Dr Alex Polyakov is a fertility specialist in Melbourne who has built a reputation as a doctor who combines his experience as a surgeon, obstetrician and gynaecologist with expertise in reproductive endocrinology. He specialises in women’s fertility and also provides male infertility treatment.
Male infertility is a common reproductive problem affecting men. When couples are not able to conceive after having unprotected sex across at least one year, it is important for both partners to be checked by their physician. One out of three infertility cases are linked to issues with the male partner.
Some of the common causes of male infertility may include:
You may not show any symptoms of infertility until you try for a baby. When symptoms do show, they may include:
You may be at a risk of male infertility if you have the following factors:
To diagnose male infertility, your doctor will first conduct a general physical examination and medical history to understand your sexual habits, sexual development during puberty, chronic health problems, medications and surgeries that could lead to infertility. Additional male fertility tests that may be ordered include:
There are 2 types of male infertility:
Male infertility treatment depends upon the cause of infertility. Sometimes, a combination of treatment options will be suggested to overcome the underlying problem. These include:
Some of the alternative treatments for male infertility may include:
Some of the common surgeries performed to treat male factor infertility are:
This involves the reversal of a vasectomy surgery, where the vas deferens are cut, clamped or sealed. During vasovasostomy your surgeon reconstructs the severed vas deferens with stiches, allowing the easy passage of sperm.
This procedure involves opening the ejaculatory ducts and allowing the normal flow of ejaculate.
Sperm can be retrieved from the testis or epididymis, by either inserting a needle through the skin or by making a small incision and aspirating it.
ART is another option for male infertility treatment. This includes revolutionary treatment procedures that help couples with infertility problems to conceive. Some of them include:
intrauterine insemination (IUI), where sperm is placed into the female partners reproductive tract
intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where a healthy sperm is directly injected into the egg
In vitro fertilisation (IVF), where fertilisation takes place outside the body in a lab.
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a procedure by which washed ejaculated sperm are placed in the uterus at the time of your partner’s ovulation. IUI is indicated in the following cases:
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a technique where a mature sperm is injected directly into an egg that is isolated from your partner. ICSI is indicated in the below cases to treat:
A mature sperm and egg are recovered from you and your partner through the same procedure followed for IVF. The sperm tail is crushed to prevent motility. It is picked up by a micropipette and injected directly into the egg. This is then allowed to fertilise and the fertilised embryo is inserted into your partners womb for implantation.
Male infertility cannot be prevented, but there are certain strategies that can help maintain the quality and quantity of sperm:
Extensive research is being done to find better treatment options for male infertility. Some of the recent studies are listed below:
Male infertility accounts for 20-30% of failed pregnancies and contributes to 50% of overall cases. Specifically, in Australia, the rate of male infertility is 9%.
Male fertility is based on the production of healthy sperm and delivering them into a female partner’s reproductive tract. This basic function may be impaired by many structural and functional factors.
The male reproductive system consists of the following:
You may be a good candidate for male infertility surgery if you have:
If you have been trying to conceive, get honest & transparent fertility advice from Dr Alex Polyakov male infertility specialists in Melbourne. Visit our fertility clinic or book an appointment.
