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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
10:41
Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice
Published on: February 6, 2012
Therapeutic testis biopsy for sperm retrieval.
Moshe Wald1, Antoine A Makhlouf, Craig S Niederberger
1Department of Urology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1089, USA. moshe-wald@uiowa.edu
Current Opinion in Urology
|October 9, 2007
Summary
Surgical sperm retrieval techniques, including testicular sperm extraction, offer options for male infertility treatment. The best method for azoospermia depends on the specific type and clinical factors.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Urology
- Andrology
Background:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have transformed male infertility treatment.
- Minimal sperm numbers are now sufficient for achieving pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various testicular sperm retrieval methods for different types of azoospermia.
- To guide the selection of appropriate sperm retrieval techniques.
Main Methods:
- Testicular sperm aspiration (TSA)
- Testicular sperm extraction (TSE) - single, multi-site, microdissection
- Percutaneous and microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA/MESA)
Main Results:
- Sperm retrieval outcomes are similar for obstructive azoospermia across techniques.
- Testicular sperm extraction (TSE) shows greater benefit in nonobstructive azoospermia.
- Predictive algorithms for microdissection TSE are lacking due to focal spermatogenesis detection.
Conclusions:
- Multiple surgical sperm retrieval procedures are available for IVF/ICSI.
- Procedure choice depends on azoospermia type, clinical context, and surgeon expertise.
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