ICSI treatment in Pakistan

The HFEA says your doctor may recommend ICSI for reasons including:

• a very low sperm count
• sperm that are abnormally shaped or do not move normally
• a previous IVF cycle in which none, or very few, of the eggs fertilised
• sperm that has to be collected surgically, for example because a blockage stops sperm reaching the semen
• frozen sperm of lower quality

NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) said in 2026 that ICSI should be offered when sperm has been collected surgically or frozen and thawed eggs are used. It says doctors can consider ICSI when semen test results are abnormal, taking into account how severe this is, or when a previous IVF cycle led to failed fertilisation or a very low fertilisation rate.

ICSI is not for everyone. The HFEA says there is currently no scientific evidence to support ICSI when infertility is not related to the sperm, and NICE says it should not be used for fertility problems not caused by sperm if semen test results are normal. If poor-quality or immature eggs caused fertilisation problems before, the HFEA says ICSI is unlikely to help. Your doctor will advise what suits you.

ICSI follows the steps of IVF, apart from the way the eggs are fertilised. The NHS (the UK's National Health Service) says a full IVF cycle takes around 3 to 6 weeks.

1. Tests

   Both partners are seen at the first consultation. At MCI, the first consultation, the ultrasound scan (a safe scan that uses sound waves) and the semen analysis (a check for sperm problems, such as a low sperm count) are free.

2. Medicines

   Hormone medicines, mostly injections, help the ovaries produce several eggs, and scans or blood tests check your progress.

3. Egg collection

   A thin needle, guided by ultrasound, collects the eggs through the vagina; the NHS says you'll be offered a sedative (medicine that makes you sleepy). The male partner gives a sperm sample, or sperm that was frozen earlier is used.

4. Sperm injection

   In the laboratory, an embryologist injects a single sperm directly into the egg with a tiny needle. If fertilisation happens, the embryos are monitored as they develop.

5. Embryo transfer

   The HFEA says an embryo is placed in the womb two to five days after fertilisation, and you won't need an anaesthetic (medicine to stop pain) unless you have a condition that would make it painful. The NHS says the embryo is put in using a thin tube inserted through the vagina.

6. Pregnancy test

   The NHS says you'll be given a pregnancy test and a date to use it, around 16 days after the embryo transfer, and that it's important to take your test on the date you're given to get an accurate result. The HFEA also advises against testing early, as you may get a false result.

The NHS says the signs below could be severe symptoms of OHSS or an ectopic pregnancy. Get emergency help if you have any of them:

• you have difficulty breathing
• you have pain in your chest or upper back
• you're very thirsty and peeing less than usual (dehydration)
• you have swelling in any part of your body
• you have tummy pain, low down on one side
• you have pain in the tip of your shoulder

In Pakistan, call 1122 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. In the UK, call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency). Do not drive yourself: ask someone to drive you or call an ambulance, and bring any medicines you take.

The NHS also says to get emergency help immediately if you have a combination of: a sharp, sudden and intense pain in your tummy; feeling very dizzy or fainting; feeling sick; looking very pale. With an ectopic pregnancy, these symptoms could mean that a fallopian tube (one of the tubes connecting the ovaries to the womb) has split open (ruptured), which is very serious and needs surgery as soon as possible. Call 1122 in Pakistan or 999 in the UK, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

The NHS also says to get emergency help if you have pelvic pain (pain in the lower part of your tummy) and any of these: it's severe, getting worse, or hurts when you move or touch the area; you feel faint, dizzy or lightheaded, or pass out; you have pain in the tip of your shoulder; you have difficulty breathing; you have heavy bleeding from your vagina; you suddenly feel confused. Call 1122 in Pakistan or 999 in the UK, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Contact your fertility clinic as soon as possible, the NHS says, if you have pain and bloating in your tummy (abdomen), are feeling and being sick, feel faint, are coughing up blood, have vaginal bleeding or a brown watery discharge, or have pain or discomfort when going for a poo or wee. If you also have any of the emergency signs above, get emergency help instead. MCI patients can call +92 348 335 6595, 9am to 8pm: for these symptoms, please call rather than send a message. Outside these hours, or if you cannot reach us, go to a hospital emergency department. In the UK, you can also call NHS 111.

MedlinePlus also says to contact your doctor right away if you have had IVF and have a fever over 38°C (100.5°F), pelvic pain, heavy bleeding from the vagina, or blood in your urine. If you also have any of the emergency signs above, get emergency help instead. If you cannot reach your doctor, go to a hospital emergency department.

Your first consultation is free, at the hospital in Mirpur or by video, in Urdu or English. Both partners are seen at the first consultation, and treatment depends on a doctor's assessment. MCI uses only the couple's own eggs and sperm: we do not offer donor treatment or surrogacy.

The hospital has an embryology laboratory on site. WhatsApp us on +92 348 335 6595 (9am to 8pm) or contact us, and see travel times to Mirpur.

• IVF (test tube baby)
• IUI
• All treatments
• Costs
• Fertility tests
• Guides