Endocrine Follow-Up of Men with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia Following Testicular Sperm Extraction

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is a surgical procedure which, combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, constitutes the main treatment for achieving biological parenthood for patients with infertility due to non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Although it is effective, TESE procedures might cause structural testicular damage leading to Leydig cell dysfunction and, consequently, temporary or even permanent hypogonadism with long-term health consequences. To a lesser extent, the same complications have been reported for microdissection TESE, which is considered less invasive. The resulting hypogonadism is more profound and of longer duration in patients with Klinefelter syndrome compared with other NOA causes. Most studies on serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone concentrations negatively correlate with total testosterone concentrations, which depends on the underlying histology. As hypogonadism is usually temporary, and a watchful waiting approach for about 12 months postoperative is suggested. In cases where replacement therapy with testosterone is indicated, temporary discontinuation of treatment may promote the expected recovery of testosterone secretion and revise the decision for long-term treatment.