05/06/2016
The Man with a Low S***m Count Oligos***mia : Cause & Treatment
Manyinfertilemenareobsessed abouttheirlows***mcount-and thisseemstobecomethecentral concernintheirlives.Remember thattherealquestionthemanwith afertilityproblemisaskingisnot: Whatismys***mcountorwhat ismymotility?But-aremy s***mcapableofworkingornot? CanIhaveababywithmys***m? Sincethefunctionofthes***mis tofertilizetheegg,theonlydirectwayofansweringthisquestionisby actuallydoingIVFfortestfertilization.Thisis,ofcourse,too expensiveandimpracticalformostpeoplewhichiswhytheother s***mfunctiontestshavebeendevised.
Themajorproblemwithallthesetests,however,isthattheyareall indirect---thereisnoverygoodcorrelationbetweentestresults, pregnancyrates,andfertilizationinvitrofortheindividualpatient. Thisiswhyofferingaprognosisfortheindividualpatientbasedonan abnormalityinthes***mtestresultissodifficult,andwhywefind thatdifferentdoctorsgivesuchwidelyvaryinginterpretationsbased onthesames***mreport.Youcanseewhatanormals***mcount lookslikehere!
Thisisreallynotsurprisingwhenyouconsiderhowabysmalour ignoranceinthisareais-afterall,wedonotevenknowwhata "normal"s***mcountis!Sinceyouonlyneedone"good"s***mto fertiliseanegg,wedonothaveasimpleanswertoeventhisvery basicquestion!Whilethelowerlimitofnormalisconsideredtobe10 millionprogressivelymotiles***mperml,rememberthatthisisa statisticalaverage.Forexample,mostdoctorshavehadthe experienceofamanwithaverylows***mcount(aslittleas2-5 millionperml)fatheringapregnancyonhisown,withnotreatment.In fact,whens***mcountsaredoneformenwhoareundergoinga vasectomyforfamilyplanning,thesemenofprovenfertilityhave s***mcountsvaryinganywherefrom2millionto300millionperml. Thisobviouslymeansthatthereisasignificantvariationin"fertile" s***mcounts,andthereforecomingtoconclusionsisverydifficult forthedoctor(leavealonethepatient!)
Inordertomakesenseofthis,youneedtounderstandtwoimportant concepts-"tryingtime"and"fertilitypotentialofthecouple".Ifyour s***mcountislow,butyouhavebeentryingtohaveababyforless than1year,itstillmakessensetokeepontryingforabout1year, since10%ofmenwithlows***mcountswillfatherapregnancyin thistime.Ifhowever,youhavealreadytriedformorethan2years withnosuccess,youneedtomoveonanddosomethingmore-the chancesofaspontaneouspregnancyarenowverylow.Remember, thatadoctordoesnottreatjusta"lows***mcountreport"-hetreats patients!
Sowhatdoesthemanwithalows***mcountdo?Mostmengoto theirdoctorandexpectthattheirdoctorwillprescribeamedicine whichwillhelpthemtoincreasetheirs***mcount,andfixtheir problem.Afterall,theyexpectthatifmedicaltechnologyhasbecome soadvanced,thentheremustbesometreatmentavailabletocorrect suchacommonproblem!
Theproblemwiththemedicaltreatmentofalows***mcountisthat formostpeopleitsimplydoesn'twork.Afterall,ifthereasonforalow s***mcountisamicrodeletionontheY-chromosome,thenhowcan medicationhelp?Theveryfactthattherearesomanywaysof "treating"alows***mcountitselfsuggeststhatthereisnoeffective methodavailable.Thisisthesadstateofaffairstodayandmuch needstobelearntaboutthecausesofpoorproductionofs***m beforewecanfindeffectivemethodsoftreatingit.
However,patientswanttreatment,sothereispressureonthedoctor toprescribe,evenifheknowsthetherapymaynotbehelpful.When mostpatientsgotoadoctor,theyexpectthatthedoctorwillprescribe amedicineandtreattheirproblem.Sincemostpeoplestillbelieve thereisa"pillforeveryill",theyexpectthatthedoctorwillgivethema medicine(oraninjection)whichwillincreasetheirs***mcount.No patienteverwantstohearthetruththatthereisreallynoeffective treatmentavailabletodayforincreasingthes***mcount.
