Surgical sperm retrival & andrology Services
Surgical sperm retrieval (SSR) is actually an umbrella term that refers to a variety of different techniques that can be used to obtain sperm from a man. Because there is very little, if any, sperm in the man’s ejaculate, it is necessary to extract sperm directly from the vas deferens, epididymis or the testicles.
Surgical sperm retrieval is not for every man. In general, those men who are experiencing infertility due to one of the following reasons may be able to use SSR in combination with ICSI and IVF in order to produce a pregnancy:
- Blockage in the vas deferens or epididymis
- Congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD)
- Sperm production difficulties
There are a variety of methods used to surgically remove sperm from within the genital tract. Which form of SSR is best for you will depend upon the reason why sperm is absent from your ejaculateThey are generally classified as being minor procedures and often require no more than local anesthetic and a recovery period of only a few days.
Sperm retrieval is done when pregnancy is the goal but not possible without help. It is for men who have little or no sperm in the semen, or men who aren’t able to ejaculate. In these cases, sperm can be collected from other parts of the reproductive tract. For good pregnancy rates, sperm retrieval is used with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
The way to check for sperm in the semen is to do a semen analysis. Your urologist will look at your semen under a microscope. No sperm in the semen (“azoospermia”) may mean sperm retrieval is needed.