The history and development of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is directly linked to the introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the early 1990’s.
Link to ICSI
In an ICSI procedure, a woman’s egg is fertilized by injecting a single sperm. Men with low sperm count, low sperm motility or a lack of healthy sperm need only provide a sample containing a few viable sperm. Unfortunately, the procedure does not help men who cannot provide sperm via ejaculate.
By the mid 1990’s, researchers began investigating ways to help men who suffer from defects or blockages, but continue to produce sperm. In some males, a blockage or congenital defect may prevent the sperm from entering into the ejaculate fluid. In these men, the sperm remain in the testes.
Early Studies
Trial studies began in 1995. These studies concluded that TESE is a viable treatment for some men suffering from male factor subfertility. Subfertility is a term used to describe a condition, in which the patient is not entirely infertile, because sperm are present.
Early studies concluded that TESE is viable in some males who have obstructions, congenital defects or impairments. It may also be useful in extracting sperm from males who have testicular trauma.
The procedure is performed under local anesthetic. It is a biopsy procedure, in which a small portion of testicular tissue is excised. Early studies also revealed that the procedure could possibly detect the early stages of undiagnosed testicular tumors.
Sperm Extraction Today
Today, men who have been diagnosed as infertile have another option. A TESE can determine if viable sperm are present in the testes. Because only one sperm is needed for ICSI, the single sperm can be extracted from the tissue and the remaining tissue can be cryogenically frozen for subsequent ICSI procedures.
