Infertility is an issue that a husband and wife have to face together, and in medical terms the factors on the male side have a significant role in a proportion close to the factors on the female side. Difficulty in having children on the male side is therefore not something that should be overlooked, or left to be considered at the very end.
Assessment covering every dimension, from the quality of the sperm, the structure of the testicles, and the vascular system, through to the level of the hormones, is the important starting point that helps the husband and wife understand the situation more clearly, and decide on the next step on the basis of medical information.
Understanding the process of creating sperm
The creation of sperm (Spermatogenesis) takes place within the seminiferous tubules of the testicles, and requires a suitable environment, both a temperature about 1–2 degrees Celsius lower than the central axis of the body, and a complete system of capillary circulation (Microcirculation), in order to help carry oxygen and nutrients to the tissue involved.
When any one factor loses its balance, it will affect the process of creation and the quality of the sperm. Since a complete cycle of creating sperm takes about 72–74 days, the care and the assessment of the changes must rely on continuity.
The causes met often of difficulty in having children on the male side
The causes of infertility on the male side can arise at several levels. Clinically they are usually divided into 4 large categories, namely the factors of the quality of the sperm, the factors of the structure of the reproductive system, the hormonal factors, and the accompanying factors of sexual capacity.
The factors of the quality of the sperm
The state of OAT Syndrome (Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia) covers abnormality of the sperm in 3 aspects, namely a low quantity of sperm, abnormal motility, and an abnormal shape of the sperm. These states directly affect the ability to fertilise, and are one of the groups of abnormality met most often in difficulty in having children on the male side.
The structural factors
A state of varicose veins at the testicle (Varicocele) is one of the causes met often of difficulty in having children on the male side. This state arises from the pooling of blood in the venous system of the scrotum, making the temperature inside increase and making the environment necessary for creating sperm lose its balance.
The hormonal factors
The level of the male hormone decreasing as one grows older, or a state of hormone deficiency from another cause, can affect the process of creating sperm and sexual desire overall. Assessing the level of the hormones is therefore part of the comprehensive examination in men who have a state of infertility.
The accompanying factors of sexual capacity
A state of erectile dysfunction or a state of premature ejaculation may be a factor that makes a husband and wife have less chance of succeeding in pregnancy, even though the quality of the sperm is not abnormal.
The signals that should be brought for assessment
The symptoms or the history that should be brought for clinical assessment are trying to have children for longer than 1 year without success, feeling a bulging vein or an abnormality in the area of the testicles, a state of dragging pain or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, the loss of sexual desire, or having a state of erectile dysfunction along with it.
Besides this, behavioural risk factors, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, insufficient rest, or working in an environment with high heat, may be accompanying factors that should be considered in the assessment.
The assessment at PYONG MEN
The assessment of infertility on the male side at PYONG MEN is an assessment covering every dimension, beginning from physical examination in order to assess the size and the character of the testicles, palpation in order to find the abnormality of varicose veins, and the analysis of the semen with AI Semen Analysis technology, which assesses the density, the motility, and the abnormality of the shape of the sperm at the micrometre level.
Besides this, there may be a scan with Scrotal Doppler Ultrasound in order to assess the structure and the circulation of blood in the testicles, together with in-depth examination of the level of the hormones. This approach helps the doctor see the overall picture of the factors involved more clearly, before designing a plan of care suitable for each individual.
The approach to care at PYONG MEN
The care of infertility on the male side at PYONG MEN emphasises restoring the environment at the level of the cells in the reproductive system, in order to support a more complete process of creating sperm. The approaches that may be considered consist of the injection of an extract from platelets at high concentration (Superdose Activated Purified Growth Factor) in order to stimulate the creation of new capillaries and reduce oxidative stress, the use of Transrectal QMR technology in order to restore the cells in the deep reproductive system, the use of focused shock waves (Focused Shockwave) in order to adjust the circulation of blood, and a programme for restoring the pelvic floor with electromagnetic technology.
The plan of care will be designed to correspond with the cycle of creating sperm, which takes about 2–3 months, so that the assessment of the result and the following up of the changes are suitable in biological terms.
In brief
- The factors on the male side have a significant role in infertility, and should receive a systematic assessment
- The main causes are in 4 categories, namely the quality of the sperm, the structure of the reproductive system, the hormones, and the accompanying factors of sexual capacity
- Assessment covering every dimension consists of examining the semen, ultrasound of the testicles, and in-depth hormones
- The cycle of creating sperm takes 72–74 days, so the plan of care is over a period of 2–3 months
- The care at PYONG MEN emphasises restoring the environment at the level of the cells in the reproductive system systematically
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Does infertility arise from the male side only? In medical terms, both the male side and the female side have a close role. A good assessment should consider both sides together
2. When should the male side begin to be examined? In general, if trying to have children for more than 1 year without success, the male side should receive an examination and assessment alongside the female side
3. How does AI Semen Analysis differ from a normal examination? AI technology helps analyse the density, the motility, and the shape of the sperm at the micrometre level, giving finer detail than reading with the naked eye, but it does not replace the doctor's clinical assessment
4. Can a state of Varicocele be treated at PYONG MEN? At PYONG MEN there is a service of assessing a state of Varicocele, with the doctor considering the suitability for the individual
5. The length of the plan of care in general? It is about 2–3 months, in order to correspond with the cycle of creating sperm, which takes about 72–74 days