title: Testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a simplified method for treatment of obstructive azoospermia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of a simple method of testicular sperm extraction for the treatment of obstructive azoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teaching tertiary medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen men with obstructive azoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients underwent 19 cycles of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using testicular sperm. In 5 cycles, testicular sperm extraction was performed after failed microepididymal sperm aspiration. In 14 cycles, testicular sperm extraction was performed in the office under local anesthesia from the outset. The outcome was compared with ICSI cycles using ejaculated sperm (95 cycles) and epididymal sperm (12 cycles fresh and 9 cycles frozen-thawed).
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical pregnancy and implantation rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in the fertilization, cleavage, implantation, or clinical pregnancy rates among ICSI cycles using testicular, epididymal (fresh or frozen-thawed), or ejaculated sperm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When used in conjunction with ICSI, testicular sperm extraction from small excisional biopsy is a simple and cost-effective method for the treatment of obstructive azoospermia.
authors.affiliation: Hurley Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Flint, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Abuzeid
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sasy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salem
mesh_terms: D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa; D013396:Suction; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*