What is Onco-TESE?

So that procedure, the procedure to extract sperm from a man surgically in the setting of cancer, is called Onco-TESE, or oncological testicular sperm extraction, and that is an outpatient procedure typically done in the operating room setting. The patient is typically under an anesthetic for a half hour to an hour, and in the course of that procedure, we actually will look through the testicle, oftentimes with an operating microscope, in an effort to find pockets of sperm production. That sperm can then be harvested, frozen, and used at a later point in time for the couple to try to achieve a pregnancy. In terms of the procedure itself, the recovery is pretty straightforward. Usually patients are on oral pain pills for a day or two after the procedure, and there’s just a small incision that typically heals up within about 7 to 10 days.