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Azoospermia

Azoospermia

Azoospermia: Treatment, Causes, Symptoms

One of the causes of male infertility is Azoospermia. It is the complete absence of sperm from the semen ejaculated by male. While 1% of the total men suffer from Azoospermia, it is generally detected in the infertility clinics as the patient may not present with any symptoms. That being said, there are a number of symptoms of Azoospermia.

What are the symptoms of azoospermia?

Azoospermia is seen in around 10-15% of the total infertile men. The symptoms associated with Azoospermia are:

What are the causes of azoospermia?

The causes of obstructive as well as non-obstructive Azoospermia can be at a testicular, pre-testicular or post-testicular level. The probable causes include:

Trauma
Infection
Hormonal
Inflammation
Previous Surgery
Vasectomy
Tumour
Radiation Therapy
Diabetic, liver or kidney dysfunction
Genetic Abnormality

A patient diagnosed with Azoospermia undergoes a detailed investigation and the course of treatment is decided on the basis of the causes of Azoospermia.

In obstructive Azoospermia, surgical sperm retrieval is possible. With advanced technologies like ICSI (Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection), TESA (Testicular Sperm Aspiration), MESA (Microscopic Epididymal Sperm Extraction), Micro TESA (Microsurgical Testicular Sperm Aspiration), PESA (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration), TESE (Testicular Sperm Extraction) there are good chances of achieving a successful pregnancy. Even in non-obstructive azoospermia, TESE or Micro TESE may help in retrieving sperms from the focal areas in the testes.

There are few precautions that one must take when undergoing the treatment. Like avoiding alcohol/smoking, taking good sleep, maintaining a healthy diet & exercise regimen, avoiding chemicals, and taking physician-prescribed medicines and supplements regularly. To avoid the problem in the first place, one must be careful and avoid activities which could damage the reproductive organs, avoiding exposure to radiation, being aware of the medications which could deter sperm production, and avoiding use of tight undergarments.

With the likes of advanced procedures and a good IVF center, treating Azoospermia is not a time-consuming process anymore with a good success ratio. In non-obstructive Azoospermia, with surgical sperm retrieval and ICSI, the success rate is over 40%. On the other hand, in cases of obstructive Azoospermia, an even higher success rate is observed.