Healthy sperm post-vasectomy

December 23, 2008 at 2:01 pm · Filed under andrology, sperm retrieval and tagged: epididymis, sperm retrieval, TESE, vasectomy

This always seems to come up in discussions with patients and embryologists with whom I work:

• After a vasectomy, where can the healthiest sperm be found?

The answer is the testicle.  Sperm located in the epididymis after a vasectomy is often damaged and non-functional.  A normal epididymis has many functions that include sperm maturation, transport, and development.  After a vasectomy, this critical epididymal functions get disrupted. The testicle, on the other hand, continues to produce healthy sperm as if nothing ever happened.  This testicular sperm can be used for ICSI.

After a vasectomy, testicular sperm can be retrieved with a simple, painless, in-office procedure.

Dr S

This is a microscopic image of a testicular biopsy specimen

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