Hope for Infertile Couples: Advanced Sperm Search

Extended Sperm Search and Microfreeze (ESSM) is a revolutionary procedure that can detect sperm in previously diagnosed azoospermic men. The procedure is non-invasive, painless, and has found sperm in upt to 44% of cases. Here’s a break down of the process and equipment we use in our lab to perform this procedure. THE INVERTED MICROSCOPE …

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Slow Freeze versus Microfreeze

Male Infertility: Why Microfreeze is Superior to Slow freezing for Low Sperm Counts The successful freezing and thawing of reproductive tissue first occurred in the 1950s. The method implemented then, which we now refer to as ‘slow freezing’, is still utilized in every reproductive laboratory today. The method combines 2 protective aspects, which work together …

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Fertility Treatment: How to Catch a Good Swimmer

When performing an Extended Sperm Search and Microfreeze procedure, sperm are collected using a modification of the techniques used during an ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) procedure. In ICSI, a micropipette- a needle thinner than a human hair- is used to draw up a single sperm and inject it into an egg. The primary criteria used …

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The Male Experience of Infertility Treatment

As a woman sitting down to write a blog post about male infertility, I started by turning to my old stand-bys: the fertility blogs and research sites I frequent regularly for up to date information. I found myself 3 pages deep before I found even one post about men: a dry explanation about what a …

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The anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric

As we age, we have more aches, pains, and inflammation throughout our body. Certain foods, especially in the fruits and vegetables category, have been shown to help fight inflammation and disease. One spice that has been highlighted recently is turmeric, which is commonly used in Asian food, especially curry. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a …

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Exercise May Be Linked to Sperm Quality

Most people know that diet and exercise are important for our health, and every month more studies are published showing how our lifestyle choices significantly impact our body systems. A new study published in Human Reproduction found that men who engaged in the most physical activity had the highest sperm motility, which is defined as …

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To Increase Fertility, Go Nuts!

A recent study has shown that including nuts in a regular western diet significantly improves fertility in men by improving the quality and function of sperm.  The duration of the randomized trial was 14-weeks, and was comprised of young healthy men between the ages of 18-35 years-old.  The intervention group added 60 grams, or about …

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