Sperm Cryopreservation
Sperm cryopreservation is a way of preserving male fertility.
This technique can be used in cases of oncological or non-oncological disease that may affect future fertility. It can also be useful in cases of patients who are undergoing Medically Assisted Reproduction treatments but will have to be absent or in cases where it is difficult to obtain ejaculate collection.
After collecting an ejaculate sample, it is observed and processed in a laboratory. The sample obtained is cryopreserved in straws and stored for future use.
About Sperm Cryopreservation
Sperm are produced continuously in the testicles from puberty onwards. These cells reach the outside of the male reproductive system, together with the seminal fluid, through ejaculation. The survival of these cells outside the body is a few hours. However, sperm cryopreservation allows these cells to be preserved for future use.
To carry out this procedure, cryopreservation methods are used with cryoprotective agents that protect the sperm and allow them to withstand the low temperatures to which they will be subjected.
Sperm cryopreservation is indicated in a variety of situations, namely:
- Patients with cancer whose treatments may affect fertility
- Patients with non-oncological pathologies or who will undergo surgeries that may affect future fertility
- Patients who will undergo vasectomy but intend to preserve fertility
- Patients undergoing ART but who will be absent on the day when ejaculate collection is required
- Patients in a ART cycle with difficulty in collecting ejaculate on a specific day and time
- Patients with low sperm concentration in the ejaculate or with Microdeletions in the Y chromosome
- Patients without associated pathology but who wish to preserve gametes for future use
Before the sperm cryopreservation procedure, it will be necessary to perform blood tests to rule out viral infections. It will also be necessary to sign the Informed Consent Form specific to sperm cryopreservation.
The sperm cryopreservation procedure must be scheduled. On the day of the appointment, an ejaculate collection must be performed by masturbation. The collection can be performed at the clinic or at home and delivered to the clinic by the patient. In general, 2 to 3 days of sexual abstinence is recommended before the procedure.
The ejaculate collection is observed and processed in a laboratory. Specific means are used for cryopreservation of sperm with cryoprotective agents that protect the sperm from the extremely low temperatures to which they will be subjected. The processed sample is cryopreserved in devices called straws, which will be stored in liquid nitrogen containers (-196 o C). Each straw can be used for one cycle of Medically Assisted Reproduction treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
After observing and processing the sample, the laboratory team defines how many straws will be cryopreserved from that sample, in order to increase the chances of success in a future PMA treatment.
Depending on the results of cryopreservation, it may be suggested to do more than one collection for cryopreservation.
According to current Portuguese law, sperm 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.
If you do not wish to use the cryopreserved sperm, you may consent to their donation to other beneficiaries of Medically Assisted Reproduction treatments or to their donation to scientific research projects. If you do not consent to either of these uses, the sperm will be thawed and discarded.
It is expected that some sperm will not survive the cryopreservation and thawing process. The loss of these cells is less likely to occur the better the quality of the sample.
Cryopreserved sperm samples can be used in Intrauterine Insemination, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Microinjection (ICSI) cycles depending on the quality of the sample and the clinical evaluation of the couple.
Pregnancy cannot be guaranteed with any of the ART treatments, but the success of ART techniques is similar whether fresh or cryopreserved sperm are used.
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