Male Fertility Problems? Why You Need Specialist Help

While some infertility problems involve the male partner thinking there is nothing wrong with them, some include getting the right help to those in need. The battle of getting the right specialist or if you need a specialist is constant. According to a recent study done on male infertility, most men are not getting the right specialist help. This is due to a major reason which is the lack of urology experts in many IVF clinics.

What Causes Male Infertility?

Making mature and healthy sperm that can reach the egg depends on various factors. If there is a problem, it could stop cells from growing into sperm, keep the sperm from traveling to the egg, and sometimes, the scrotum could be affected by temperature. Some of the main causes of male infertility:

• Sperm Disorders
• Varicoceles
• Retrograde Ejaculation
• Immunologic Infertility
• Obstruction
• Hormones
• Chromosomes
• Medication

Why Is A Urologist Necessary In Male Infertility Treatment?

Consulting a urologist could be the primary step to receiving the right diagnosis and looking for a solution to your specific problem. Urologists are specialist doctors who focus on male reproductive issues alone, unlike a general fertility consultant who looks at all forms of infertility.

What Male Fertility Tests Do They Perform?

The initial investigation process involves carrying out semen analysis only.
The specialists make sure to look at other factors that could affect sperm health and the male’s ability to conceive, including lifestyle and BMI before considering any treatment. Under appropriate conditions, the following tests are performed:

• A thorough physical exam
• An ultrasound scan to check the reproductive system for any blockages and common issues that result in low sperm production.
• A test to check the sperm DNA damage level which could be one of the hidden causes of infertility.
• Apart from these, your urologist might perform tests such as transrectal ultrasound, testicular biopsy, and check your hormonal profile.

It is important to pinpoint the cause of infertility and tailoring a treatment plan for it to ease up the conceiving process. Once the urologist receives all the results of the performed test, they will then decide which course of action to take in order for you to achieve fertility.

What Male Infertility Treatments Are Available?

When the word infertility comes to mind, people generally tend to think about IVF and ICSI. However, there are other treatments as well that are available for treating male infertility problems. In IVF and ICSI, a single sperm is injected into the egg in order to fertilize it. However, this may not help in some cases.

Treatment for male infertility depends on the cause of infertility. A lot of problems could be fixed with proper medication or surgery, which would help the person carry a normal conception. The treatments are categorized into 3.

• Non-surgical therapy
• Surgical therapy
• Treatment for unknown causes

Surgical therapy includes a variety of treatments depending on what cause is to be treated.

• Varicocele Treatments
• Azoospermia Treatments
• Microsurgical Vasovasostomy
• Vasoepididymostomy
• Transurethral Resection of the Ejaculatory Duct (TURED)

Sometimes it gets difficult to determine the exact cause of male infertility; in such cases, your specialist may use experiences to help figure out the cause. This is also referred to as empiric therapy. The treatments for unknown cause include:

• Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ARTs)
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

Hence, it is important to consult a urologist or a male fertility specialist to get the right diagnosis and treatment to achieve conception or fertility.