ICSI + Testicular Biopsy

Overview

ICSI + testicular biopsy allow treating male infertility. The procedure of testicular biopsy extracts a small tissue sample from the testes and is then examined in a laboratory to evaluate if the man can father a child.

The reasons of testicular biopsy is to determine the reasons of infertility in a man, inadequate production of sperm in the semen and varying hormonal test results. Testicular biopsy procedure allows your doctor to retrieve sperm from the man’s testes in the scrotum, which is located just below the penis, to use it for treating sperm-related infertility with ART (assisted reproductive technology).

With the aid of ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) enabled ART process, it is possible to study a sperm accurately and inject it into a matured egg after 2-5 days of the biopsy. It can, therefore, be said that the purpose of ICSI assisted testicular biopsy is to get a healthy sperm for IVF-ICSI.

There are certain preparations before testicular biopsy that need to be followed:

Before the Treatment

• Talk to your doctor regarding any health conditions that you may have. He may suggest you certain tests or medications. Feel free to ask and learn about the details of the procedure, how it is done, whether it is risk free and how successful are the results.
• You are asked to fill in a medical test information form to help you understand the requirement of a biopsy. Before undergoing the treatment, you will have to sign a consent form that lays out details about the risk of the test and whether you comply with them.
• Talk to your doctor and let him know whether you are using blood thinners, have any bleeding problems, are allergic to certain medicines, and the names of the medicines you are taking daily, if any.
• If you are recommended general anaesthesia for the procedure, the doctor intimates you when to stop drinking or eating before the surgery. Take only those medicines as suggested by your doctor. Usually, you are given a sedative an hour prior to the test. Besides, an intravenous line is created in your arm as well.
• In case of local anaesthesia, there are no such preparations to be taken.

How it is performed

During the procedure, you are taken to the hospital operating room or in the doctor’s office or to the surgery clinic. After you are readied, this is how testicular biopsy is performed in a few steps.

Step1: First, the doctor cleans the thin skin on your testicle with a sterile solution. While doing so, the doctor wears sterile gloves to minimize any possibilities of infections. The surrounding area around the testicle is covered with a sterile cloth while the procedure is carried out.

Step2: Local anaesthesia is administered into the scrotum to numb the area. A small incision is done on the skin and a pair of scissor is used to remove a small piece of testicular tissue.

Step3: After the testicular tissue is extracted, the doctor closes the testicular cut with a single stitch. A second stitch is done to close the cut in the skin. There is no need to cut the stitches since they get dissolved with time.

Step4: Doctors usually perform the procedure for both the testicles. Once done, the scrotal area is bandaged and you are given to wear a testicular supporter for many days after the testicular biopsy procedure. The supporter helps the cuts to gradually heal.

Step5: In case of general anaesthesia, the same steps are followed, except that you stay asleep through the entire procedure. It takes 15-20 minutes to perform the biopsy.

Recovery

Testicular biopsy recovery time is brief, but you may feel pain and bruising in the scrotum area for 3-4 days after the procedure. It is normal to experience slight bleeding at the incision site, but there is nothing to worry about.

Generally, the patient is advised not to engage in any sexual activities for 1-2 weeks. Also, the area should be kept dry and not washed for several days to allow quick healing. Have prescribed medicines for soreness, but avoid aspirins for at least one week post the procedure.