PESA / TESA

PESA – Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration,
A fine needle is passed into the tubes leading out of the testicles and sperms are retrieved.
This is done under suitable anaesthesia.

TESA – Testicular Sperm Aspiration.
A fine needle is passed into the testicles and sperms are retrieved.
This is done under suitable anaesthesia.

These procedures are used for obstructive azoospermia and vasal aplasia.

Sperm retrieved using PESA/TESA can be used to attempt to achieve a pregnancy using an assisted reproduction technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In order to perform ICSI, the female partner will need to undergo routine ovulation induction and egg collection (egg collection is usually performed on the same day as the PESA/TESA). Sperm that has been isolated during a PESA/TESA can then be injected into the eggs collected from the female partner.