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Male infertility is widespread along with female infertility, so couples can face problems with conceiving due to various forms of impaired male reproductive function.
Male infertility is widespread along with female infertility, so couples can face problems with conceiving due to various forms of impaired male reproductive function. One of the most severe types of male infertility is accompanied by a lack of viable sperm in the ejaculate. On average, conception does not occur in 5 -7% of cases for this reason. A series of spermograms can ascertain this fact. However, even if this problem is identified, a man still can become a father. One of the most common conception techniques is the TESE procedure (testicular sperm extraction).
How TESE Is Conducted
TESE is a rapid microsurgical operation: spermatozoa are extracted directly from the testicular tubules. A surgeon makes microsurgical incisions on one or both testicles and uses them to receive tissue sections with seminiferous tubules containing spermatozoa. Immediately after the procedure, germ cells are secreted from the seminiferous tubules. The patient is under general anesthesia during the procedure, so it is painless.
Next, the material is examined in detail using high-precision optical equipment. The healthiest spermatozoa are extracted from the total mass and can be used for the fertilization procedure within 72 hours. Using the ICSI method, they are introduced directly into the cytoplasm of the egg. Spermatozoa can also be cryopreserved for future use if TESE is not performed within an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. When the egg cell is ready, they are thawed and fertility specialists perform fertilization.
The whole TESE procedure takes no more than half an hour and the rehabilitation takes about an hour. It is important to collect a large amount of testicular tissue in the TESE process: a part of it is sent for morphological research, the other part is used for storage and fertilization of the egg cell. The result of the study is ready within a week after the tissue collection.
If the results of the germ cells study after the TESE procedure bring out non-obstructive azoospermia (which is a common cause of male infertility), this helps the doctor prescribe an effective course of treatment. Sometimes it is possible to obviate infertility and even conceive naturally.
What Are the Advantages of the TESE Procedure?
- If we compare it with the procedure of aspiration biopsy or TESA procedure, this is a more gentle method, since the needle does not injure the spermatozoa;
- Spermatozoa undergo thorough examination for infections, DNA fragmentation and other risks, which is important for subsequent planning and IVF;
- During the TESE procedure, you can correct the condition of a patient suffering from complications from past illness or injury that caused a disruption of sperm transport. This procedure of microsurgical reconstruction of vas deferens allows making a reliable prognosis for the treatment of infertility;
- High efficiency of the procedure: as a sufficient amount of material is collected, it is highly likely to select viable spermatozoa.
What Are the Most Frequent Indications for TESE?
The TESE procedure can be recommended for diseases that cause azoospermia (a condition where there are almost no viable spermatozoa in the seminal fluid):
- Complications after surgery for the treatment of inguinal hernia, testicular edema;
- Traumas of the testicle;
- Sclerosis of the vas deferens due to inflammation;
- Cryptorchidism;
- nflammation of testicular tissue;
- Testicular torsion;
- Effects of drugs or radiation on the testicular tissue.
The procedure should be performed after consulting a fertility specialist. There is only one contraindication to TESE: acute inflammatory diseases caused by viruses or bacteria
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