How does microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration collect sperm for infertility treatment?

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Diagram showing the female reproductive system with labeled ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina, alongside hormone pathways and the process from ovulation to fertilization and early embryo development. — infertility Major structures and hormones involved in the initiation of pregnancy. Also seen, at right, is the development of an egg cell (ovum) from follicle to embryo.

Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) is a procedure used to address male infertility caused by an obstruction in the genital tract that prevents sperm from traveling through the genital ducts.1

During the procedure, a needle is used to collect sperm directly from the epididymis, which are the coiled channels responsible for nourishing sperm. Once collected, the sperm can be utilized in conjunction with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg retrieved for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Successfully fertilized eggs are then placed into the woman’s uterus.1