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TESE and MESA

Hope for Men Battling Infertility

By C.J. Johnson

He attributes their success to the following:

• They perform ICSI in 100 percent of the IVF cases.
• Their embryologists are the most experienced in the industry.
• They have an individualized approach with patients and tailor a treatment protocol to each client's needs.

At the Sher Institute, at the time of this article, the cost of TESE is $1,000 while the cost for MESA is $2,500. Couples who are considering either of these procedures must realize there will be two additional expenses: three cycles of IVF for $7,800 and the preparations beforehand where the sperm is harvested, washed, sorted and prepped before freezing and use ($14,500). There is one unique twist in the billing plan at the Sher Institute: If a sustainable pregnancy is not obtained after three tries, the money is refunded.

Two different families with unique fertility dilemmas were able to get pregnant with the help of these advanced procedures.

Guy and Jo-Ann Jones were married and started trying to conceive a baby right away. Several months later, the New Jersey couple underwent fertility testing and discovered that Guy was not producing any sperm.

The couple turned to Dr. Brannigan for help. With his knowledge and determination, they felt confident that there would be a child in their future. Dr. Brannigan prescribed drugs that would bolster Guy's sperm production, and the couple hoped for the best. After the first procedure of TESE and harvesting and freezing of testicular tissue, two separate rounds of IVF were attempted with no success.

The Jones family felt like giving up. "We knew there was no more sperm left," Guy says. "We started looking into adoption, but a lot of the foreign countries wouldn't let us adopt because I was over 45."

But they didn't want to let go of their dream of having their own child, so Dr. Brannigan ncreased the intensity of the drug regimens and told the couple to stay positive. Guy was injected with hormones twice a day for two months. The third attempt at IVF was lucky for the Jones Family, and an embryo was successfully implanted in Jo-Ann.

They will never forget the day of the first ultrasound. "When we saw the baby that looked very much like a piece of rice with a heartbeat, we were finally elated," she says. "We were so thrilled."

Want to see more?

• A Good Egg or Sperm
• Fertility and Disabilities
• Male Factor Infertility
• Antisperm Antibodies: The Myths, the Truths and the Treatments of Sperm Allergies
• Eight Ways to Help Improve Male Fertility
• Talk about it!