Sincemostdoctorsknowthis,theyarepressurisedintoprescribing medicinesforthesepatients,becausetheydonotwantthepatientto beunhappywiththem.Theyareworriedthatiftheydonotfulfillthe patient's*xpectationofaprescription,thepatientwilldesertthem, andgoelsewhere,whichiswhytheyoftendonottellthepatientthe completetruth.Thedoctoralsorememberstheoccasionalanecdotal successes(whocomebackforfollowup,whiletheothersdesertthe doctorandarelosttofollowup)iswhypatientswithlows***m countsareputoneverytreatmentimaginable-withlittlerational basis-clomiphene,HMGandHCGinjections(usingtherationale thatwhat'sgoodforthegoosemustbegoodforthegander!)proxeed, testosterone,VitaminE,VitaminC,anti-oxidants,high-proteindiets, hoemeopathicpills,ayurvedicchuransandevenvaricocelesurgery. However,theveryfactthattherearehundredsofmedicinesitself provesthatthereisnomedicinewhichworks!(Afterall,ifone medicineworked,thenalldoctorswouldprescribethis,sothere wouldbenoneedforsomanydifferentmedicines!)
Manydoctorsjustifytheirprescriptionsbysaying-"Anywayitcan't hurt-andinanycase,whatelsecanwedo?"However,thisattitude canbepositivelyharmful.Itwastestime,duringwhichthewifegets older,andherfertilitypotentialdecreases.Patientsareunhappy whenthereisnoimprovementinthes***mcountandlose confidenceindoctors.Italsostopsthepatientfromexploring effectivemodesofalternativetherapy-suchasIVFandICSI.Today empirictherapyshouldbecriticisedunlessitisusedasashortterm ther**eutictrialwithadefinedend-point.
Awordofwarning.Medicaltreatmentformaleinfertilitydoesnot haveahighsuccessrateandhasunpleasantsideeffects,sodon't takeitunlessyourdoctorexplainshisrationale.Thetreatmentisbest considered"experimental"andcanbetriedasather**eutictrial. Makesure,however,thatsemenis*xaminedforimprovementafter threemonthsandthendecidewhetheryouwanttopresson regardless.
Whataboutsurgerytotreatavaricocele?Rememberthatmanymen withlargevaricoceleshaveexcellents***mcounts,whichiswhy correlatingcause(varicocele)andeffect(lows***mcount)isso difficult.Itispossiblethatthevaricocelemaybeanunrelatedfinding ininfertilemen-a"redherring"sotospeak.Thismeansthatsurgical correctionofthevaricocelemaybeofnouseinimprovingthes***m count-afterall,ifthevaricoceleisnotthecauseoftheproblem,then howwilltreatingithelp?Infact,controlledtrialscomparing varicocelesurgerywithnotherapyinmenwhohavevaricocelesand alows***mcounthaveshownthatthepregnancyrateisthesame-sothatitdoesnotseemtomakeadifferencewhetherornotthe varicoceleistreated!
Becausesurgeryforvaricocelerepairissimpleandstraightforward, manydoctorsstillrepairanyvaricocelestheyfindininfertilemen, followingthedictumthatit'sbettertodosomething,ratherthando nothing!However,keepinmindthatvaricocelesurgerywillresultin animprovementins***mcountandmotilityinonlyabout30%of patients-anditisstillnotpossibleforthedoctortopredictwhich patientwillbehelped.Ofcourse,justimprovingthes***mcountis notenough-andpregnancyratesaftervaricocelerepairalonearein therangeof15%.However,onedangerofdoingavaricocelerepairis thatwhenitdoesn'thelp,patientsgetfrustrated,andrefusetopursue moreeffectiveoptions,suchastheassistedreproductivetechniques.
Thesadfactofthematteristhatthereisnomethodofincreasinga lows***mcounttoday!Thisiswhymodernmanagementofalow s***mcountusesassistedreproductivetechnologyextensively.The modernprotocolformanagingmaleinfertilityisbasedontheman's motiles***mcount;andonasimpletest,calledas***msurvival test.Thes***marewashed,andtheirrecoveryassessed;the washeds***marethenkeptinculturemediumintheincubatorfor24 hoursandthenrechecked.Iftherearemorethan3millionmotile s***mperml,thisisreassuring.If,however,noneofthes***mis aliveafter24hours,thissuggeststhattheymaybefunctionally incompetent.Treatmentdependsuponhowlowthecountis.Ifitis onlymoderatelydecreased(totalmotiles***mcountintheejaculate being20million),itmakessensetotrytoimprovethefertility potentialofthewife,andtheeasiesttreatmentformenwith moderatelylows***mcountsissuperovulationplusintrauterine insemination.Ifafterdoingthisandtryingfor4treatmentcycles(the reason4isthe"magic"numberisthatmostpatientswhoaregoingto becomepregnantwithanymethodwillusuallydosowithin4cycles) nopregnancyensues,youneedtogoonandexplorefurther alternatives,suchasIVForICSI.
