LAUSR

Testicular sperm retrieval (TSR) techniques are valuable in the context of severe idiopathic male factor infertility; however, there are few studies in the literature examining the long‐term impact of TSR on testicular function. The objective was to determine whether testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) or microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro‐TESE) worsens the pre‐existing spermatogenesis deficiency in men with either cryptozoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. The study population consisted of 145 men with either cryptozoospermia or severe oligozoospermia that underwent TESA or micro‐TESE and had long‐term post‐operative semen analyses (SA). Patients with SA prior to and following TSR were included (n = 24). Amongst them, 16 men underwent TESA and 8 underwent micro‐TESE. The follow‐up SA was obtained at a mean of 3.0 ± 2.0 years following TSR (range: 0.3–8.3 years) amongst all participants. The post‐operative semen parameters in the TESA group were similar to the pre‐intervention parameters (p > 0.1). Similarly, the micro‐TESE cohort did not demonstrate significant alterations in semen parameters post‐intervention (p > 0.05). None of the men in the study became azoospermic following the TSR. Our study indicates TESA or micro‐TESE do not appear to worsen the pre‐existing spermatogenesis deficiencies in cryptozoospermic and oligozoospermic men over a long‐term period. Larger studies are required to corroborate these findings.