Patient Sperm Bank

Long term freezing of human sperm is frequently desired by men facing the possibility of sterilization, reduction in fertility potential or genetic damage. Specific examples are chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for male oncology patients, transurethral resection of the prostate, vasectomy or high risk occupational exposure to toxic substances.

Key Questions

How does it work?
How is the specimen preserved?
How well do the sperm survive?
How do you attempt pregnancy with frozen sperm?

PROTOCOL FOR DEPOSIT OF SEMEN SPECIMEN
ON­SITE VISIT
OverNiteMale™ Kit

How does it work?

Once the need for sperm banking is established by the patient and his physician, the patient contacts our Andrology Coordinator to begin collecting semen specimens as soon as possible. The patient will always decide on the number of visits. It is recommended that 3 to 5 visits be completed for individual semen specimens to be stored in order to optimize chances of pregnancy in the future. Since 2 to 3 days sexual abstinence is recommended between ejaculates, the process will take approximately 1 to 2 weeks. (This can be adjusted to accommodate physicians who believe this time frame is too lengthy and/or therapy/surgery must begin sooner.)

How is the specimen preserved?

When your specimen is received in our University Andrology Laboratory, a complete semen analysis is performed to determine its fertility potential. A cryobuffer is then added to protect the sperm during the freezing process and the specimen is packaged in 1 ml cryovials. The number of vials will be directly related to the ejaculate volume and will vary with patients and with ejaculates. On the average, 1 to 4 vials will be filled by each specimen. The sperm are then frozen in liquid nitrogen tanks at ­196°C (­321°F). Thus, electrical failure will not effect specimen storage. At this low temperature, sperm may be effectively stored for greater than 10 years.

A small portion of the initial sample is set aside and also frozen. This vial is thawed within the first week to determine how well the sperm survive the freeze-thaw. This information is available to the patient and physician and maybe used to determine the course of therapy to attempt pregnancy.

How well do the sperm survive?

In general, sperm cells freeze very well. In the average man, 60 to 80% of sperm retain motility when thawed. This however, will depend upon the quality of semen and the freezing capability of the individual specimen. Many patients with testicular cancer have reduced sperm number and motility even before therapy. Poor quality specimens do not freeze as well as normal semen samples. Those patients whose sperm quality is unsatisfactory initially will be informed prior to permanent storage.

How do you attempt pregnancy with frozen sperm?

For specimens with normal count and motility, artificial insemination of thawed sperm into the wife's cervix is performed by a physician. This will require timed ovulation monitoring during the desired month of conception with 2 inseminations (1 to 2 vials each) around the time the egg is released. We recommend the use of a specialist in fertility for this procedure since there will be a limited number of attempts at pregnancy.

For specimens with below normal parameters for sperm count and/or motility, special Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) may be necessary. Urologists/Reproductive Endocrinologists (fertility specialists) are available at the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics. The office location of a qualified physician from the University of Illinois is available through our Andrology Coordinator.

It is important to learn from your referring physician or from the Sperm Bank the quality of your frozen specimens in order to determine in advance what type of treatment will be most appropriate for your attempt at pregnancy.

Arrangement for the shipment of vials should be done at least one week prior to the time you wish to begin artificial insemination or specialized ART procedures. Alternatively, if you live locally and desire your own physician to perform the procedures, arrangements can be made for local pickup and short term storage in your physician's office at the time of the wife's midcycle. If you need your samples shipped to another location in the United States, arrangements can be made to ship your specimens via Federal Express®. Call the Andrology Laboratory for further information at least 72 hours in advance.

PROTOCOL FOR DEPOSIT OF SEMEN SPECIMEN

Call our Andrology Coordinator to schedule a deposit one day in advance of your first visit. Each call will be handled courteously and confidentially. The Sperm Bank service is available daily Monday to Friday. You have the choice of visiting our facility or utilizing our OverNiteMale™ Program which allows you to produce a semen specimen in the privacy of your own home.

ON­SITE VISIT

The Patient Sperm Banking Program is located on the west campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center in the Out-Patient Care Center (OCC). Deposits will be accepted during the morning hours, Monday through Friday.

1. Two days of sexual abstinence is recommended between ejaculates to ensure optimal sperm numbers. Therefore, schedule your visits accordingly.


2. The specimen will be produced in a private patient room at the Sperm Bank. This is accomplished by the individual ejaculating directly into a sterile container through manual stimulation (masturbation). If the specimen is produced at home and brought to the clinic, sterile jars provided by the University Andrology Laboratory must be used. Additionally, it is very important for sperm survival that the specimen be kept warm (close to body temperature) and brought to the University Andrology Laboratory immediately (within one hour).


3. At your first visit, you will be asked to complete a patient information form and sign a consent form which constitutes our legal agreement to freeze and store your sperm.


4. An analysis of your sperm will be performed right away. We will also test the ability of the sperm to withstand freezing. Those individuals whose sperm quality is unsatisfactory for freezing will be contacted by telephone as soon as possible.

An adequate number of specimens should be collected to assure a sufficient number of vials for future use. This may require 3 to 4 visits to the University Andrology Laboratory Sperm Bank. For scheduling and/or further information regarding our program, please contact our Andrology Coordinator.

OverNiteMale™ Kit

Patients who have difficulty traveling to one of our offices to produce a sample on site can now produce at home and Federal Express® their specimen(s) directly to the University Andrology Laboratory using our OverNiteMale™ Kit. Semen samples are protected during shipment by a buffer media which protects the sperm. This process ensures the safe delivery of your specimen(s) to our laboratory for cryopreservation or testing. To obtain an OverNiteMale™TM Kit or for further information, call our Andrology Coordinator.

An adequate number of specimens should be collected to assure a sufficient number of vials for future use. This may require 2 to 3 kits.

Service Fees and Scheduling Info