Hidden Sperm FNA Mapping
Creating Beautiful Families When Other Procedures Have Failed
Nothing is more rewarding than helping a man, diagnosed as sterile, realize his dreams of becoming a father. Male fertility expert Dr. Paul Turek’s breakthrough sperm mapping technique gives hope to couples whose previous infertility treatments were unsuccessful.
Based on his research, Dr. Turek found that some men thought to be sterile actually have usable sperm — the problem is that the sperm can be in hard-to-locate “pockets” that go unnoticed during testicular biopsy or microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) procedures.
Dr. Turek’s goal was to develop a technique to “map” out the location of the sperm in the testicles, making it easier to then later retrieve it and use for IVF-ICSI. He compares sperm mapping to a GPS system in a car: It dials in the route to take before you set out to take it. It is the ultimate in “know-before-you-go” technology in the field of infertility. To find out more about sperm mapping from this prestigious doctor, please schedule a consultation.
A Minimally Invasive Approach
Sperm mapping provides valuable information about sperm production, but in a much less invasive, painful, and stressful way than even a simple biopsy can offer. This in-office procedure is performed under local anesthesia using fine needle aspiration (FNA), a technique that is currently popular in the diagnosis of breast cancer. FNA sperm mapping takes about 45 minutes to complete, and the recovery is significantly easier than that of a conventional biopsy. That means that you can resume your everyday activities quickly and without discomfort.
Who Is Sperm Mapping Most Useful For?
Dr. Turek recommends sperm mapping to patients diagnosed with azoospermia, a condition that affects a substantial percentage of men who struggle with fertility issues. This occurs when sperm are not found in a man’s ejaculate. Sperm mapping can accurately tell a patient whether his azoospermia is due to blockage (obstructive azoospermia) or not (nonobstructive azoospermia). Patients with obstructive azoospermia can then undergo microsurgical procedures to “unblock” the system which in many cases leads to ejaculated sperm and natural fertility. In men with nonobstructive azoospermia, finding sperm with sperm mapping is the first crucial step in helping men became biological fathers with assisted reproductive technology.
Why Hidden FNA Sperm Mapping Beats a Conventional Biopsy
Leaves More Testicular Tissue Intact: During a traditional testicular biopsy, substantial amounts of testicular tissue is removed, but this is largely avoided with hidden FNA sperm mapping. Leaving as much of the testicular tissue intact as possible not only helps to protect the survival of the testis but also is far less likely to negatively affect testosterone levels over time, a problem that can compound the fertility issue for infertile men.
Cost Savings: Many patients begin costly sperm retrieval procedures with no clear understanding of whether viable sperm exist. By conducting sperm mapping first, you can conclusively determine whether these procedures are worthwhile. If sperm mapping identifies sperm, Dr. Turek has an extremely high (92-100%) success rate at retrieving it, which means you do not need to worry about paying for “back-up options” (i.e., donor sperm from a sperm bank) for IVF. Likewise, if sperm mapping does not identify pockets of testicular sperm, the chance that any other procedure will find it is <1%. This information is valuable to reduce the need for unnecessary IVF and egg freezing in cases of failed sperm retrieval.
Makes Way for Easier Treatments: After sperm is located with mapping, only about half of patients require micro-TESE to then retrieve sperm for IVF, while the other half can retrieve sperm through less invasive methods like needle aspiration (TESA). Moreover, sperm mapping greatly reduces the chance that both testicles will need a procedure (by 80%) since the location of the sperm is known in advance.
Trying Sperm Mapping After Micro-TESE
Many of Dr. Turek’s sperm mapping patients have previously undergone micro-TESE procedures with unsuccessful results. Since having low sperm production may mean that there are only trace amounts of sperm hidden among 700 feet of tubules, blindly performed micro-TESE procedures are only successful about half the time. With sperm mapping, Dr. Turek can pre-locate sperm presence before the sperm retrieval process — with a 95% chance of finding it upon sperm retrieval.
In a peer-reviewed study published in the Asian Journal of Andrology, Dr. Turek and colleagues looked at 600 men who previously had no sperm discovered with micro-TESE. With help from sperm mapping, they were able to recover sperm in fully 30% of cases that was then used for successful pregnancies. That success rate is welcome news to many men who may have previously been deemed “sterile.”
If sperm is located with sperm mapping, Dr. Turek may recommend another micro-TESE. However, this time, the procedure is far more successful since he knows precisely where the sperm are to be found in the testicle.
You Deserve the Gift of Parenthood
In the face of what can be a very personal, sensitive, and stressful time in a couple’s life, Dr. Turek is devoted to making every patient feel comfortable and confident about their care. He understands that patients often have questions and concerns, and he is very thorough with his answers. Dr. Turek’s warm, caring demeanor and renowned expertise offer reassurance to couples hoping to grow families.
If you have experienced the devastation of failed infertility treatment or have been diagnosed with azoospermia, know that this is not the end of your story. Dr. Turek can help put you on the path toward parenthood.
To learn more about how sperm mapping can help you expand your family, Dr. Turek invites you to schedule an informational consultation at one of his practice locations. Please call or email The Turek Clinic today to schedule your visit.
