What is Azoospermia?
Azoospermia is a medical term. It is used to refer to the absence of sperm in a man’s ejaculate. It is classified into two types. It is obstructive when sperm is prevented from entering the ejaculate due to some blockage and it is non-obstructive when testes are producing low or no amount of sperm. It can lead to infertility in men. 15% of men of total world’s population, suffering with infertility, is azoospermic. Besides, 1% of all men population are diagnosed to be azoospermic.
How obstructive azoospermia is distinguished from non-obstructive azoospermia?
To discover whether a man is having obstructive or non-obstructive azoospermia, they had to underwent biopsy in the past. However, now biopsy is rarely performed.Now most often, infertility specialists predict what type of azoospermia a man is suffering from with high accuracy.
What are the cause of Azoospermia?
The potential causes of azoospermia are enlisted below:
- Kleinfelter’s Syndrome.
- Chemo or Radiation Therapy.
- Drug Abuse.
- Anatomical Abnormalities.
- Vasectomy.
- Poor testicular development.
- Genetic Conditions.
However, if a couple fail to conceive after trying for more than an year, they should consult with an infertility specialist and get themselves tested. For diagnosing azoospermia, semen analysis are performed with semen samples taken at different occasions.
How azoospermic men can start a family?
When surgery and medication fail to treat azoospermia, people often give up. But there are following medical techniques available to help azoospermic men start a family:
- In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
- Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA)
- Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA)
- Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA)
- Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)
How is Azoospermia diagnosed?
Azoospermia is usually diagnosed when a couple, facing difficulty in conceiving, visit an infertility specialist. For determining the root cause of infertility, a semen analysis is performed. The amount of viable sperm is observed in this analysis. When no sperm is detected, additional testing is recommended to remove doubts. The additional testing involves High Speed Centrifuge.
Which is the best Azoospermia treatment available?
Azoospermia treatment differs with its cause. There can be a number of treatments available for one specific cause.The best azoospermia treatment is the customized approach based on a number of factors which include, partner’s age, physical exam findings, reproductive function, blood test results, physical exam findings, etc.
If azoospermia is due to blockage, reconstruction and surgery to fix anatomical abnormalities can be an option. For some changing lifestyle habits and removing drug usage might help. Sometimes, it can be treated in a fraction of time and sperm can be produced if it is due to hormonal imbalances and the issues are addressed timely. Whereas, for some going for sperm retrieval can help in achieving fatherhood through assisted reproductive technique. However, it is imperative for these procedures to be performed by experienced and qualified doctors for desired outcomes. For men suffering with non-obstructive azoospermia, micro dissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) is used to find sperm and use it in assisted reproductive technique.
Any man who has failed to conceive naturally due tolow or no sperm count found from a detailed semen analysis is suffering from it and eligible to get such azoospermia treatments.
ICSI Success Stories
Having infertility related issues and undergoing its treatment is physically draining and mentally stressful. It can be an emotional roller coaster for many. People require physical and mental strength to go through such a complex treatment. Hence, ICSI success stories help people in staying mentally strong. When a person is mentallystrong, physical strength is apparent.
Knowing that to have a conceive successfully and have a biological child you will have to go through ICSI is not an easy pill to swallow. It is quite hard keeping in view the social dynamics of this country. One such couple was diagnosed with low sperm count due to which they were unable to conceive. Their infertility specialist at Australian Concept’s IVF Clinic recommended them to go for ICSI. They were a young couple therefore, it was assumed that there first attempt will definitely be successful. Our staff counselled them and told them to stay positive and hopeful through the entire procedure. Within a month of their ICSI treatment, they conceived successfully and are now parents to a set of twins.
The infertility clinic you choose plays a key role in converting your infertility treatment journey into a success story. The success rate of the clinic and expertise of the specialists is to be determined before choosing an infertility clinic for your treatment. Australian Concept’s IVF Clinic has the highest success rate in Pakistan and it is contributing immensely towards the success of IVF in Pakistan.
