Sperm Retrieval Techniques

Men who have blockages in their reproductive organs or who are missing a vas deferens will produce semen that doe not contain sperm. Obviously, an absence of sperm can cause a couple significant difficulties in getting pregnant. However, pregnancy is still a possibility thanks to sperm retrieval techniques.

Even if a man fails to have sperm in his ejaculate, it does not necessarily mean that he is not producing any sperm at all. Due to blockages in the vas deferens or epididymus, a man can produce perfectly normal, healthy sperm that just never has a chance to go anywhere. Using non-invasive sperm retrieval methods, though, it is possible to recover this sperm and use it in ICSI and IVF procedures. Two different types of sperm retrieval to look into are PESA and TESE.

PESA stands for Percutaneous Sperm Aspiration. Although it falls under the category of surgical sperm retrieval, PESA does not actually involve any type of surgical cuts. Instead, a fine needle is inserted directly into the epididymus by way of the scrotum. Fluid is then removed and analyzed for sperm. PESA is a relatively short procedure, requiring no more than 20 minutes to complete, and can be done in your fertility specialists office.

TESE (or Testicular Sperm Extraction) is similar to PESA except that the needle is inserted into the testes instead of the epididymus. A small tissue sample is then removed and examined for sperm.

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