TESE & PESA

TESE or testicular sperm extraction is a surgical biopsy of the testis whereas TESA or testicular sperm aspiration is performed by inserting a needle in the testis and aspirating fluid and tissue with negative pressure. The aspirated tissue is then processed in the embryology laboratory and the sperm cells extracted are used for ICSI.

PESA or Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA), does not require a surgical incision. A small needle is passed directly into the head of the epididymis through the scrotal skin and fluid is aspirated. The embryologist retrieves the sperm cells from the fluid and prepares them for ICSI.

TESE (Testicular sperm extraction) & PESA (Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration)

Among couples presenting for treatment at Sri Ankura Fertility Centre because of male infertility, some male partners have no sperms at all in their semen (a condition called azoospermia). This occurs in one in 100 men.

Fortunately, in most of these men sperm may be found in the epididymis (where sperms are stored) or the testicle (where sperms are produced). These sperms can fertilize an egg if directly injected into it using the ICSI technique.

Until this method was developed, such men were considered infertile and could not father children of their own. Today, many couples conceive with the assistance of TESE and ICSI at our medical center.

The extraction procedure is performed under local or general anaesthesia. Testicular tissue is submitted to the IVF lab where it is scanned under a microscope and sperm is extracted. Usually, there is a small number of sperm in such a tissue sample, and some of them lack the capacity to move forward. Thanks to the ICSI technique, only one sperm is needed to fertilize each egg, and in most cases fertilization does occur with the development of an embryo.