Azoospermia is a condition where there is ABSENCE of sperm in seminal fluid. Azoospermia is a diagnosis made on seminal fluid analysis ( SA ) after semen is analysedby the embryologist . Some infertile couples are male related issues .
Azoospermia can be caused by a blockage of the vas deferens ( the tube that sperm pass through ) or reduced sperm production within the testes.. In these cases, we will attempt to retrieve sperm directly from the tubes or the testes via surgical sperm retrieval.
SSR is a good option for both types of Azoospermia ,Non – Obstructive and Obstructive types with chances of recovering sperm is around 30 – 40% and 90% respectively .
Ever-Link Fertility Centre ALWAYS schedule sperm retrievals as the initial step before embarking on the IVF/ICSi treatment . This gives us time and a well planned IVF process to discuss alternative options, e.g. donor sperm, if there were no sperms retrieved during SSR .
Upon a successful sperm recovery , the sperm is frozen in straws for future use in an IVF with ICSI treatment . The success rate utilising frozen SSR sperm is similar to that of ICSI with ejaculated sperm .
Method Of SSR
SSR is a minor procedure carried out by our Fertility Specialist in the operating theatre under light General Anaesthesia with a combination of local anaesthetic injections . The whole SSR procedure takes less than 30 minutes and doesn’t require any admission.
The 2 common methods of SSR that has yield good results in Ever Link Fertility Centre are :
- PESA ( Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration) : using a fine needle to aspirate the sperm from the epididymis , where sperms are stored following its production and maturation in testes.
- TESA ( Testicular Sperm Aspiration ) : is similar to PESA but the fine needle is used to aspirate semeniferous tubules ( where sperms are attached to in the testes ) directly from the testes.
To find out more about SSR please book an appointment with our fertility specialist or contact us.