ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY TO CURE MALE INFERTILITY PROBLEMS

Recent studies have shown that Male Infertility is on the Rise due to decrease in   average sperm  count,  as we are stepping  into the  21 ^st century. 

This can be attributed to genes,  infections, life style changes, smoking, drug abuse, mental stress due to pressures at work, obesity, hypertension, and environmental and pesticide pollutants. This means more and more males will become infertile and will have to resort to medical, surgical and  Assisted Reproductive Treatment to help their partners conceive.

Over the past 30 years, the treatment of infertility has  seen the development of revolutionary new assisted reproduction techniques  like  In-Vitro Fertilisation  (IVF) and  Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSCI)

These highly complex techniques are used with increasing frequency in the treatment of couples around the globe.

More than 1 million babies  worldwide have been conceived by these new techniques giving immense satisfaction to infertile couples.

Both IVF and ICSCI   involve conception in a Test Tube and hence bypass natural conception. There is therefore a risk of undesirable genetic traits being passed on to next generation.

IVF and ICSI are also advised in Males who have a poor sperm count and in whom medicine or surgery cannot help to improve the  sperm count.

Recent technological advances have enabled the use of Robotics and Micro Surgical  assisted techniques to improve sperm counts. This helps conception in a more natural form and avoids the use of IVF and ICSCI when the Male is responsible for the lack of conception in an infertile couple

 The infertile males either have a low sperm count ( due to inadequate sperm production also known as Oligospermia)  or have no sperms in the semen (Azoospermia) .

When Azoospermia is due to a block in the tubes (Epididymis, Vas Deferens, Ejaculatory Duct) transporting  the sperm it can be cured surgically by advanced techniques called VasoVasostomy, VasoEpididymoAnastomosis or Seminal vesiculoscopy. These surgeries are very delicate and time consuming as they involve operating on structures smaller than the heart vessels.

 With advances in MicroSurgery and Robot Assisted MicroSurgery the  chance of sperm (re) appearance rate can be as high as 80%. Without the use of these techniques the chances of sperm (re)appearance is as low as 5 %.

The advantage of microsurgical reconstruction is that once successful, natural conception is possible  time and again without the mental agony of going through multiple IVF or ICSCI cycles apart from the huge recurring costs.

Multiple data from  leading centers all over the world have proven the  cost effectiveness of Microsurgical and Robotic Microsurgical  reconstruction over the routine sperm retrieval for IVF and ICSI.

In oligospermia  (Low Sperm Count) due to poor sperm production either due the enlarged veins surrounding the testes

( Varicocele), microsurgery allows a success rate of almost 60% (pregnancy rate).

In cases where the low sperm count is due to disease in the testes; Microsurgical Sperm Retrieval (Micro-dissection TESE) techniques can  find sperm in Testis.

In conclusion recent advances in Robotics and MicroSurgical Techniques have given new hope to an infertile male to conceive in a natural way.