Male infertility is a common issue among couples. It accounts for more than 50% of the infertility issues in India. There are a number of factors that contribute to infertility in men, such as low sperm count, poor sperm motility, etc. Fertility specialists have now come up with advanced techniques, such as TESA procedures, to help deal with low sperm count effectively.
Low sperm count and its causes:
Oligospermia, or low sperm count, is a medical condition where the male partner has less than 15 million per millimeter of semen. The normal sperm count range is generally 39 million sperm per ejaculate. There are a number of causes for low sperm count, such as
- Varicocele: Varicocele is the bulging or distention in the veins of the testicles. Veins are blood vessels that carry blood rich in carbon dioxide away from the testicles for purification. In variocele, these veins are widened and will impact the quantity and quality of the sperm.
- Infection in the testicles: Sexually transmitted diseases, inflammation, and scarring can damage the tissues in the testicle. Such infection can seriously affect sperm production.
- Tumors: Both cancerous and non-cancerous growth in the testicles can hamper sperm production.
- Hormonal problems: Impaired functioning of the pituitary gland can affect the functioning of the male sex organs and the production of sperm.
- Genetic and chromosomal problems
- Exposure to heat
- Smoking and alcohol consumption
- Stress
Fertility centres render a host of low sperm count treatment options to help couples deal with these infertility issues.
Treatment for low sperm count – TESA procedure:
TESA is a sperm retrieval technique through a simple and non-invasive procedure. TESA procedure is the treatment of choice for couples who face infertility issues because of low sperm count. Doctors use this procedure in conjugation with the ICSI technique to help men with low sperm count to conceive.
It is a quick and relatively painless technique to retrieve sperms. It is generally performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia. In this procedure, doctors will insert a fine needle into the testes to aspirate the sperm. The needle will have a tube attached to it and will collect the sperms.
The doctors will retrieve the sperm and preserve it for other assisted reproductive techniques such as ICSI. This procedure will directly involve injecting a single sperm into the egg and fertilizing it. Doctors will then transfer the fertilized egg into the uterus to allow it to grow full term.
Benefits of the TESA procedure:
TESA is the best low sperm count treatment. It offers a number of advantages for couples with infertility, and they are as follows,
- The TESA procedure is highly successful in retrieving sperm from testicles.
- It is the treatment of choice for those who have obstructions in their reproductive tract.
- This is a minimally invasive procedure that has a very short recovery period. The individual also suffers minimal discomfort.
- The sperm thus extracted can be of great use in different fertility treatments. Thus, it offers couples ample options to achieve pregnancy.
FAQ:
What is the success rate of the TESA procedure?
Sperm recovery by the TESA procedure is 100% successful in most men. The overall clinical pregnancy rate per cycle is about 34%
Bottom Line:
TESA procedure is typically recommended for men who have been diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia. It is a treatment of choice for those with issues in sperm production and transport. It helps couples facing challenges to move closer toward their goal of parenthood.
