title: Pregnancy using spermatozoa aspirated from the vas deferens in a patient with ejaculatory failure due to spinal injury.
abstract: Aspiration of the vas deferens under local anaesthesia was carried out in a man with ejaculatory failure due to tetraplegia after rectal electrostimulation had failed to provide an ejaculate satisfactory for use in in-vitro fertilization. After passage through a discontinuous Percoll gradient and exposure to 3 mmol pentoxifylline and 3 mmol 2-deoxyadenosine, the final preparation consisted of 50,000 spermatozoa with 4% progressive motility. This was sufficient for the insemination of seven of the 23 oocytes that were collected from the patient's wife by transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. Three high-grade embryos were produced which were transferred transcervically into the uterus 2 days later. A singleton pregnancy resulted which is currently ongoing at 30 weeks gestation. Aspiration of the vas deferens is a relatively simple technique which provides an acceptable alternative to rectal electrostimulation, artificial sperm reservoirs and donor insemination in patients with ejaculatory failure.
authors.affiliation: Hallam Medical Centre, London, UK.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Hirsh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bekir
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rainsbury
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013396:Suction; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000166:cytology*