One in every 500 men is born with an extra X chromosome, with a karyotype of 47, XXY rather than the typical 46, XY male karyotype. This is known as Klinefelter Syndrome and is the most common genetic variation which impacts a man’s fertility. Men with pure Klinefelter Syndrome are nearly universally azoospermic with a sperm count of zero in the semen due to a lack of adequate sperm production in the testicles. Just nearly two decades ago these men were told they could not be fathers with their own sperm, but things have dramatically changed in our understanding since then.
The majority of men with Klinefelter Syndrome, approximately 70%, can have sperm retrieved through a highly meticulous microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) in the hands of highly skilled microsurgically trained reproductive urologists. Dr. Parviz Kavoussi performs microTESE regularly with excellent sperm retrieval rates. The embryologists from Westlake IVF join him in the operating room for this highly specialized search for sperm microsurgically throughout the testicles. The majority of research advocates that the closer a man is to pubertal age, the better the odds of retrieving sperm, as sperm production within the testicles typically declines with age beyond puberty in Klinefelter men. The sperm is retrieved and then cryopreserved at Westlake IVF for future use with in vitro fertilization, whenever the man is ready to build his family.
Dr. Parviz Kavoussi recently spoke to the Klinefelter Syndrome global support group through a live online webinar with attendees from all over the world in attendance. Dr. Kavoussi states, “With the technology and the level of treatments available these days, there is so much more we can offer for men with Klinefelter Syndrome who want to be fathers with their own sperm”. Dr. Kavoussi is an expert in providing care for men with Klinefelter Syndrome from a fertility and hormonal standpoint.
