Achieving natural pregnancy for women by treating male infertility
Many people do not realize that male reproductive problems account for about 20 percent of all infertility cases. What’s more, in an additional 30 percent of cases it’s a combined male/female issue. Between 15 and 20 percent of couples are diagnosed with infertility when they are unable to conceive a baby after one year of unprotected intercourse.
According to Dr. Ash Kshirsagar, a urologist on Sentara Potomac Hospital’s medical staff and director of Male Infertility at Potomac Urology, identifying and treating male infertility take the burden off many women who may unknowingly undergo unnecessary, painful and very costly fertility treatments.
“Common fertility problems in men such as underlying blood flow problems, obstruction in the reproductive tubes, and side effects from medications can be treated fairly easily and can give couples a great chance at natural pregnancy,” explains Dr. Kshirsagar. “This is excellent news for women who may mistakenly assume that they need to undergo fertility treatment when they have problems conceiving a baby.”
Dr. Kshirsagar is the only physician in the area who is fellowship-trained in male infertility and microscopic surgery, which he uses at Sentara Potomac Hospital to treat male infertility problems.
“Microsurgery allows me to precisely treat the affected area to allow for better sperm production,” says Dr. Kshirsagar. “We can also use this type of surgery to perform vasectomy reversals. Men who wish to reverse their vasectomy (elective male sterilization that blocks sperm from entering semen) now have a very effective option that can increase their chance of successful reversal to about 90 percent.
“These procedures have provided excellent outcomes for many men and couples,” says Dr. Kshirsagar. “Infertility can be a very trying issue for couples and it’s gratifying to know that we can help these couples reach their dreams of becoming parents.”
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