Dr Knight offers the complete range of fertility surgery services for both women and men.
The most common procedure performed is a laparoscopy. This can be performed on women to check whether the tubes are open and investigate the condition of the uterus and ovaries. It is the main approach to assess for presence of or treat the following conditions:
- Endometriosis
- Previous infection
- Adhesion (scar) formation
- Tubal microsurgery
- Removal of fibroids
- Correction of uterine abnormalities
For this surgery, a small incision is made in the abdomen and a video camera fitted to a thin telescopic instrument where the images are then viewed on a monitor. If any surgical treatment is needed, special instruments are inserted through other incisions.
This procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and the surgery usually takes one to two hours. The recovery usually depends upon the amount of surgery performed, and Dr Knight generally recommends one or two days off work following the procedure. Depending on the circumstances, some procedures may require a cut on the abdomen like the incision used to perform a caesarean section.
Dr Knight has spent decades retrieving sperm from the testes using techniques called Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) and Microepididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA)/Testicular Biopsy. These procedures are performed in circumstances of azoospermia, a condition where no sperm is present in the ejaculated semen. Sperm can still be produced in the testes, just not present in the ejaculate. Sperm surgically recovered from the testes can then be used with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Causes of azoospermia include:
- Blockages in the tubes leading from the testes to the penis, which can prevent sperm reaching the penis for ejaculation
- Low numbers of sperm-producing cells
- Sperm not reaching the stage of maturity where the tails needed for mobility develop.
Testicular sperm retrieval can be a successful approach for couples where the male partner has few or no sperm in his semen. There is always a possibility that no viable sperm will be found. Also, remember that poor semen quality may have a genetic basis and could be passed on to any male children. Any sperm collected can be used during a concurrent ICSI treatment or frozen for later use.
