ICSI procedure is usually recommended when fertilization cannot be achieved by other methods primarily due to male infertility. Male infertility includes several disorders with the sperm count, poor motility of the sperm, poor quality of the sperm, lack of penetration to the egg, azoospermia or any other male reproductive disease.

While is procedure is otherwise less invasive and safe, there is a possibility of the baby being born with minor birth defects that occur due to manipulation of zygotes during the imprinting process. Consultation with the concerned gynecologist is recommended before opting to undergo the procedure. For a patient, however, the ICSI process is more or less similar to conventional IVF cycle and usually has following steps involved in the process: Stimulation of ovaries to boost egg formation and maturation, retrieval of the eggs, fertilization of eggs and culture process, transfer of the embryo to the uterus again, just as done in IVF.