Controlled comparison of percutaneous and microsurgical sperm retrieval in men with obstructive azoospermia. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • A controlled comparison of the efficacy and reliability of sperm retrieval by testicular fine needle aspiration (TFNA), percutaneous testicular needle biopsy (PercBiopsy) and microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) was performed in nine patients with obstructive azoospermia. During a planned MESA procedure, sperm retrieval was attempted on the same testis with TFNA and PercBiopsy. Spermatozoa were obtained from all patients using MESA and PercBiopsy. Spermatozoa were retrieved using TFNA from 6/9 (67%) men. The mean number of epididymal spermatozoa retrieved with MESA (15 x 106) was significantly higher (P = 0.003) than that retrieved percutaneously from the testis. The mean number of spermatozoa obtained by PercBiopsy was 0.116 x 10(6) while TFNA recovered 0.014 x 106 spermatozoa (P = 0.025). MESA is the optimal choice to retrieve the greatest number of spermatozoa with highest motility for assisted reproduction and subsequent cryopreservation. However, percutaneous testicular retrieval does not require microsurgical expertise and is less invasive. Our results suggest that the optimal percutaneous procedure for sperm retrieval from the testis involves percutaneous testicular needle biopsy with an automatic biopsy gun.

publication date

  • November 1, 1998

Research

keywords

  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Microsurgery
  • Oligospermia
  • Spermatozoa
  • Suction
  • Testis

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0031721069

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1093/humrep/13.11.3086

PubMed ID

  • 9853861

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 13

issue

  • 11