Surgical Sperm Retrieval

 Recent advances in reproductive medicine have allowed men who were previously considered sterile to father biological children. Among these advances is surgical sperm retrieval. The procedure may help men who are unable to produce adequate sperm for a variety of reasons, including:

• Vasectomy
• Failed vasectomy reversal
• Azoospermia (a complete lack of sperm in the semen)
• Obstructive azoospermia (lack of sperm in the semen due to a blockage in the seminal tract)
• Absence of the ducts (vas deferens) that carry sperm from the testicles to the urethra
• Postmortem Sperm Retrieval

Today, sperm retrieval doctors use several different techniques to extract sperm.

• Epididymal sperm retrieval techniques include:
  • Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), in which a needle is inserted through the scrotum into the epididymis (the duct that carries sperm from the testes to the vas deferens) to collect sperm.
  • Microscopic epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which tiny surgical instruments are used to collect sperm from the epididymis, aided by a microscope.

• Testicular sperm retrieval techniques include:
• Testicular sperm extraction (TESE), which involves using a needle or making a small incision to collect a small sample of tissue from the testis, from which sperm are then extracted.
• MicroTESE, in which our sperm retrieval doctors use a microscope to closely examine the tubules from which sperm is extracted; the goal is to extract sperm from the healthiest tubules, which improves the chances of extracting viable specimens.

IVF with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Once sperm have been retrieved, there are several methods of fertilizing an egg using IVF methods. A relatively new IVF procedure is intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which involves injecting viable sperm into an egg, with goal of fertilization. Once the egg is fertilized, the resulting embryo is implanted onto the uterus of the patient’s partner or surrogate.

There is a high success rate of egg fertilization with ICSI, and ICSI is known to increase the fertilization success rates in men who have low sperm motility or viability.

World-Class Reproductive Medicine Specialists in New York City

The surgical sperm retrieval specialists at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City coordinate with an expert team of urologists, male reproductive medicine specialists, and others to provide couples with the best chances of a successful pregnancy.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our world-class male reproductive doctors.