How does TESA work?
• Under local sedation, a small needle is used to extract sperm directly from the testicle. • Testicular sperm must be used with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). A single sperm, processed in our laboratory, is injected directly into the oocyte (egg), fertilizing it. • Once fertilized, the developing embryo is implanted into the uterus. Prior to TESA, men with no sperm in their ejaculate required much more involved surgery to recover sperm from their testes. This operation would require hospitalization and lengthy recuperation time, as well as high costs. TESA is a fast procedure performed right in the office, requiring only local sedation, and costs much less than surgery. Cryopreservation – Some patients have a very small amount of motile or living sperm in their semen. To increase the amount available for use in IUI, IVF and ICSI, sperm can be frozen (cryopreserved) and stored at the Reproductive Fertility Center cryobank for use in future fer
