Fertility issues are becoming more common in both men and women due to various factors like unhealthy lifestyle practices, underlying diseases, and genetic conditions. Male factors attribute up to 50 percent of the fertility issues, and Azoospermia is one such possible cause that affects 1 percent of the men. Nevertheless, we are in a world driven by fascinating technology, which helps us get as many solutions as possible for any given issue. Azoospermia can be diagnosed as two kinds;
- Obstructive Azoospermia – where the sperms are produced but get blocked in your reproductive tract, resulting in an ejaculation that doesn’t contain sperm. This may be due to a vasectomy, a blockage in the tube, or retrograde ejaculation, where the semen tends to go inside your bladder instead of coming out of your penis.
- Non-obstructive Azoospermia – where there is an abnormal or no production of sperm due to the failure of spermatogenesis. Non-obstructive Azoospermia is once again subdivided into pre-testicular and testicular determinants;
- Pretesticular Non-obstructive Azoospermia: This rare condition is said to be the one where your testicles might be normal, but your body may produce impaired hormones and sperms, primarily because of low hormone levels or after having a chemotherapy
- Testicular Non-obstructive Azoospermia: An atypicality in the function or structure of the testicles causes this condition, which can happen because of any infections like epididymitis or urethritis, a groin injury, or any genetic disorders like Klinefelter’s syndrome
Testicular Non-obstructive Azoospermia: An atypicality in the function or structure of the testicles causes this condition, which can happen because of any infections like epididymitis or urethritis, a groin injury, or any genetic disorders like Klinefelter’s syndrome
The most common way to ascertain the type of Azoospermia is through semen analysis, medical history, and physical examination. There are many treatments available for curing Azoospermia and helping you and your partner conceive. Regarding the obstructive Azoospermia, our doctors have hands-on specialization in delicate treatments for effectively restoring the flow of your sperm by correcting any blockage in tubes or creating connections that failed to develop due to congenital disabilities. The standard treatments that are based on the diagnosis include;
Transurethral Resection of the Ejaculatory Ducts (TURED): Any obstruction in the ejaculatory duct will be removed and fixed through a small surgical procedure, leading the semen and sperm to mix and form into a healthy and fertile ejaculation.
Vasectomy Reversal: For those men who have had a vasectomy in the past for various reasons and now have second thoughts can still help your partner to conceive by having a vasectomy reversal procedure.
Circumcision: This procedure involves the removal of the narrow foreskin, known as the phimosis, that blocks the semen from coming out of the penis.
Microsurgical Testicular Sperm Extraction (microTESE): This non-surgical proven technique is done by extracting the testicular tissue with the sperm using a small incision in the scrotum. Once done, the retrieved sperm will be used for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
On the other hand, non-obstructive Azoospermia is diagnosed by studying the male’s hormonal evaluation and endocrine profile. The treatment options may be lesser when compared to Obstructive Azoospermia but are effective to an extent.
Hormonal optimization: Drugs and medications are usually prescribed for correcting the testosterone level and try to bring in the production of sperm. The drugs help normalize the testosterone level and double the chances of finding the sperm during the surgical sperm extraction procedure.
Retrieval of Testicular sperm: Apart from those with secondary testicular failures, some researches are still taking place for finding out a treatment that can restore spermatogenesis. Techniques like microTESE and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) are the ideal procedures to retrieve the sperm without causing any major trauma to the testes.
Varicocelectomy: Varicocele tends to be enlarged and widened for some men, which obstructs sperm production. A microscopic varicocelectomy is usually performed, where the offending veins are identified and tied off while preserving critical surrounding structures like arteries, vas deferens, lymphatic channels. Most of the men see their sperm return to their semen after this procedure. There may or may not be the same response for every patient. However, you will still be able to achieve pregnancy with a biological baby through In vitro fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). It’s important that you understand the cause of the issue first, adapt to a healthier lifestyle, break the taboo of fertility issues, and move ahead confidently.