Surgical Sperm Retrieval SSR

Men with azoospermia (no sperm found when you do a semen analysis)  can still father a child through intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection if sperm can be retrieved from their epididymis or testis.

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Some common reasons for this diagnosis are.

• An obstruction preventing release of sperm, due to a previous injury or past infection

• Congenital absence of the vas deferens (men born without the tube that drains the sperm from the testicle)

• Vasectomy

• Non-obstructive azoospermia - the testicles are producing such low numbers of sperm that they don't reach the vas deferens.

 

At Caribbean Fertility Center if the azoospermia is due a blockage percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) is usually attempted first. If that fails then testicular sperm extraction (TESE)  is carried out.

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Many fathers are able to conceive children despite a diagnosis of azoospermia.

SSR is a quick and relatively painless procedure. We use both local anaesthetic. agents and light sedation too ensure that our clients are comfortable during the procedure.

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It requires only a few hours of stay at the center. The material collected will be examined and you will be advised on the same day about the quality of the material and whether there is any sperm present.

The sperm sample obtained is then used to inject the eggs obtained during IVF treatment using the technique of ICSI.