Sperm analysis bad - varicoceles - failed IVF

[Plantsandcoffee]

Hi there

Husband and i have been TTC for over a year. I checked out all fine but husbands SA. Results confirmed that sperm was scoring low on a number of points. Results below:

morphology 1.5% - below 3-4% average
Vitality 34% - below 55-63% average
Motility 27% - 31 -34% average
No of sperm 59 mill - above average

Husband went on to have a varicocele embolism this month but we had already started the IVF cycle so wanted to continue with that. I got pregnant but the embryo stopped developing around 5 weeks.

I'm now hoping that the after the embolism we might be able to get pregnant naturally or it could improve our chances next time with IVF

I guess I'm looking for a bit of support and maybe some success stories

Thanks
Xx

I'm commenting to follow, as we have a similar story but at an earlier stage. My husband suspected he had a varicocele ten years ago but the GP said no. Ten years later after TTC 8 minths and getting back his dire SA results, a private urologist diagnosed a grade 3 varicocele. We paid privately for embolization to try and improve things before ICSI but it failed as the surgeon couldn't find the right vein, apparently happens to 10% of men. So we decided to go for our first round of ICSI as we've paid for a multicycle as it doesn't affect our NHS entitlement our CCG, and after reading so much about dna fragmentation and embryo drop off I'm trying to to invest too much in the first try! I read that surgical sperm removal can bypass what causes dna fragmentation and therefore embryo drop off too, and in the mean time we're going back through NHS for anything further that can be done for the huge varicocele my poor husband has had for years. Hope the embolization works well for you, most forums I've read where IVF was done after a varicocelectomy has gone really well!

Hey @Imisscoffee2021

Thanks for joining.

We had to really really fight to get my husband referred for a scan and that was only after he'd seen 3 separate drs we finally got there. At the scan they discovered moderate varicoceles. Husband had embolism and he says he can feel the difference and feel it "working" ...

My husband also had to have the procedure twice as the first time the wrong sized equipment was used. The next time he had the top consultant doing it so we were lucky... hopefully your husband gets this treatment too.

I'm hoping (possibly naively) that as my husbands sperm results were suboptimal to begin with (rather than really bad) that the embolism will make enough difference that we can conceive naturally.

I don't know if that's totally foolish but I can't help but hope

X

I don't blame you for hoping, and lots of these threads have had women getting oregnant naturally after a varicocele has been dealt with! I was hoping the same so it was a huge blow to find out the expensive surgery hadn't worked.
We went private and had a top consultant and he still couldn't find the vein, so surgery is probably going to have to be the option. This fills my husband with fear as there are bigger things that can go wrong, so we're giving ICSI a go first and can see what that does.
Hope your husbands SA improves quickly, I read that ejaculating every 2 days hurries fresh sperm production along!TMI but isn't everything on this board :D

@Imisscoffee2021

Ah your poor husband mine was really shaken up when it didn't work the first time. It's just not an easy ride. I'm sorry to hear that this expensive option didn't work. I've got everything crossed for your ICSI 🤞

Thanks for the ejaculating tip... I didn't each flinch. I live in the world of TMI since starting our fertility journey 😂

Hi @Plantsandcoffee and @Imisscoffee2021 ,

jumping on board to check in with you guys and your current point of each of your journeys.

DP just got a ‘zero sperm’ test result and we know from a few years ago he has a varicocele. Devastated and really feel like it’s a long long road ahead.

seeing a urologist in December to push for an embolism. If that works, ICSI.. if not, m-tese and ICSI… if that doesn’t work, I don’t even want to think about the next step. How are you both?

Hi @IslaO . Embolization is super important, that was the first thing we tried, paid privately to try and beat the nhs wait time and the expert consultant couldn't find my husbands vein so didn't work and still had to pay! The nhs won't touch it either as they said if he couldn't find it they wouldnt and surgery is only option, but they advised ICSI first. We did a cycle in August and got 7 eggs from me, 7 mature and all got to day 5 blast, one was a bit slow though so they gave it another day and couldn't freeze on day 6. So we had a fresh transfer that failed of a top grade blast, I think it attempted to implant asnhad a faint line which didn't progress, and we have 5 more on ice, two top quality and 3 good quality. We were freaked about dna fragmentation because if his grade 3 severe varicocele and I'm not assuming our embryos are all chromosomally normal at this stage, but to avoid the day 3 to 5 drop off was a huge relief. My husband did the only things he could do to improve his swimmers since the varicocele is here to stay, he ejaculated every other day for three months and only 24 hours before ivf sample as advised to avoid dna damage, he quit coffee and alcohol and took a good conception vitamin, as well as wore loose shorts around the house.
We're prepared to do a surgical extraction if we have to do another round, but for now feel good to have 5 frosties.

Best of luck with embolization, if your hubby days he feels pain they will be more likely to do it! X

After years of trying, and a pregnancy that ended with a MMC, we went for tests that showed my husband had very poor SA with results similar to the above, although his count was lower. We were told it was unlikely we'd conceive naturally. Had a go at IVF but I didn't respond well to the drugs and it failed. We were stressing out about affording a second go at IVF, but I was trying something else I'd read about. After sex I kept my hips raised and we did some foreplay (or after-play rather) to make me orgasm. As you spasm internally it makes the cervix dip into the sperm that's been deposited in the vagina. My DD is now 23 OP. Thinking it was a fluke we kept on having unprotected sex without a further pregnancy, but 18 months later I tried the same technique. My second DD is now 21. Two was my family complete so never tried it thereafter, so u sure whether we were just lucky or if the technique itself worked.

Hi all, jumping in the conversation. Trying to understand how much varicocele embolision costs, we are based in London but can travel anywhere. Do you mind sharing the name of the consultant to avoid who was unable to find the vein? Thank you for all the info and support!

@K8dferXdder We used St John's and St Elizabeth's hospital. I'd be put off there is future because it cost us 4 grand and I've found cheaper since then, but the doctor is an expert and does embolizations all day twice a week as they're common, so I wouldn't say it was his fault it didn't work, 10% of men have their veins not able to be found so just one of those things. The NHS said they'd not even try to do it if he couldn't find it cos they won't either.

Hi all,

Trying to decide if we will visit Dr Ramsey in London. Does he do the varicocoel embolisations in his clinic or does he refer you to a hospital? What sort of test does he do on the day? I would love to know more before booking especially if any of you have direct experience. Thank you so much in advance!