Cryopreservation of Testicular Tissue
In cases of azoospermia (absence of sperm in the ejaculate), severe oligozoospermia (very few sperm in the ejaculate) or high sperm DNA fragmentation index, testicular biopsy may be suggested.
A testicular biopsy is a surgical procedure performed under sedation in which fragments of testicular tissue are removed. It may be possible to recover sperm from this tissue. In this case, the tissue can be cryopreserved for future use.
About Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation
In order to carry out Medically Assisted Reproduction treatment, it is necessary to obtain sperm. When it is not possible to obtain sperm from the ejaculate, a testicular biopsy may be used.
Testicular biopsy is a surgical procedure performed under sedation in which fragments of testicular tissue are removed from one or both testicles. It may be possible to retrieve sperm from the tissue collected. These sperm can be used to perform fresh intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), that is, hours after collection. Another option is to cryopreservation of the testicular tissue for future use.
Cryopreservation of testicular tissue after biopsy is indicated for cases in which sperm are recovered but PMA treatment will be performed later.
After obtaining testicular tissue by biopsy, it is examined and processed in a laboratory. To do this, all the tissue is macerated using scalpels in order to release the sperm present in the tissue tubules. The sample obtained is analyzed under a microscope and the presence of sperm is confirmed. In this case, the sample will be processed with appropriate culture media and cryoprotective solutions. Finally, the processed testicular tissue is cryopreserved in devices called straws that are stored in liquid nitrogen containers (-196 ° C).
Frequently Asked Questions
It cannot be ruled out that some sperm will not survive the cryopreservation and thawing process.
The technique used with these samples is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Microinjection (ICSI).
According to current Portuguese law, testicular tissue can remain cryopreserved for a period of 5 years, after which the patient will have to sign a new consent to maintain cryopreservation for a new period of 5 years.
Cryopreservation of testicular tissue occurs after a testicular biopsy in which sperm are recovered.
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