Non-surgical sperm aspiration (NSA), is a simple medical procedure that allows the doctors to obtain sperm for use in in-vitro fertilization procedures. NSA is often most used with men who cannot ejaculate or in men who have no sperm in their semen due to vasectomies or blocked ducts. Men who can ejaculate, but lack sperm in their ejaculate, frequently have at least some sperm in their testicles. By using non-surgical sperm aspiration, this sperm can be harvested for use in a fertilzation procedure.
The NSA process
A needle is used to extract sperm directly from the testis in a process called Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE). Alternately, the extraction is from the epididymis (ducts just outside the testicle) in a process called Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA).
During the procedure, a man typically receives conscious sedation.
Testicular sperm can fertilize eggs if injected directly into eggs obtained for In Vitro fertilization.
For some men, non-surgical sperm aspiration eliminates the need for a vasectomy reversal surgery.
NSA may also help infertile men who have had their prostates removed, or those who cannot ejaculate due to spinal cord injuries or neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
