Open AccessProgressing management of non‐obstructive azoospermia in the era of microdissection testicular sperm extraction
Author(s) -
Kanto Satoru,
Yamasaki Kazumitsu,
Iwamoto Teruaki
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
reproductive medicine and biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1447-0578
pISSN - 1445-5781
DOI - 10.1007/s12522-014-0178-0
Subject(s) - testicular sperm extraction , microdissection , obstructive azoospermia , intracytoplasmic sperm injection , azoospermia , sperm retrieval , medicine , sperm , andrology , gynecology , urology , infertility , biology , in vitro fertilisation , embryo , pregnancy , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , genetics , gene
Previously, it was absolutely impossible for azoospermic men to reproduce except in some obstructive azoospermic cases for whom reconstruction of the seminal pathway was successful. However, nowadays, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and microdissection testicular sperm extraction have brought about chances of biological paternity in some non‐obstructive azoospermic men. It is almost 15 years since the first trials of testicular sperm retrieval using surgical microscopy for non‐obstructive azoospermia were reported. In this manuscript, the progress and outcomes of these novel techniques since then are reviewed, the controversial points are discussed and the latest research to achieve pregnancies in tough non‐obstructive azoospermic couples are introduced. Not only the bright side of the renovations, but the underlying concerns are also discussed.