CASE REPORT: Pregnancy using spermatozoa aspirated from the vas deferens in a patient with ejaculatory failure due to spinal injury

Aspiration of the vas deferens under local anaesthesia was carriedout in a man with ejaculatory failure due to tetraplegia afterrectal electrostimulation had failed to provide an ejaculatesatisfactory for use in in-vitro fertilization. After passagethrough a discontinuous Percoll gradient and exposure to 3 mmolpentoxifylline and 3 mmol 2-deoxyadenosine, the final preparationconsisted of 50 000 spermatozoa with 4% progressive motility.This was sufficient for the insemination of seven of the 23oocytes that were collected from the patient's wife by transvaginalultrasound-guided follicular aspiration. Three high-grade embryoswere produced which were transferred transcervically into theuterus 2 days later. A singleton pregnancy resulted which iscurrently ongoing at 30 weeks gestation. Aspiration of the vasdeferens is a relatively simple technique which provides anacceptable alternative to rectal electrostimulation, artificialsperm reservoirs and donor insemination in patients with ejaculatoryfailure.