How is ICSI different from IVF?
One variety of IVF is ICSI. With conventional IVF, your doctor implants an egg and a large number of sperm on a laboratory plate. It is up to chance as to whether one of the sperm will enter the egg and fertilize it. Conception, sometimes referred to as fertilization, doesn’t happen if none of the sperm fertilize the egg.
ICSI encourages fertilization by directly injecting one sperm into one egg. ICSI does not, however, ensure fertilization.
Your healthcare professional inserts the fertilized egg (embryo) into your uterus in both ICSI and conventional IVF. If the embryo clings to the lining of your uterus, pregnancy will result.