Male Infertility A child of my own - Andrology Australia

HAVINGA FAMILYcan sometimes have sperm collected from thesperm-producing tubes in the testis or other partsof the genital tract. A needle biopsy (an operationto remove a small sample of tissue or cells frompart of the body for testing and examination undera microscope) is sometimes done for these men.A fine needle is inserted into the testis under localanaesthetic. A biopsy can also help determine thetype of problem. If mature sperm can be foundin the tissues of this small sample, these cansometimes be frozen or more needle biopsies canbe done to collect enough sperm for use in ICSI.For men with severe sperm production problems,where no mature sperm can be seen in a smallneedle biopsy sample, it still may be possible toget sperm from an open biopsy of the testis whichis done under general anaesthetic. More tissuesamples can be collected from several sites in thissurgical procedure, which increases the chance offinding some usable sperm for ICSI.What are the chances of finding sperm bytesticular biopsy?Success rates for both needle and open testicularbiopsies vary and depend on the reason for theinfertility problem.The chance of finding sperm using a needle biopsyis excellent in all cases of azoospermia caused by ablockage of the reproductive tract.MALE INFERTILITY 50