Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is one of the techniques of retrieving sperm from the testicles for fertilisation to assist conception for couples where the male partner suffers from azoospermia (a lack of measurable sperm in the male’s semen).
The procedure can be performed under local or general anaesthesia and involves the collection of sperm from a biopsy or several biopsies from the testicular tissue after making an incision in the scrotal skin. The cuts in the testicles and the scrotal skin are then closed with stitches that dissolve.
The retrieved sperm is used immediately for fertilisation or stored for future fertility treatment.
TESE enables men to father their genetic offspring through intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertility treatment.
References:
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Surgical-sperm-retrieval-for-male-infertility.pdf
- https://www.newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk/services/fertility-treatment/surgical-sperm-retrieval/