| IVF Cycle |
$4,981.05 |
$4,419.55 |
$10,300 |
| ICSI Cycle |
$5,094.80 |
$4533.30 |
$10,890 |
| PICSI sperm selection |
Nil |
Nil |
$290 |
| IUI Cycle |
$2,054.65 |
$2,021.55 |
$2,710 |
| Frozen Embryo Cycle |
$2,758.08 |
$2,294.70 |
$3,925 |
| Egg Freezing Cycle |
Cycle costs are dependent on your circumstances. Please call our Fertility Advisor on 1300 361 795 or send an enquiry below to discuss further. |
Fees current as of January 2021. Please note these prices are a guide only, and subject to change. 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 or reciprocal health care should call for further fee information.
View all treatment costs