Male Infertility A child of my own - Andrology Australia

APPENDICESABSENCE OF VAS DEFERENSfluid in the ejaculate, so absence of the seminalvesicles can cause a smaller amount of ejaculate(usually about 0.5 ml, compared with a normalman of more than 2 ml). The seminal vesicles alsomake the ejaculate alkaline, so when they are notthere the ejaculate is more acidic.How is absence of the vas deferens andseminal vesicles treated?At this stage there are no surgical treatments thatwill cure CAVD. ICSI is usually needed if menwish to have a family. When the vas deferens andseminal vesicles are missing, it is usually possible tocollect sperm directly from the testis or from thesmall remaining part of the epididymis.[See section: ‘Having a Family’ for more information]What are other considerations for menwith CAVD?Due to the genetic basis of this problem, boththe man and his partner must have a blood testto check for changes in the CFTR gene, beforestarting assisted reproduction treatments. If bothpartners have CFTR mutations, then there is aone in four chance of severe cystic fibrosis in theirchildren. It may be possible to test the fertilisedeggs, using a technique known as pre-implantationgenetic diagnosis (PGD). Only the embryos thatare not affected by the CFTR mutations aretransferred to the woman’s uterus.MALE INFERTILITY 88