Other parameters can also point to certain other pathologies including infection, prostatic disease, immunological infertility, retrograde ejaculation, malformation or obstruction of the genital tract, tumour, and congenital or endocrine disorders.
For men who have had a vasectomy, clearance should only be given when there is no evidence of presence of sperm in two consecutive semen samples. It is therefore vital to ensure that results are reported according to best practice guidelines. WHO 2010 guidelines state that two semen analyses should be performed before any diagnosis is confirmed. This may require requests for two (separate) semen analyses.
Semen samples need specialist handling within the laboratory and all requests must be made by appointment. Patients can make an online appointment at www.tdlpathology.com/andrologybooking or call 020 7307 7373 to make appointments and confirm instructions for sample collection. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS – (1) Patients must abstain from ejaculation for at least 2 days but not longer than 5 days before the test. (2) Ideally semen samples should be produced at The Doctors Laboratory, 76 Wimpole Street, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
The Royal College of Surgeons advise that post vasectomy semen analysis should not occur earlier than 12 weeks following the operation
