NEEDS ASSESSMENT / LECTURE DESCRIPTION

       With the wide adoption of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, evaluation, and therapeutic targets for male reproductive medicine fundamentally changed.          Evaluation and treatment of the male evolved to increase the probability of outcomes of artificial reproductive techniques, and to identify endocrine dysfunction which may impact a male not only during reproductive care but in later life as well.  

       In the case of azoospermia due to spermatogenic dysfunction, endocrine manipulation of the male may lead to increased probability of obtaining sperm using microsurgical techniques.

       Understanding new developments in evaluating male reproductive dysfunction, and a hybrid therapeutic approach including medical and surgical modalities aids the reproductive care team to optimally treat the infertile couple.

   1. Describe the limitations of the bulk semen analysis in evaluating the infertile male, and explain modern computational approaches to improving the assessment of male reproductive dysfunction.
   2. Explain the relationship between male infertility and endocrinopathy, and the effect of endocrinopathy during male aging.
   3. Enumerate modern surgical approaches to obtaining sperm from men with azoospermia and list their advantages.
   4. Detail an algorithmic approach to endocrine therapy prior to surgical sperm retrieval.