MFI and DNA fragmentation

[Piapea]

Hi everyone
I'm looking for some advise or positive stories from couples with MFI. My partner has just had his semen analysis results back. His count and morphology are low. He had a varicocele treated about 3 years ago and had a normal SE last year, so I'm struggling to understand what is going on. The varicocele could be back I suppose, I have no idea how common that is. So it is recommended that we have ICSI. I am now getting stuck into these boards and reading everything I can about IVF with MFI and I have a lot of questions about DNA fragmentation. I am really worried that we will start IVF and everything will fail because maybe the DNA frag is high. I called a couple of clinics yesterday and they said they don't offer the test to outside patients. If anyone has any stories /advice, I'd really appreciate it. I just can't decide what our next step should be.. DNA frag first or just do IVF and see what happens

@Koalie not at all, I'm glad to be of help. It's so hard not to wind yourself up but once you start treatment you'll feel more in control. I would maybe look up the standard tests for urologist to do ahead of ivf (hormone profile, infections, scan for variocele etc) and see if they're relevant for your case. Think there is an oxidative test as well which looks at how many free radicals / oxidants are there which could contribute to DNA frag. But then the treatment is taking anantioxidants l like ubiquinol / impryl/ proxseed etc. so you don't need it unless you would like to know.

My husband did do TESE on our 3rd round as his score was so bad. We did get our best quality embryos from it but we are yet to transfer them ! The drs won't do TESE on your first or even maybe your second - it's more of a final option if ejaculate sperm isn't yielding any embryos. You will likely also have to do another test to see if your husband is a good candidate for it (it's called some like double stranded helix comet test). However the preference at clinics if your husband has lots of good sperm (which he does as remember 70% isn't bad) they would prefer fresh ejaculate sperm as it is more mature. But if you struggle to make good embryos then it is definitely something to have up your sleeve for round 2 or 3. Our urologist mr Ramsay always recommended 1 day abstinence for fragmented sperm - as it's about quality not quantity with ICSI. Our struggles are actually more likely to be my adenomyosis as miscarrying good embryos. Your husband has a much better profile so I have every confidence you'll get there. Feel free to drop me a line or message whenever. X

@Anonbaby my husband was on a cocktail as he has always had terrible parameters. It's impossible to know what works or not but it's probably worth having him do another spa again as I know it can really fluctuate. Maybe stop taking them if that's the only change since the original score and have a dna fragmentation test if it comes back low again? Sorry not to be more help x

@Penny19 hi there, joining this thread too. @Penny19 really good to hear that TESE helped (our consultant is skeptical about it). My husband has high DFI of 48%, low motility and low morphology. We did two icsi cycles, both resulted in very poor fertilisation. In the first cycle we had 20 mature eggs and only 2 fertilized and made it to blastocyst - two subsequent FETs failed (no implantation). In the second round (after being on proceed and cq10) we had 24 mature eggs, 4 fertilised, 2 made it to blastocyst. We are being told it’s sperm quality, but surely there is still 52% of fair quality sperm… currently waiting on the pgt-a for these two. Reading all the literature makes my head go crazy to be honest - don’t know what to expect anymore. But we definitely have TESE in mind if nothing comes out of this cycle. Best of luck to you! X