FNA Mapping Success where MicroTESE has Failed
At the Kanto Clinic, we recently had a case where sperm was successfully detected with FNA Mapping after micro-TESE had failed. Interestingly, the sperm was found in the testis opposite to the one where micro-TESE had previously failed at another clinic.
With another patient where micro-TESE had not been successful, we tried a salvage therapy protocol different from the conventional gonadotropin treatment (hCG + rFSH). We were successful in finding motile sperm despite a failed micro-TESE in this case as well.
These findings suggest that it may be possible to detect sperm without performing micro-TESE at all, if less intrusive measures such as FNA Mapping are successful prior to attempting micro-TESE. This raises new doubts about the current standard practice of “just cutting into the testis” for presumed non-obstructive azoospermia.
Publishing and Pushing for a Higher Standard
These findings suggest that it may be possible to detect sperm without performing micro-TESE at all, if less intrusive measures such as FNA Mapping are successful prior to attempting micro-TESE. This raises new doubts about the current standard practice of “just cutting into the testis” for presumed non-obstructive azoospermia.
This year, a review introducing both FNA Mapping and micro-TESE was published in the international journal Reproductive Medicine and Biology (RMB). Dr. Kanto’s work was published in this issue of RMB, and we are also happy to report an increase in inquiries from overseas.
Global Medicine
Although our clinic does not spend money on advertising or extensive SEO, we believe that the spread of information through social media posts by international patients who underwent surgery here at the Kanto Clinic has played a role. As it is our mission to provide accurate diagnosis and the highest standard of medical treatment, we are both proud and deeply honored to have earned the trust of patients both inside Japan and in many countries around the world.
Providing medical care in English may give additional reassurance to patients who do not speak Japanese well. We hope that the medical landscape in Japan, widely-speaking, will also move towards better facilitating non-Japanese patients living in Japan and also outside of Japan, and continue to seek the advancement of procedures for patients with an updated standard of care, prioritizing less intrusive treatments first.