The Division of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Baylor Medicine Urology specializes in the latest research and technology to help diagnose and treat men with infertility. One of the many services we provide to men and their families is Sperm Banking.
Sperm Cryopreservation- also called sperm freezing or sperm banking is the process of freezing male sperm and storing it for future use. Sperm Banking is a good option for men who:
- Are undergoing certain cancer treatments that can impact fertility, either temporarily or permanently. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and cancer surgery can all affect sperm production.
- Who choose to have a vasectomy may want the option to have children later.
- Are taking certain medications that can affect fertility.
- Have high-risk occupations (such as military personnel) may freeze sperm to ensure its availability for them or their partners.
- Are set to undergo surgery (e.g., testicular, prostate, or similar surgery).
- Are suffering from infertility and need to extract sperm for future use.
In these situations, banking sperm is like insurance. Even one sample of frozen sperm stored in a sperm bank provides the chance of having a biological child in the future, no matter what may happen to your fertility.
Modern infertility treatment techniques (in vitro fertilization) require only a few live sperm cells to create a pregnancy. If a man has good-quality sperm and can freeze several samples, a less extreme infertility treatment, such as artificial insemination, might be a less expensive and less intrusive.
The modern sperm bank at the Scott Department of Urology can provide a full scope of services for collection, analysis, and long-term storage as needed. If possible, all arrangements for sperm banking should be made before the beginning of any cancer therapy.
Detailed information, procedures, and costs are provided by personal consultation. Please call (713) 798-4027 to discuss any questions or concerns.
Sperm Banking Procedures
- Typically, 2-3 semen samples are collected. More semen samples banked provide a greater chance of future pregnancy.
- A routine semen analysis is performed to measure the number of sperm in the ejaculate and their movement.
- The sperm is divided into separate vials and frozen for future use. Once frozen at ultra-low temperatures, the sperm remains viable for decades.
- When you are ready to start a family, contact the laboratory to discuss using your sperm.
- There are many ways frozen sperm can be used to achieve a pregnancy. Modern assisted reproductive technologies (ART) include intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and micromanipulation (ICSI).
- The physician’s recommendation on the type of ART to be used is based, in part, on the quantity and quality of the frozen sperm, the age of the female, and other factors. The optimal ART technique may be affected by the number of sperm available.
- If several vials of good-quality sperm are available, an IUI may be performed. If just a limited number of sperm are present, IVF and micromanipulation may be the only ART options. The physician will advise you of your best choices for achieving a viable pregnancy.
- Sperm samples can be delivered overnight to any ART facility in the United States. Special arrangements may be available for international shipping.
