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SPERM RETRIEVAL

SPERM

As many as 10% to 15% of infertile men have no sperm in their ejaculate (the fluid released from the penis during orgasm). This is called azoospermia. Forty percent of cases are due to a blockage (obstruction) in the reproductive tract.


Depending on the cause, a man with azoospermia may still be able to father a child. A man with an obstruction may be able to have sperm retrieved with special surgical techniques. Then it will be used with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

SPERM RETRIEVAL PROCEDURE

  • PESA (Perctaneous epididymal sperm aspiration): this is the collection of sperm directly from the epididymis, where the sperm is stored.
  • TESE (Testicular sperm extraction): this is the collection of sperm from a biopsy or several biopsies from the testicular tissue.
Once the sperm has been retrieved, it will either be used immediately in fertility treatments or it will be frozen and placed in storage for use at a later stage. If the sperm retrieval has been successful, it can be used for several cycles of treatment.

INDICATON OF SURGICAL SPERM RETRIEVAL

  • An obstruction in the tubes( due to injury or infection).
  • Vasectomy
  • Congenital absence of the vas deferens
  • When the testes are producing very low numbers of sperm that they cannot reach the vas.