If you’ve had a vasectomy, you might not consider your chances of having a baby to be particularly high. However, thanks to huge advances in fertility treatment–namely PESA, TESE and ICSI–the route to fatherhood is much more achievable than it was during the mid-1990’s.
A vasectomy is a permanent form of contraception for men which prevents the chance of pregnancy. It involves disconnecting the tube that carries sperms from the testicles to the penis, meaning that no sperm is present when you ejaculate.
You can have a vasectomy reversal to restore your fertility and allow you to conceive, however, the procedure is not always successful and your chances of conception after a vasectomy reversal depend on a number of factors, such as the time since your vasectomy and the type of vasectomy you had. However, many men do not realize that there are alternatives available which allow you to conceive without undergoing a reversal operation.
It is natural for circumstances to change and perhaps you have reached a point in your life where you are now ready to have a family of your own. If this is the case then read on as we guide you through some of the options available to you:
PESA/TESE
PESA and TESE are surgical sperm retrieval methods which are used when the male partner has an absence of sperm in the ejaculate or when there is a blockage. These treatments are minimally invasive and there are two methods of surgical sperm retrieval via PESA or TESE techniques.
PESA or Percutaneous Epidydimal Sperm Aspiration as it is known in long form is the procedure of collecting sperm from the epidydmis which is located inside the scrotum. The sperm is collected using a syringe and fine needle. TESA or Testicular Sperm Aspiration involves extracting sperm from the testicles.
Of the two, PESA is usually the most popular choice of treatment as after the procedure they are able to leave shortly, whereas with TESA, patients may experience some prolonged pain and swelling, however this usually clears up after a day or so. Neither procedure requires the patient to stay overnight and treatment is usually completed within the hour.
ICSI
During the mid-1990’s, couples who were faced with fertility issues such as this would have had no other option but to produce children the natural way, however the introduction of ICSI has allowed all this to change. ICSI is the procedure where a single sperm is selected and then injected into each female egg where it becomes adequate for fertilization.
This procedure therefore goes hand in hand with PESA and TESE – once the sperm is removed during the aforementioned procedures it is injected into the female’s eggs and incubated overnight. After this time the Embryologist will check for signs of fertilization. The fertilization rate is high at 70% and has led to many healthy born babies as a result. Whilst fertilization is not guaranteed, rates of failed fertilization are relatively low and a will usually be due to limited egg supply as opposed to the male partner’s sperm.
Author Note: Interested in learning more about PESA/TESE and ICSI treatments? Founded in 1986, The Bridge Centre paved the way for UK fertility treatments and has gone on to become one of the most established fertility clinics in the world. Visit the website to find out more about these treatments or call 020 7089 1449 to book a consultation.
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