Treatments for Male Infertility

If a sperm analysis or physical examination confirms male infertility, conception is not necessarily out of reach. The specialists of Academic Urology & Urogynecology of Arizona (AUUA) focus on issues of male infertility and offer a number of minimally invasive treatment options proven to increase a couple’s chance of pregnancy. Most procedures can be performed on an out-patient basis under general or local anesthesia. Read on to learn what treatments are offered by the Urologists of our Arizona-based practice.

The Treatment of Male Infertility at Academic Urology & Urogynecology of Arizona:

• Vasovasostomy: After a vasectomy, it is not uncommon for a man to seek a vasovasostomy (vasectomy reversal). During this procedure, the connection of the vas deferens is restored to provide an open pathway for the sperm to travel and reach the semen. Here, a vasectomy/ vasovasostomy doctor makes an incision in the scrotum to reveal the disconnected vas deferens. The vas are then cut and reconnected using microsurgical techniques and sutures.
• Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction Surgery: When sperm is not present in the ejaculate but production levels are considered normal, this is an indication of a blockage in the reproductive system. Using a Transrectal Ultrasound or testis biopsy, the AUUA Urologists identify the precise location of the blockage and deploy microsurgical techniques to remove and repair the ejaculatory duct obstruction.
• Varicocelectomy: To repair a varicocele (a dilated group of veins in the scrotum), the Surgeons of Academic Urology & Urogynecology of Arizona sever the veins in question through a procedure known as a microsurgical varicocelectomy. As a result, the pooling of blood in the scrotum is stopped, and the quality of the semen, restored.
• Hydrocelectomy Surgery: To remove a hydrocele (a fluid-filled sac surrounding the scrotum), urologists may perform a minor surgical procedure known as a hydrocelectomy or hydrocele repair. Here, an incision is made in the scrotum and the fluid of the hydrocele drained and the hydrocele sac removed.
• Sperm Retrieval: In the case of an uncorrectable ejaculatory duct blockage, a failed vasectomy reversal, or low sperm count, sperm may be retrieved through a number of minimally invasive procedures. The Urologists of AUUA specialize in the following retrieval procedures:
  
  • MESA (Microscopic Epididymal Sperm Aspiration): In this procedure, sperm is aspirated from the epididymis, a tube located in the back of the testis. Extracted sperm can be used immediately for intracytoplasmic injection into an egg, or can be frozen for later and subsequent fertility efforts.
  • PESA (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration): Sperm is collected via the insertion of a needle into the scrotal sac and the epididymis.
  • TESE (Testicular Sperm Extraction): During a TESE procedure, a portion of testicular tissue is removed and sperm later extracted by an embryologist.
  • TESA (Testicular Sperm Aspiration): Like TESE, sperm is extracted from excised testicular tissue, but instead of being removed through microsurgical means, tissue is retrieved through the insertion of a syringe into the testicle. Doctor’s may elect to use this procedure prior to TESE to first pinpoint an area of adequate sperm production.
  • Testis Micro Dissection: For patients with very low levels of sperm production, AUUA Urologists may recommend a testis micro dissection. In this procedure, an incision is made in the scrotal sac and the testis dissected until an area of sperm production is found. This tissue is then removed and the sperm excised.

If you are a male living around the Arizona regions of Phoenix, Anthem, Buckeye, Peoria, and Sun City and suffer from a congenital, environmental, or acquired defect that has resulted in infertility, we encourage you to contact the urologic specialists of Academic Urology & Urogynecology of Arizona.