Testicular Fine Needle Aspiration. With testicular fine needle aspiration (TFNA), the surgeon uses a fine needle to remove sperm. This can be performed with local anesthetic and by surgeons who do not have experience in microsurgeries.

Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration. Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) uses microsurgical techniques to collect sperm that are close to blocked portions of the epididymis. It involves an open incision and may be done under general or spinal anesthesia in a hospital setting, although the patient can often go home the same day. The doctor accesses the epididymis and retrieves sperm with an extremely fine needle-like device. It has the advantage that it can retrieve the largest number of sperm compared to other procedures. However, as with any invasive procedure, it carries some risks of complications, such as bleeding or infection.

Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration. Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) uses a needle to obtain mature sperm from areas in the upper parts of the epididymis (the coiled tube where sperm are stored before ejaculation). It is performed under local anesthesia, sometimes in the doctor's office, is less expensive than other techniques, and recovery is fairly painless. However, it has less of a chance of achieving sufficient sperm than MESA, and there is also a chance of hitting a blood vessel, causing bleeding.

Testicular Sperm Extraction. Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is a microsurgery that removes a small amount of tissue from one or more areas of the testes using incisions and microsurgery techniques. The tissue is placed in a culture and chopped into tiny pieces, and the sperm are extracted. It is a complex process, however, and may cause more pain than other sperm retrieval procedures.

Testicular Sperm Aspiration. Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) uses a needle-like biopsy device to draw a small sample of testicular tissue. Multiple attempts are sometimes required to retrieve sperm.

Sperm Washing

Methods for washing sperm can help improve the ability of sperm to move towards the egg. Sperm washing can also help remove sexually transmitted viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis, that could potentially be transmitted to the woman during fertility treatment. The simplest method involves:

• The sperm is mixed with a nutrient-rich fluid (or culture media) in a test tube.
• They are then centrifuged (spun very rapidly) for about 5 minutes.
• The sperm, which are heavy, settle on the bottom, forming a dense button of millions of pure sperm. The fluid left on top is siphoned off.
• This procedure may be repeated.

Swim-Up Technique

• < Page
1 2 3 4 5
• >

Review Date: 10/21/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)