The decision to grow your family is an exciting one. But if you and your partner find out that having a baby isn’t as simple as you thought, it can be frustrating. Learn to recognize the signs of infertility so you can get the treatment you need.
For men who have azoospermia or no sperm in the ejaculate, one solution to enable pregnancy is a surgical sperm retrieval. In essence it is a minor surgical procedure whereby tissue or fluid with sperm is surgically removed from the testis or epididymis and that sperm is used to initiate a pregnancy through In Vitro Fertilization with ICSI. Many couples take advantage of this procedure to have children; however, one concern that is often raised is whether there is any additional risk to the child when using surgically retrieved sperm.
An article from Oslo University hospital, Sweden and from University Hospital of Northern Norway, by Tanbo et al (Reprod Biomed Online, 2014) reports on more than four hundred pregnancies conceived over six years using non ejaculated sperm and compares results to more than nine hundred pregnancies conceived with ejaculated sperm. Findings revealed that sex ratio, birth weight, rate of pregnancy loss, and incidence of congenital malformations showed no significant differences between the two groups. These results should prove extremely reassuring to patients dealing with findings of azoospermia. Given that I perform a number of surgical sperm retrieval procedures for my patient, this information will be genuinely helpful in my practice.
You Might Also Enjoy...
The decision to grow your family is an exciting one. But if you and your partner find out that having a baby isn’t as simple as you thought, it can be frustrating. Learn to recognize the signs of infertility so you can get the treatment you need.
Testicular sperm extraction can be a successful fertility treatment for men, whether they’re facing infertility or they previously had a vasectomy. If you’re infertile but you hope to father a child, it’s time to learn more about this microsurgery.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects millions of men, and it gets increasingly common with age. But is it an unavoidable part of getting older? Learn more about the signs of ED and how treatment could enhance your sex life, no matter your age.
Are you considering a vasectomy? It’s a safe and effective form of birth control, but the thought of undergoing surgery is enough to make anyone nervous. Learn what it’s like to recover from a vasectomy.
Kidney stones range in size, location, and mineral makeup, but they all have one thing in common: They can be very painful. Dr. Seaman discusses the common types of kidney stones.
As you get older, your testosterone level naturally decreases. But when it drops too far, you might notice unpleasant symptoms like low sex drive and loss of muscle mass. Learn to recognize the signs of low testosterone.