Male infertility
At Rincon Fertilidad, we evaluate male fertility through detailed sperm analysis and diagnoses of possible anatomical or functional alterations, providing appropriate treatments to improve sperm quality and solve problems such as erectile dysfunction or retrograde ejaculation.
Male fertility can be compromised in many different ways, the most common of which usually affect sperm quality and the ability to ejaculate and deposit semen in the vagina during intercourse.
The man may present functional and/or anatomical alterations that will occasionally prevent him from depositing semen in the vagina during intercourse, as occurs in erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, excessive body obesity, an abnormal size of the penis or a pronounced deviation of it. In other situations, despite having intercourse, ejaculation does not occur, this phenomenon is known as anejaculation, or it goes to the urinary bladder in cases of retrograde ejaculation. Situations in which it is impossible to end intercourse for psychological reasons will also be considered.
Testicular inflammation and pain is usually associated with injuries or alterations in the physiological structure of the testicle. Some infections and varicocele or venous dilations can alter the condition of the sperm.
Other alterations of the testicle can be caused since childhood by a defect in testicular development. Some of the most frequent processes are cryptorchidism caused by an incomplete descent of one or both testicles into the scrotal bag.
To determine a defect in sperm production, it is necessary to perform a spermiogram on the ejaculate; With this study we assess the quantity, mobility and appearance or morphology of the sperm. This assessment allows us to make a diagnosis and advise appropriate treatment. If there is no defect in the observation, we will consider a result of normozoospermia. The results of the seminogram are not definitive, but they are very useful to estimate the fertile potential of the man and explore possible causes of infertility.
The results of the seminogram are not definitive, but they are very useful to estimate the fertile potential of the man and explore possible causes of infertility.
The results are presented with the following terms, without exlcuding that some of them may appear together:
Oligozoospermia
When there is a sperm concentration below normal. It can be subclassified as mild or severe.
Azoospermia
When no sperm in its final maturation form is found in the ejaculate.
Teratozoospermia
When the proportion of normal-looking sperm is below the reference threshold. In these cases, the sperm present alterations in the head, middle piece and tail.
Astenozoospermia
When mobility parameters are below levels considered normal.
What happens when no sperm are found in the ejaculate?
The fact that sperm are not found may be due to an obstruction along the exit duct of the testicles. When there are no sperm or they are in very low concentration, it may be a secretory pathology. When this occurs we will determine where the defect occurs in the sperm ejaculation process and identify whether spermatogenesis takes place in the testicle or not.
The recommended procedure is testicular biopsy, which consists of the extraction under local anesthesia of a small piece of tissue from the testicle, which will be examined to determine the presence of sperm and, if so, cryopreserved.