Male Infertility

Identifying Cause of Male Infertility, Initiating a Plan

Targeted diagnostic and therapeutic services in male infertility treatment make it possible for men to become fathers. What’s more, the misconception that infertility is a woman’s issue has provided an opportunity for raising awareness and education.

Male infertility alone is an underlying cause in 50 percent of cases of couples’ inability to become pregnant. Ovation® has assembled a team of partner physicians and scientists who specialize in treating male infertility through advanced reproductive technologies and individualized recommendations for optimizing couples’ chance to conceive.

The fertility specialist will obtain vital information for diagnosing the cause of male infertility and generating an effective and personalized treatment plan. The most helpful test in our toolbox is semen analysis because it provides detailed reports from our top-tier IVF laboratories. The data are individually read and analyzed by some of the leading andrologists in the world.

Semen Analysis at Ovation IVF Labs

The sperm count present in semen, and the volume of seminal fluid, provide valuable clues as to what could be causing male infertility. Our semen analysis covers a full array of diagnostic criteria:

  • Sperm count
  • Sperm morphology
  • Sperm motility
  • Semen volume
  • Semen liquefaction

In addition to semen analysis, male infertility assessments, in conjunction with a fertility specialist, will involve a preliminary health history followed by blood testing for hormonal factors.

If we determine that male infertility factors could interfere with conception, your reproductive endocrinologist will help develop a plan for treatment, which may include a consultation with a urologist.

Ovation works with reputable urologists who complement our fertility services with procedures to procure sperm when none are present in the ejaculate, or to correct sperm delivery problems.

Male Infertility: Common Causes

Beyond the obvious ejaculatory issues and previous injuries or surgeries involving the testicles, men may be unaware of reproductive hurdles that will make it difficult or impossible for conception to occur. Ovation partner physicians have created an extensive resource library to aid in understanding the causes of male infertility and the treatment options available.

A man’s ability to produce healthy sperm that is motile enough and able to effectively fertilize an egg can be negatively affected by environmental, physical and hormonal factors. Men may be surprised to learn that Low T treatments cause male infertility and are being studied as a form of male birth control.

Remedies for Low Sperm Count

Amazingly, a “low” sperm count is considered to be less than 15 million sperm per milliliter of seminal fluid. Men who have certain genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, or anatomical hurdles to overcome, including a varicocele or an undescended testicle, will need to work with a male infertility specialist to take corrective action. Advances in reproductive medicine have enabled men to become fathers even when faced with severe deficiencies.

Talk with an Ovation partner physician about intracytoplasmic sperm injection, ICSI, to address low sperm count.

Anatomical and Sperm Delivery Issues

The vas deferens serve as an intricate “plumbing system” inside the testicles to transport sperm from the epididymis, where it matures, toward the urethra. Here, the vas deferens collect fluids from the ejaculatory ducts, seminal vesicles and prostate glands to enrich sperm.

A urologist performs delicate microsurgeries to harvest sperm, reconnect tubes separated for vasectomies and open blocked tubes:

  • MESA, microepididymal sperm aspiration
  • TESA, testicular sperm aspiration
  • PESA, percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration

Immunologic Male Infertility

When semen antibodies mistakenly attack a man’s own sperm, or a woman has an allergic reaction to a man’s sperm, the fertility specialist can recommend medications or a minimally invasive male infertility treatment to correct immunologic infertility.

Male infertility need not stand between you and fatherhood. Ovation partner physicians and laboratory scientists treat even the most complex causes of male and female infertility. Our goal is to provide men and women with every conceivable option for starting a family. Contact one of our partner physicians to learn more about our expertise.