MicroTESE Cost
Currently the Ministry of Health in Ontario is funding for one cycle of IVF-ICSI for qualified couples, however, micro-TESE for sperm retrieval is a chargeable service.
Information on the government-funded fertility treatment program can be found at: Ontario Fertility Program.
The Male Reproductive Medicine program at Mount Sinai Hospital is a centre of excellence for the management of male infertility and has grown into the largest clinical program of its kind in Canada We closely collaborate with the IVF clinics and laboratory medicine across the GTA. At the clinic, patients are seen from all over Canada.
Request your Free Confidential ConsultationInfertility Is A Major Health Concern
It affects 15% of couples in Canada, with male factor contributing to half of these cases. Advancements in assisted reproduction technologies (ART) have revolutionized the treatment for male infertility and have allowed thousands of men to become biological parents.
Male Factor
Low sperm counts and/or low motility (ability of sperm to move) and/or decreased morphology (normal shape of sperm head/tails) and/or absent sperm in the ejaculate.
MicroTESE
Microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (MicroTESE) is a procedure that allows for the removal of tiny volumes of testicular tissue in areas with active sperm production using a microscope.
The sample tissue is then processed by an Embryologist/Andrologist in the laboratory to search for mature sperm. The extracted sperm can be used for a fresh IVF-ICSI cycle, or frozen for future cycles.
The Current Success Rate For Finding Sperm Is Up To 50% Of The Cases
The Procedure
MicroTESE is a day surgery, so you will be able to go home on the same day as your operation.
Post Surgery Minimal amount of pain and discomfort after this surgery can be felt. The scrotum is one of the fastest healing parts of the body. Most men use an ice pack for the first 24 hours after the surgery.
Prescription pain medication can be taken as needed. We ask that men avoid sex, masturbation, or vigorous exercise for at least 10 days after the surgery.
Contact Dr. Lo About MicroTESE Sperm
Post Surgery
Minimal amount of pain and discomfort after this surgery can be felt.
The MicroTESE procedure is performed through a very small (3–4cm) incision in the midline of the scrotum. The patient is under general anesthesia (completely asleep) before we start the surgery.
We open the testicles through this incision and look under a high power microscope for areas that may contain sperm. The sample tissue is then processed by an andrology technologist who will examine it for the presence of mature sperm. The extracted sperm can be used for IVF-ICSI.
Definitions
Micro-TESE
Microsurgical Sperm Retrieval from the Testicle. Under general anesthesia, sperm may be found and extracted directly from the testicle tissues.
IVF
In-vitro fertilization, is a medical procedure where an egg is retrieved and then fertilized in a laboratory setting using your partner’s sperm or donor sperm.
ICSI
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is injected directly into an egg within hours of the eggs being retrieved.
Non-obstructive Azoospermia
Severely impaired or non-existent sperm production.
Canadian Urological Association
CANADIAN Guideline: The Workup and Management of Azoospermic Males
Keith Jarvi, MD, FRCSC;* Kirk Lo, MD, FRCSC;* et al.Can Urol Assoc J 2015;9(7-8):229-35.
A committee was established at the request of the Canadian Urological Association to develop guidelines for the investigation and management of azoospermia. Members of the committee, all of whom have special expertise in the investigation and management of male infertility, were chosen from different communities across Canada.
