Semen collection

There are basically three possibilities to obtain sperm

1. Ejaculation
2. TESE / TESA
3. Sperm donation

The most common way to collect spermatozoa is through masturbation and ejaculation of sperm, usually on the day of the egg retrieval (follicle puncture).

Performing "on demand" and being under pressure of time, it is not always easy to produce a semen sample. In such cases, the specimen can be collected at home and dropped off at the IVF Center (the time between ejaculation and handing over the semen sample to the staff of the IVF Center should not exceed 2 hours). On the way to the IVF Center, the specimen should be kept close to your body.

The ejaculate / sperm hast to be produced under hygienic conditions. You should wash your hands and penis thoroughly with soap and then rinse them with a lot of water. To collect the specimen, please ejaculate directly into the precisely labelled sterile container that we have provided you with. Please do not collect your sperm in any other container, because the spermicidal agents contained therein may alter your sperm. In any case, do not use a condom!

Prior to using them for IVF, ICSI or IMSI the sperm get a special treatment in the laboratory. Healthy, living sperm cells are separated from the other components of the ejaculate / sperm.

This process takes about 1 - 3 hours. Through the processing of semen the following may be achieved:

• Isolation of the best sperm cells

• The density grade of the sperm cells can often be increased

• Sperm cells get activated

• Removal of bacteria and other unwanted components of the ejaculate (e.g. prostaglandins)
  
  
  

Our long-standing colleague, Dr. Pierre Vanderzwalmen, has been the first to achieve pregnancy and birth of a healthy baby after fertilization with sperm extracted directly from the testes. [Pregnancy after fertilisation with human testicular spermatozoa, Lancet (1993)].

TESE refers to "Testicular Sperm Extraction", TESA means "Testicular Sperm Aspiration". Both are surgical techniques used to obtain sperm directly from the testes. The TESE can be applied if there are extremely few spermatozoa (oligospermia) or when there is a complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate (non-obstructive azoospermia). The TESA is the technique of percutaneous testicular fine needle aspiration and therefore it is less invasive. The TESA is used, if for example, the vas deferens of the male reproductive tract are obstructed (obstructive azoospermia).

This is a fertility treatment procedure which is also referred to as heterologous insemination. It can be helpful in the following cases:

• If the partner doesn’t produce any sperm and if collecting semen by special techniques have not been successful (occasionally, for some unknown reasons the testes may show functional disorders to such an extent that even after surgical removal of testicular tissue it is impossible to find spermatozoa, because they are not being produced)

• After surgical removal of the testes

• After chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment due to malignant diseases

• If the man is carrier of a genetic disorder, the passing from father to offspring can be prevented due to sperm donation. In these cases, however, the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) could be very effective, too.