Male infertility

[robugmum]

My sister and her dh have been ttc and they finally sent dh for a sperm test. He had no sperm at all. The specialist says there is a blockage. He is scheduled for an extraction and then a surgery to repair the problem They want to try AI with his sperm ASAP because the DR. said the surgery won't likely be successful for about 3 years!?! They have also been told they should try IVF. My sister has been charting her cycles for a year. She is in perfect health and is ovulating etc etc. Why would they need to use IVF??:

[onetimemama]

From what you are saying, I assume that your BIL has sperm, but not in his ejaculate. If IVF is recommended, they will surgically, (minor incision) remove sperm from his testicles. This sperm is not able to "swim" to fertilize an egg by itself, even through insemination. Thus IVF/ICSI, a procedure where a single sperm is manually injected into an egg, forcing fertilization.

Your sister's good reproductive health is a great bonus, as this procedure has a very high success rate, much higher than insemination. I have an almost 4 year old beautiful ds thanks to this amazing procedure. There was no other way to get sperm from my ds, and it was worth all the pain and trouble of going through it. I too was considered in great health, one less obstacle to deal with.

I am confused that you mentioned the possibility of AI, but if the doctor's are recommending IVF at this time, maybe insemination isn't possible. I have been through a long ordeal to get to where we are today, and from my experience, I would recommend going straight to IVF, unless your BIL suddenly shows a great sperm count. It could save your sister months of heartbreak trying otherwise.

[robugmum]

Thanks so much, I didn't know that extracted sperm would be unable to swim. It makes sense though, now that I think about it! My sister sure didn't get a clear answer like that from the fertility specialist! I am so happy to hear about your experience, do you mind if I share your post with my sister? I won't let her see it unless I hear back from you. Thanks again!
Cheers

[robugmum]

One more question, do you know why the doctor would tell them that it would take three years for the surgery to repair the blockage to be effective? My sister was really puzzled by that.:

[onetimemama]

I'm not sure why the doc said it would take 3 years for the surgery to be affective. I would recommend that your sister check out the website www.inciid.org. There is a wealth of information for her there, and she can find doctor's who will better answer her questions. It is also a great site for support for anyone having infertility issues, both from peers, as well as the medical community.

Inciid is a source of support for thousands of women, I even found my RE through them.

[robugmum]

Thanks so much onetimemama! I will definitely pass on that site to my sis.