Azoopermia is when the semen contains no sperm, what can be the causes of this condition?
1. It’s an obstructive azoospermia, which can be either congenital or obtained by an inflammation of the sperm duct.
2. Non obstructive azoospermia may caused by genetic abnormalities, hormones, radiation exposure, chemotherapy.
3. Hormone dysfunction.
The patients who suffer such problems can now have a baby by finding the sperm directly in their testis. It can be used even with those who can’t ejaculate on the egg collection day due to a physical and/ or mental unreadiness. However, the sperm collected by this method can’t be used Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) because of its limited amount. The sperm has to be used for In vitro fertilization by the ICSI method only. Surgical sperm retrieval can be done by the following 4 methods:
– PESA (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration) is an insertion of a needle through the skin of the testicles into the epididymis to draw the sperm out.
– TESE (Testicular Epididymal Sperm Extraction) is a surgical removal of small pieces of the testis tissue. The sperm in those tissue are extracted by a laboratory method.
– TESA (Testicular Sperm Aspiration) is an insertion of a needle through the testicular skin into the testicles to draw the sperm out.
– MESA (Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration) is a surgical procedure that opens the epididymis tube and draw the sperm out with a needle.
Being diagnosed azoopermia, doesn’t mean that you can’t have children at all anymore. With this sperm collection method, it’s a good choice for couples whose male counterparts can’t collect sperm by a traditional method.
Written by
Sqn.Ldr.Pinyo Hunsajarupan
Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Reproductive Medicine