18:35 6th January 2018 | Fertility Assessment

FertilitySure Semen Analysis Assessment Sperm Treatment Option Treatment Process Male Fertility Assisted Reproductive Procedures

Some causes of male fertility challenges may have simple solutions while others require more advanced treatments. After an assessment, the reason for infertility will help determine the best treatment plan to improve chances of conception.

What Does an Assessment Entail

After minor challenges have been ruled out by a physician at a Medicentre, a FertilitySure assessment for men or couples is recommended. For men, an assessment consists of a semen analysis. Once a sample has been provided, results will be available in under two hours and discussed with a fertility specialist. After a FertilitySure assessment, 90% of couples learn the cause of their fertility challenges. As a male, you may want to keep the process discreet before approaching your partner. In this case, a FertilitySure assessment for men is recommended.

What Aspects of Semen are Analysed

• APPEARANCE: Check for abnormalities.
• VOLUME: Check quantity of semen produced.
• MOTILITY: Examine sperm movement.
• MORPHOLOGY: Examine shape and size of sperm.
• CONCENTRATION: Determine number of sperm cells per semen sample.

Results from the semen analysis will provide answers that will determine the best advanced treatment option.

Blood work may also be required to rule out hormonal imbalances or genetic conditions. FIND OUT MORE

What if Abnormalities are Found or a Condition is Diagnosed?

1. First you need to know that male infertility is common.
2. Secondly, rest assured that you are not alone. Bridge Clinic specialists and other team members understand what you’re going through and are here to help you through the treatment process.
3. Thirdly, we offer advanced treatments that allow us to bypass the majority of male fertility challenges.

Assisted Reproductive Procedures that Involve Women

• IUI (Intrauterine Insemination): A relatively "low-tech" assisted conception procedure. A catheter is used to place a number of washed sperm directly into the uterus.
• IVF with ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection): During this procedure, a single sperm is injected directly into the partner's egg to bypass male infertility challenges such as low count, low motility and poor quality of sperm.
• IVF with IMSI (Intracytoplasmic Morphologically-collected Sperm Injection): Sperm are selected before the microinjection takes place. This technique is believed to increase the chances of successful implantation of the pre-embryo.

Find out more about Specialist Care treatments

What causes infertility in men?

• Sperm abnormalities
• High semen volume: sperm is diluted and therefore less effective
• No sperm in semen due to transport problems or production problems
• Low semen production due to blockages, infections, hormonal abnormalities or retrograde ejaculation

Get more details about the causes of fertility challenges here: What is the Cause of Male Factor Infertility?

If you suspect that the cause of your infertility challenge requires a fertility specialist’s assistance, book a FertilitySure assessment directly for fast results.

Semen Collection Procedures

Once the cause has been diagnosed, a treatment will be recommended and a semen sample will need to be collected for an IVF, or more advanced, assisted reproductive procedure. If a semen sample cannot be collected naturally (that is, by ejaculating into a clean sample cup), there are five surgical sperm collection (SSC) options which are very advanced, yet more invasive.

1. TESA (testicular sperm aspiration): Fluid inside the testicle is retrieved by penetrating the skin of the scrotum with a needle attached to a syringe. A similar procedure, Perc Biopsy (percutaneous) is similar to TESA, but with a larger needle to biopsy testicular tissue and extract a larger number of sperm.
2. PESA (percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration): A needle, attached to a syringe, is placed directly into the epididymis (a tube that is part of the human male reproductive system that holds the testicles in place).
3. TESE (testicular sperm extraction): Via a small incision in the testis, the tubules is examined for the presence of sperm. The procedure, which can be performed under local anesthesia (in office) or in the operating room (with sedation), can be scheduled or coordinated with the female partner’s egg retrieval.
4. MESA (microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration): During this open surgical sperm retrieval procedure, an operating microscope is used to locate the tubules of the epididymis precisely, so that large numbers of sperm can be extracted.
5. Microdissection TESE : This procedure is recommended for men who have a sperm production problem or men who are azoospermic. It is performed with general anesthesia, under the operating microscope, in the operating room. The procedure is performed one day after the female partner’s egg retrieval.

If you need to undergo any of these procedures, we recommend extracting additional samples for sperm freezing (cryopreservation). If the first procedure doesn’t result in a birth, you can use the preserved samples and avoid undergoing an invasive procedure again.

We are here to assist you. To book an assessment, contact Bridge Clinic today:

Book Appointment
Tel:    +234 (0)1 631 0092
Email: enquiries@thebridgeclinic.com

WhatsApp: 0810 460 7791

Learn More About Male Factor Fertility

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