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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Vessel-Sparing Microsurgical Longitudinal Intussusception Vasoepididymostomy to Treat Epididymal Obstructive Azoospermia
Published on: May 27, 2022
[Surgical management of male infertility beyond assisted reproductive technology]
1Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510230, China.
Objective:
To investigate the role of urological surgery for male infertility which is beyond the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART).
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed the records of 7 male infertility patients who, having failed to respond to ART, underwent urological surgery from 1999 to 2003. Of the 7 cases, 4 were varicocele, 2 were post-bilateral vasectomy and 1 was bilateral chronic epididymitis. For the 7 patients, 6 times we performed in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and 5 times we attempted intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) , but all failed. After that, we resorted to surgical approaches, ligation of internal spermatic veins in 4 cases, bilateral vasovasostomy in 2, and unilateral epididymovasostomy in 1.
Results:
After surgical intervention, 2 cases fathered children, 1 achieved pregnancy and 3 cases improved in the quality and quantity of seminal fluid; only 1 failed to respond to the therapy.
Conclusion:
In the treatment of male infertility, priority should be given to surgical intervention and, in case of failure, assisted reproductive technology could be considered.
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