Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)
A surgical procedure that retrieves sperm directly from testicular tissue when none are present in ejaculate.
TESE is used to obtain sperm from men with azoospermia — either obstructive (blocked ducts) or non-obstructive (impaired production). In conventional TESE, small biopsies are taken from multiple testicular locations. Micro-TESE uses an operating microscope to identify areas with active sperm production, improving yield in non-obstructive cases.
Retrieved sperm are processed in the embryology lab and used immediately for ICSI or cryopreserved for future use. Success rates for sperm retrieval in obstructive azoospermia are very high (90%+), while non-obstructive cases yield sperm in approximately 40–60% of attempts.
The procedure is performed under local or general anesthesia and recovery takes 2–7 days.
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