Objective: To evaluate the recovery rate of spermatozoa from the epididymis using a percutaneous aspiration technique and to examine the fertilization rate after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Design: Prospective observational study.
Setting: Private infertility clinic, London.
Subjects: Twenty patients with obstructive azoospermia who each had an attempt at IVF. The sperm used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection was retrieved by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration in 16 patients. In one patient, microepididymal sperm aspiration was performed in addition because the quality of the sperm obtained by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration was not considered suitable for microinjection. In the remaining three patients, neither percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration nor microepididymal sperm aspiration resulted in the recovery of sperm, which was obtained by testicular biopsy in one of them.
Intervention: Assisted fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Main outcome measures: Normal fertilization and pregnancy rates.
Results: A total of 179 eggs were collected and 157 subsequently were microinjected. Normal fertilization occurred in 22 oocytes (14%) and the total number of embryos cleaved was 30. Twelve patients underwent ET in which three conceived (pregnancy rate 25% per transfer). The implantation rate was 10% and failed fertilization occurred in four cycles.
Conclusion: Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration can be used successfully to recover sperm in men with obstructive azoospermia for use in assisted fertilization IVF cycles. The technique is simple, effective, and less traumatic compared with an open microsurgical operation.