Abstract
Couples presenting with male factor infertility comprise an important proportion of clinical reproductive endocrinology consultations. Indeed, a problem with the male is the only cause, or a contributing cause, of infertility in ~40% of infertility evaluations. Here we present the first published deliveries obtained from IVF utilising surgically retrieved sperm in Ireland; pregnancy and delivery are also described following transfer of cryopreserved/thawed embryos derived from such sperm. Finding no sperm from a semen analysis in a man without a vasectomy can be a devastating event, and substantially influences the scope of the reproductive endocrinology consultation. Successful treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia is possible without reliance on anonymous donor sperm.
References
Schlegel PN (1999) Testicular sperm extraction: microdissection improves sperm yield with minimal tissue excision. Hum Reprod 14:131–135
Sills ES, Murray GU, Genton MG, Walsh DJ, Coull GD, Walsh APH (2009) Clinical features and reproductive outcomes for embryos undergoing dual freeze-thaw sequences followed by blastocyst transfer: critique of 14 consecutive cases in IVF. Fertil Steril 91(4 Suppl):1568–1570
Van Perperstraten AM, Proctor ML, Phillpson G, Johnson NP (2001) Techniques for surgical retrieval of sperm prior to ICSI for azoospermia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (4):CD002807
Amelar RD (1990) Robert S. Hotchkiss, MD—remembered. Urology 36:286–288
Palermo G, Joris H, Devroey P, Van Steirteghem AC (1992) Pregnancies after intracytoplasmic injection of single spermatozoon into an oocyte. Lancet 340:17–18
Yang D, Al-Shawaf T, Redgment C, Tsirigotis M, Joshi R, Craft I (1994) Pregnancies after assisted fertilization for “extreme” male factor: report on three cases. Fertil Steril 62:889–892
Schwarzer JU, Fielder K, v Hertwig I et al (2003) Sperm retrieval procedures and intracytoplasmic spermatozoa injection with epididymal and testicular sperms. Urol Int 70:119–123
Schlegel PN, Su LM (1997) Physiological consequences of testicular sperm extraction. Hum Reprod 12:1688–1692
Van Peperstraten A, Proctor ML, Johnson NP, Philipson G (2008) Techniques for surgical retrieval of sperm prior to intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for azoospermia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2):CD002807
Zitzmann M, Nordhoff V, von Schönfeld V et al (2006) Elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels and the chances for azoospermic men to become fathers after retrieval of elongated spermatids from cryopreserved testicular tissue. Fertil Steril 86:339–347
Ramasamy R, Lin K, Veeck Gosden L, Rosenwaks Z, Palermo GD, Schlegel PN (2008) High serum FSH levels in men with nonobstructive azoospermia does not affect success of microdissection testicular sperm extraction. Fertil Steril. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.07.1703
Jacob S, Spillane H, Keane D, Waite K, McSorley G, Harrison RF (2000) Initial experience of a testicular sperm extraction programme for assisted reproduction in Ireland. Ir J Med Sci 169:26–29
Kanto S, Sugawara J, Masuda H, Sasano H, Arai Y, Kyono K (2008) Fresh motile testicular sperm retrieved from nonobstructive azoospermic patients has the same potential to achieve fertilization and pregnancy via ICSI as sperm retrieved from obstructive azoospermic patients. Fertil Steril 90:2010.e5–e7
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Walsh, A.P.H., Yokota, T.T., Walsh, D.J. et al. First reported deliveries in Ireland using surgically retrieved sperm for non-obstructive azoospermia. Ir J Med Sci 180, 251–253 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-010-0613-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-010-0613-0