There are situations in which the male reproductive system may provide challenges to transport the sperm from the testes into the female reproductive system in order to carry out the fertilization process. When a blockage exists in a portion of the reproductive system, we recommend that the patient undergo PESA. This involves going into the testes with a fine needle in order to collect sperm from the epididymis. This process is done under local anesthesia and is virtually pain free. It can be performed in our office without the use of an OR room.
Once we collect the sample, our embryology team will make an evaluation of the sperm sample and will determine the viability of the sperm.
When we have an adequate number of ‘high quality’ sperm, we recommend that the couple opt for an ICSI cycle, which will yield the highest possibilities of conceiving a child.