Preservation of male fertility
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WHAT IS THE PRESERVATION OF MALE FERTILITY?
Freezing the semen is a widely used technique that allows to preserve the fertility of the man. Thanks to the cryopreservation of the sperm, the frozen and stored semen in the banks, can be used by assisted reproduction techniques in the future. In addition, they will not be affected by its quality or have a time limit of conservation.
IN WHAT CASES IS INDICATED THE PRESERVATION OF MALE FERTILITY?
It is recommended to freeze the semen in the following cases:
- Oncology patients: Freezing the sperm to preserve fertility in patients who are likely to lose due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In these patients it is necessary to froze the samples before you start the treatment, given that once initiated, the semen quality may be impaired and lead to hazards for the offspring.
- Patients who are going to undergo through a vasectomy: Some patients who performed the vasectomy decide to freeze some samples as a precaution, if in the future you wish to be parents, either with the same partner or the other.
- Patients with poor sperm quality: In patients with a poor sperm quality, it is advisable to freeze samples prior to the beginning of the assisted reproduction treatment. The aim is to ensure that on the day of follicular puncture will be available sperm to fertilize the eggs obtained.
- Patients with difficulties to get the sample: Some men have limitations at the time of obtaining the sample on the day of artificial insemination or In Vitro Fertilization. The cryopreservation of sperm allows you to handle more easily this treatments. For example, it would be useful in those patients unable to ejaculate by psychological blockage or those who are unable to attend the clinic.
HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP FROZEN SEMEN?
Until now, it has not been detected that the time influence on the quality of the cryopreserved sperm. Therefore, the samples can be frozen for the time required. In fact, cases are known in which they have been achieved pregnancies with sperm that had frozen over twenty years.
PROCESS OF PRESERVATION OF MALE FERTILITY
Step 1
Evaluation
Before freezing a sample of semen is very important to get a good evaluation by a semen analysis. To do this, the doctor and the embryologist shall take into account the most important parameters of this diagnostic test of fertility (sperm count, morphology, mobility and volume of the ejaculate), to advise the male or the couple, the number of samples to cryopreserve and the best way to do it.
Step 2
Collection
The semen sample that is going to be frozen, should be collected by masturbation into a sterile bottle and must be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible, so it is advisable to get them at the facilities provided for this purpose in our clinic.
Step 3
Freezing
To freeze semen the procedure consists in subjecting the sample to a progressive decrease and controlled temperature, until they finally plunged into liquid nitrogen.
Novelty
Vitrification sperm
In recent years, there has been a develop in a new technique of cryopreservation of sperm: the vitrification of sperm. It is a method of ultrafast freezing which allows you to make the process in less time.
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