[Study on semen collection from patients with anejaculation by electrostimulation]

Several methods to provoke ejaculations artificially have been used to treat patients with anejaculation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical usefulness of electroejaculation for patients with anejaculation induced by spinal cord injury or surgical operation. Forty patients with spinal cord injury and one with anejaculatin after radical operation for rectal cancer underwent electroejaculation by Brindley's technique and/or modified Seager's technique. To reduce the electric energy consumed in patients, we applied bipolar pulses for modified Seager's technique instead of sine-wave current. Seminal emissions were obtained from 11 out of 18 patients by Brindley's technique and from 24 out of 29 patients by Seager's technique. From the patient with anejaculation after radical operation for rectal cancer, semen was obtained by modified Seager's technique. Most common complications were autonomic dysreflexia and pain. Since these complications disappeared soon after the termination of electrostimulation, this method was thought to be safer than intrathecal injection of neostigmine. Regarding the semen quality, it seemed that total sperm counts got worse as the interval after injury was extended. Not only in the chronic stage but also in the first one month after spinal cord injury, sperm motility was low. It was suggested that dysfunction of the testis and epididymis appeared in the early stage of spinal cord injury.