Azoospermia = absent sperm?
We keep getting men with azoospermia everyday to our OPD. And even on online consultations.
Its probably because I run a tertiary care referral practice for Andrology, however the incidence of azoospermia is on the rise.
The reasons for azoospermia could mainly be non obstructive or obstructive.
Obstructive means the sperm passage is blocked, while in non obstructive type the production is too less. This means the quality of sperms is better in the first category.
We face many subtypes of these two categories.
The first thing to identify is the nature of the azoospermia and second is the cause.
In modern day, with advances in our understanding of azoospermia, thanks to the training and knowledge acquired, and upcoming improvisation in imaging and genetic tools, backed up by a strong embryology team, its possible to get sperms in most cases.
We get men with all combinations- absent sperm passage with varicocele, varicocele with azoospermia, azoospermia with hormone deficiency, genetic defects causing azoospermia, azoospermia due to difficulty in ejaculating and so on.
A systematic evaluation is very important before choosing other options for azoospermia.
