Why is Testicular Biopsy Done?

A testicular biopsy can be done in the following situations:

• The man’s semen doesn’t contain sperm.

• For the process of IVF treatment for Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, it can help to recover the sperm cells

• Analysis for hormones reveals any abnormality and the semen need to be examined.

• Sometimes the testicular biopsy is done to identify the tumor.

Types of Testicular Biopsy In India At Delhi IVF

There are two different procedures for testicular biopsy

In this process a thin needle is inserted through the skin which also has a syringe to collect testicular tissue and in this process, there is no need of any incision or stitches. Because it is done through the skin it is called a percutaneous biopsy.

A core needle biopsy is a variant on this technique. It uses a thick, empty, spring-loaded needle to extract a cylinder of cells. This is called a core sample. A core sample is a larger specimen than one from a fine needle biopsy.

The Open Biopsy is a surgical procedure because these doctors need to open the scrotum and remove some part of the testes. The area is first cleaned with antiseptic and local anesthesia is injected around the area of the incision. A small cut is made to open the scrotum. Then the thick coat of tissue (tunica albuginea) covering the testis is cut open to remove the seminiferous tubules. The opening in the testicles is stitched to close the cut in the in the testis and then the skin is stitched. The procedure can be repeated on the other tests if required.

Testicular biopsy is the last step needed to asses male infertility. Initially, the doctor orders blood test for hormone levels and semen analysis for sperm count, motility, dead or alive sperms.

Semen examination can identify the following issues:

Often, blood tests and hormone tests confirm the causes of low or zero sperm counts but in case, these tests are not enough to confirm, you need to go for a testicular biopsy.