Comparison of Medical Results of Testicular Sperm Extraction by Conventional Surgery and Microsurgical Track (Microsperm)

Toulouse University Hospital

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Azoospermia

Treatments: Procedure: conventional TESE; Procedure: Micro TESE

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02773498

RC31/15/7840

Details and patient eligibility

About

To compare mobile sperm extraction rate between microTESE and conventional TESE in 18-50 years-old men with non obstructive azoospermia.

Full description

About one in ten couples cannot have children without medical assistance. Male factors for infertility are identified in half cases with 10% azoospermia, non-obstructive in most cases. Up to date, testis surgical sperm retrieval for use in ICSI-IVF is the only possibility for those men to have children with their own sperm. Several options are available for surgically retrieving sperm from testis: During conventional testicular sperm extraction (cTESE), the testis is exposed through a small incision, then 1 or more biopsies are randomly made. Up to date, cTESE is considered as the gold-standard for sperm extraction in this population.

However, the success of surgical sperm extraction concerns a man out of two having cTESE for non-obstructive azoospermia.

On the other hand, Schlegel showed in 1997 that cTESE induces a significative loss of testicular tissue with possible impact on male endocrine balance with occurence of hematomas, inflammatory reshuffles and ischaemic lesions, compromising some regions in the testicular parenchyme. Another option for surgical sperm extraction is micro-surgery called microTESE (or µTESE). It consists in examining the testicular parenchyme under a high-power microscope (up to 25 magnification), screening for white opaque tubules with higher diameter which indicates possible active spermatogenesis. The benefits of µTESE are: (1) a better identification of sites of sperm production in the testis, (2) a better preservation of testicular vasculature decreasing the risk of postoperative hematoma or tissue ischemia and (3) excision of 3 to 10 times less tissue.

Nevertheless, no randomized studies have compared both techniques to validate such an assumption. In 2014, the results of a meta-analysis performed by Deruyver showed that, among the 7 original articles comparing cTESE to µTESE, 3 were retrospective studies and the remaining 4 prospective studies were not randomized.

It is highly unlikely that this better outcome is related to patient selection. Nevertheless, the relatively small number of studies comparing both methods makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions This study is based on the hypothesis that µTESE is a superior technique than cTESE with a difference of 20% like observed in Deruyver's meta-analysis.

The principal objective is to compare motile sperm extraction rate between μTESE and cTESE in 18-50 years-old men with NOA.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 2 consecutive spermograms (with ±3 months interval) confirming absence of sperm (azoospermia)
• diagnosis of non-obstructive azoospermia on the basis of a complete history, physical examination, endocrine profile, ultrasound and chromosomal analysis

Exclusion criteria

• History of previous testicular surgery, except orchiopexy for undescended testis.
• Monochordy
• Ultrasound revealed testicular nodule
• Y chromosome microdeletions type AZFa and b.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

50 participants in 2 patient groups

conventional TESE

Active Comparator group

Description:

Conventional multiple TESE is performed under general or locoregional anesthesia. Through a small vertical incision in the median scrotal raphe, the skin, dartos muscle, and tunica vaginalis are opened to expose the tunica albuginea. The tunica albuginea is ordinarily incised for about 4 mm at the medium region of the testis. A similar biopsy will be systematically performed in the contralateral testis. The biopsy is analyzed by the biologist in the theatre in order to precise if sufficient spermatozoa is retrieved.

Treatment:

Procedure: conventional TESE

micro TESE

Experimental group

Description:

Microdissection TESE is also performed under general or locoregional anesthesia. After the tunica albuginea is opened widely along the antiepididymal border, direct examination of the testicular parenchyma is performed under the operating microscope. An attempt is made to identify individual seminiferous tubules that are larger, more opaque and whiter than other tubules in the testicular parenchyma, which are considered to contain spermatozoa. The extracted tubules are analyzed by the biologist in the theatre. The procedure is terminated when sperm are retrieved or further biopsy is thought likely to jeopardize the blood supply of the testis. If all tubules are seen to have an identical morphological appearance, at least three samples (upper, middle, and lower) are obtained. A similar microTESE will be systematically performed in the contralateral testis

Treatment:

Procedure: Micro TESE