Unfortunately,wefindthatmanydoctorsstillofferIUI(intrauterine insemination)treatmentformenwitholigos***mia.Thehopeseems tobethatwashingthes***mwillhelpthedoctortorecoverthe"best s***m";andsinceonlyones***misneededtofertilisetheegg,then IUIwillimprovethechancesofachievingapregnancy.Unfortunately, IUIisaterribletreatmentforoligos***mia,withaverylowpregnancy rate.Theproblemisthatoligos***micmenhaves***mwhichare functionallyincompetent,whichiswhywashingthes***manddoing IUIdoesnothelp.
Sowhatistherighttreatment?Formenwithamotiles***mcountof morethan5millionintheejaculate,logicallyIVFwouldbethefirst treatmentoffered.Thiswouldallowustodocumentifthes***mcan fertilizetheeggsornot.Iffertilisationisdocumented,thenthepatient hasagoodchanceofgettingpregnant.However,ifthemotiles***m countislessthan5million,orifthereistotalfailureoffertilisationin IVF,thentheonlytreatmentavailableisICSI(intracytoplasmics***m injection,pronounced"eeksee")ormicroinjection.ICSIhas revolutionisedourapproachtotheinfertileman,anditpromisesthe possibilityforeverymantohaveababy,nomatterhowlowhis s***mcount.
WepersonallypreferofferingICSItreatmentdirectlytoallmenwith oligos***mia,tobypasstheriskoftotalfertilisationfailurewithIVF. Thisallowsustoguaranteethatwewillbeabletomakeembryosin thelab,nomatterhowpoorthes***m.
Whatabouttheanswertothemilliondollarquestion:---WhydoI havealows***mcount?Unfortunately,ninetimesoutoften,the doctorwillnotbeabletoanswerthatquestion,andnoamountof testingwillhelpustofindout-thisislabelledas"idiopathic oligos***mia"whichisreallyawastepaperbasketdiagnosisfor"god onlyknows!".Modernresearchhasshownthatthereasonsomemen havealows***mcountmaybebecauseofamicrodeletionontheY-chromosome.Thisisanexpensivetest,whichisavailableonlyin researchlaboratoriesatpresent,anddoes*xplainwhywehavelittle effectivetreatmentforthiscommonproblem!Wedoknowthatalow s***mcountisnotrelatedtophysique,generalstateofhealth,diet, s*xualappetiteorfrequency.Whilenotknowingthecausecanbe veryfrustrating,medicinestillhasalottostudyandunderstandabout maleinfertility,whichisarelativelyneglectedfieldtoday.
Themajorcauseofmaleinfertilityusuallyisas***mproblem. However,dorememberthatthisisnoreflectiononyourlibidoor s*xualprowess.Sometimesmenwithtesticularfailurefindthis difficulttounderstand(butdoctor,Ihaves*xtwiceaday!Howcanmy s***mcountbezero?).Thereasonforthisisthatthetestishastwo compartments.Onecompartment,theseminiferoustubules, producess***ms.Theothercompartment,the"interstitium"orthe tissueinbetweenthetubules(wheretheLeydigcellsare)produces themales*xhormone,testosterone,whichcausesthemales*xual drive.Nowwhilethetubulescanbeeasilydamaged,theLeydigcells aremuchmoreresistanttodamage,andwillcontinuefunctioning normallyinmostpatientswithtesticularfailure.
Thisiswhythediagnosisofalows***mcountcanbesuchablowto one'sego---itissototallyunexpected,becauseitisnotassociated withothersymptomsorsigns.Menreactdifferently-butcommon feelingsincludeangerwiththewifeandthedoctor;resentfulness abouthavingtoparticipateininfertilitytestingandtreatmentsince theyfeelhavingbabiesisthewoman's"job";lossofself-esteem;and temporarys*xualdysfunctionsuchaslossofdesireandpoor er****ons.Manymenalsofeelveryguiltythatbecauseof"their" medicalproblem,theyaredeprivingtheirwifethepleasuresof experiencingmotherhood.Unfortunately,socialsupportforthe infertilemanispracticallynon-existent,andheisforcedtoputupa bravefrontandshowthathedoesn'tcare.Sinceheisaman,heisnot allowedtodisplayhisemotions.Heis*xpectedtoprovideashoulder forhiswifetocryon-butheneedstolearntocryalone.However, rememberthattheurgeforfatherhoodcanbebiologicallyasstrong astheurgeformotherhood-andweshouldstoptreatinginfertilemen assecondclasscitizen.
Kingston clinic pvt ltd