Testicular biopsy

Testicular biopsy is a surgical technique that is used to determine the presence of spermatozoids in the testicle and, if so, isolate them to be used in an IVF/ICSI cycle to generate embryos. To do this we obtain one or several small samples of testicular tissue from one or both testicles. It is indicated in patients without possibilities of obtaining seminal spermatozoids for various reasons: azoospermia, vasectomy or aspermia.

The oocyte fertilisation rate in an IVF cycle using testicular spermatozoids is less than when spermatozoids from ejaculation are used. Sometimes the testicular biopsy is carried out for diagnosis purposes, to analyse the cell processes involved in producing spermatozoids.