Factors Affecting TESE Success in Infertility Treatment: Preliminary Results of Single- Center Experience

Objective: Today, infertility is a health problem with increasing treatment seeking. Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is the only possible procedure to offer genetic parenting to men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). Our aim in this study is to present our clinical experiences that affect the success of sperm retrieval in men with NOA in the light of the literature. Materials and Methods: In our study, patients who underwent TESE with a diagnosis of NOA between 2017-2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the TESE procedure; the patients were divided into two groups as conventional TESE and TESE performed under microscopic magnification (micro-TESE). Medical histories, hormone values, and physical examination findings of all patients were recorded. Results: Our micro-TESE success rate was found to be 100%. A positive correlation (rho 0.714, p = 0.009) was found between the factors affecting sperm retrieval , and the application of micro-TESE, and a negative correlation was detected with FSH levels (rho -0.759, p = 0.004). Conclusion: The success of sperm retrieval increases with the micro-TESE procedure. As FSH levels increase, sperm retrieval success rates decrease.