Semen Without Sperm: What Causes Azoospermia?

Many men in Ahmedabad have infertility. It can be due to several causes, and one such cause is azoospermia. Do you know what azoospermia is? In this article, we are going to discuss azoospermia, its causes and treatments. 

So, let us learn about azoospermia from our IVF doctor in Ahmedabad.

Azoospermia-What is it?

Azoospermia is a condition where men do not have sperm in their semen. It occurs in about 1% of all men and 15% of infertile men. There are no symptoms that you would notice. However, if you have been trying to get your partner pregnant and become unsuccessful, this condition may be the reason.

What Causes Azoospermia?

You might have a condition that does not allow your testicles to produce sperms or one that does not let the sperms get out of your body in semen. 

There are three main types of azoospermia:

Pretesticular azoospermia: Your testicles are working correctly; however, your body cannot get them to make sperm. It could happen due to low hormone levels or after you have had chemotherapy. This type is rare.

Testicular azoospermia: Your testicles are damaged, which stops them from producing sperm normally. It can occur due to:

• An infection in the reproductive tract, like epididymitis and urethritis
• An illness during childhood such as viral orchitis especially due to mumps. It leads to swelling of one or both testicles
• Groin injury
• Cancer or cancer treatments, such as radiation
• Genetic, such as Klinefelter’s syndrome

Post-testicular azoospermia: Your testicles produce normal sperm, but something stops them from going out, like:

• Blockage in the tubes which carry sperm from the testicles to the penis. This is known as obstructive azoospermia.
• Vasectomy
• Retrograde ejaculation is when semen enters your bladder instead of out of your penis

About 40% of men with azoospermia have the post-testicular type.

Now that you know what causes azoospermia let us discuss the treatment options.

How can you Treat Azoospermia?

Fertility treatment depends on the specific kind of azoospermia and its causes. Your female partner’s fertility condition also determines treatment choices.

The most common treatment options for azoospermia are mentioned below:

Surgical repair

In a few cases of obstructive azoospermia, blockages can be repaired with microsurgical procedures. You may opt for surgical treatment to remove or treat a varicocele and retrograde ejaculation.

When surgery can fix obstructive azoospermia, you can go for natural conception. Surgical treatments cannot fix the problem overnight. However, your specialist will perform a semen analysis three to six months post-surgery.

If your sperm levels are normal, and there are no fertility issues in your female partner, you can conceive naturally. However, if your sperm levels are still abnormal after surgery, you can go for other treatments.

Sperm extraction from post-ejaculate urine

If you have retrograde ejaculation and treating it is not possible, your doctor can retrieve sperms from post-ejaculate urine. After that, according to the amount of sperm available and any female fertility problems, you can go for IUI or IVF treatment.

Testicular/Epididymal sperm extraction/aspiration with IVF and ICSI

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) or percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), may be used to take sperm cells directly from your testes or epididymis. You will receive general anaesthesia before the procedure.

The specialist will make a small incision in the scrotum and extract tissue from the testes in TESE or with a small needle, he will aspirate sperm from the epididymis in PESA. Your doctor will examine the tissue for sperm cells. If you do not want to use them right away, you can cryopreserve them.

You can go for TESE if you have obstructive azoospermia, which is blocking your sperm cells from getting into the ejaculate. 

Sperm cells extracted via TESE can be used with IVF and ICSI. So, you can visit an IVF centre in Ahmedabad to get this procedure done.

Your specialist will inject the sperm cells directly injected into an egg. After successful fertilization, the resulting embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus.

Takeaway

Some men might feel ashamed or embarrassed about their condition, and hence do not inform their doctor about their male infertility diagnosis. However, since there is an increased risk of overall health problems, it is necessary to consult with your doctor and let them know.

With the treatment and technologies available today, azoospermia is a manageable condition. So, you do not have to worry about it. You should not worry about the IVF cost in Ahmedabad at our hospital as the treatment is easily affordable for everyone.

Consult your fertility specialist if you feel that you might be having this condition. They can help you plan out your treatment and eventually achieve a healthy pregnancy.