What is MESA/TESE?
Modern MESA/TESE methods can obtain sperm capable of fertilisation even with unfavourable spermiogram results.
Male infertility is found in 20 – 50% of couples who experience difficulty in conceiving. In 90% of these cases, complications are related to the quality of the male reproductive cells — their quantity in the sample, motility, shape and their cellular DNA damage. Male infertility can be caused by a number of factors ranging from age and lifestyle to genetic and medical causes, such as infectious diseases, chemotherapy and injuries.
Contemporary medicine, specifically in andrology, has advanced significantly in the options it offers for couples with male infertility. In the case of low sperm concentrations in the sample, we often opt for hormonal treatment with testosterone. If sperm are completely absent in the ejaculate, known as azoospermia, the cause may be obstructive, from a mechanical disturbance in the ducts between the testis and urethra, or non-obstructive.
Obstructive azoospermia most often occurs after inflammation, a vasectomy, or a congenital defect in the development of the fallopian tubes. Non-obstructive azoospermia manifests as a defect or absence of germinal tissue in the testes and has various causes. Examples of these are genetic causes, conditions after chemotherapy, congenital disorders concerning testicular descent and hormonal insufficiency.
Identifying the cause or causes is the most important factor that will help us predict the prospects of obtaining usable sperm by MESA/TESE methods. In the case of obstructive causes of azoospermia, we achieve up to 95% success rate, while in non-obstructive methods cases, this rate is up to 50%. We always, however, assess each couple’s chances individually according to current hormonal results and the history of previous interventions and their success rates.
