Aa
LOW SPERM COUNT
My partner (age 54) had a vacectomy reversal in Dec 08 (13 yrs after his vacectomy). His last semen anaysis results in May 09 are set out below. We have been told that due to these results ICSI could help us to have a baby, although due to my age (I will be 45 this month) the chance of success is only 3% as I want to use my own eggs. I have had fertility tests and the results are very good for my age, and I have had a pregancy before (14 yrs ago), but we are still unsure whether we should go ahead with ICSI, due the the costs both financial (£4000)and emotional, considering there is a 97% chance that it will not be successful.
I do wonder what is our chances of conceiving naturally, and are we increasing our chances if we go down the ICSI route at all? Does anyone have any advice, and is there anything we can do to increase our chances naturally? My partner does not smoke, drink and is fit and healthy. I have no children (my partner has 3 from a previous relationship).
Results:
Volume (ml) 5.50. Sperm concentration (ml) 1.40. Motile Count (ml) 0.21. Total Motility 15%. Rapid progression 0%. Slow progression 15%. None progressive 0%. Immotile 85%
I do wonder what is our chances of conceiving naturally, and are we increasing our chances if we go down the ICSI route at all? Does anyone have any advice, and is there anything we can do to increase our chances naturally? My partner does not smoke, drink and is fit and healthy. I have no children (my partner has 3 from a previous relationship).
Results:
Volume (ml) 5.50. Sperm concentration (ml) 1.40. Motile Count (ml) 0.21. Total Motility 15%. Rapid progression 0%. Slow progression 15%. None progressive 0%. Immotile 85%
Dear Elaine
Many thanks for your reply above. We do not want to use donor eggs and have more or less decided not to go down the ICSI route but we intend to give it our best shot naturally although we know the chances are very slim.
I have since telephoned the clinic to request details of my fertility tests. Could you comment as they mean nothing to me. Are they good for my age (45)?
LH 8.4 IU/L, FSH 7.3 IU/L, Oestradiol 131 pmol/L, Anti Mullerian Hormone 11.2 pmol/L, Progesterone concentration 103.6 nmol/L
We have also been advised to visit a lab for sperm morphology results, a male hormone profile to check for testicular failure and also to check for antibodies in my partner's sperm.
Many thanks for your reply above. We do not want to use donor eggs and have more or less decided not to go down the ICSI route but we intend to give it our best shot naturally although we know the chances are very slim.
I have since telephoned the clinic to request details of my fertility tests. Could you comment as they mean nothing to me. Are they good for my age (45)?
LH 8.4 IU/L, FSH 7.3 IU/L, Oestradiol 131 pmol/L, Anti Mullerian Hormone 11.2 pmol/L, Progesterone concentration 103.6 nmol/L
We have also been advised to visit a lab for sperm morphology results, a male hormone profile to check for testicular failure and also to check for antibodies in my partner's sperm.
My partner had a vasectomy reversal on Nov. 6 and he was given results of a semen analysis around Dec. 20. He was told that is was "normal". That was great news for us, as he put it, he "has swimmers". But I wanted to know more, such as the info you received - count, motility, etc. Do you know, if the clinic did not provide any of this info, should we assume it was all healthy and at least average? I'm not sure if they tested simply for the presence of a sperm.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
I took care of a couple once who married at 50. They didn't bother with birth control because they were "too old". She delivered her first child at 51 and her second at 52.
So, it is not impossible.
However, stories like this one are the exception and not the rule.
43 is about the MAX age at which most women can use their own eggs.
If you were my patient, I would ask you to think very seriously about what you really want. If you are dying to have the pregnancy experience and hold and love a baby ( I HIGHLY recommend all of the above ) your best bet might be embryo donation. The child would not be genetically related, but who cares about DNA?
If you really want a child that is genetically related, and are willing to try to beat the odds and settle for no children if you don't, then ICSI is probably your best bet.
Actually it might even be worth considering a testicular biopsy to retreive the sperm--but again, that depends on how far you two want to go.
I wish you all the best with your decision!
Good luck!
Dr B
I took care of a couple once who married at 50. They didn't bother with birth control because they were "too old". She delivered her first child at 51 and her second at 52.
So, it is not impossible.
However, stories like this one are the exception and not the rule.
43 is about the MAX age at which most women can use their own eggs.
If you were my patient, I would ask you to think very seriously about what you really want. If you are dying to have the pregnancy experience and hold and love a baby ( I HIGHLY recommend all of the above ) your best bet might be embryo donation. The child would not be genetically related, but who cares about DNA?
If you really want a child that is genetically related, and are willing to try to beat the odds and settle for no children if you don't, then ICSI is probably your best bet.
Actually it might even be worth considering a testicular biopsy to retreive the sperm--but again, that depends on how far you two want to go.
I wish you all the best with your decision!
Good luck!
Dr B
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