Q: Who performs a testicular biopsy?
A: A testicular biopsy can be performed by a general surgeon or an urologist.
Q: What is meant by TeSE?
A: TeSe refers to testicular sperm extraction. It is a procedure resorted to in men with infertility who don’t have obstruction of the vas deferens (as this can be surgically treated). TeSE offers the hope of fathering a child for such men provided the testes contain viable sperms.
Q: What are the chances of retrieving sperm by TeSE?
A: The chances of recovering sperms for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in non-obstructive azoospermia is around 50 to 60% according studies. It is 100% in cases of obstructive azoospermia.
Q: Is it possible for a man not to have any sperm in his testes?
A: Though extremely rare, it can occur if both the testes are absent or severely atrophic. Additionally, when there is testicular failure due to various causes, the process of spermatogenesis may be absent or arrested leading to the absence of viable sperms.
Q: What is the approximate cost of TeSE procedure?
A: The cost of TeSE is highly variable ranging from 500£ in certain countries such as the UK to nearly 2500£ in India. Please consult your specialist for the exact rates.
Q: What is micro TeSE?
A: In this procedure, the urologist or surgeon identifies parts of the testes most likely to have viable sperm using a specialized microscope. Thus, the amount of testicular tissue biopsied for sperm extraction is minimal compared to conventional TeSE. It is a day procedure and costs about a lakh of rupees.
Q: What is PESA?
A: PESA refers to percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration. It involves using a needle to aspirate the sperm, but the needle is placed directly within the epididymis.
Q: What is MESA?
A: MESA is microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration, and involves using a special microscope to locate those tubules in the epididymis likely to yield greater quantities of sperm, so that larger amounts of sperm can be obtained.
