


Because of this, patients are premedicated to adjust the pH of their urine so that sperm can survive in the bladder. The ejaculate is collected from the urethra as well as the bladder, as frequently retrograde ejaculation into the bladder occurs.Using increasing frequency and amplitude of energy, ejaculation is stimulated. An electric probe or electroejaculator is inserted into the rectum and positioned against the prostate.Once fertilization occurs, the embryo is then transferred into the woman’s uterus.Įlectroejaculation is another technique that can be used to stimulate ejaculation in men with spinal cord injury who are not responsive to penile vibratory stimulation. In this case, in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) are used to carefully inject selected individual sperm in the female partner’s retrieved egg. Some men with spinal cord injury have poor sperm quality despite being able to collect ejaculated sperm, they may not be candidates for IUI.IUI requires no anesthesia and is similar to a pelvic examination and Pap smear with regard to discomfort. A thin catheter is gently advanced through the opening of the cervix (cervical os) and the sperm are injected into the uterus at the time of ovulation. IUI is an office procedure performed by the woman’s reproductive endocrinologist. IUI involves taking this processed, ejaculated specimen and placing it directly in the uterus of the female partner. If enough sperm are able to be collected in the ejaculate, they are washed and processed by the IVF lab and can be used for intrauterine insemination (IUI).Men with an intact ejaculatory reflex arc, which is dependent on the level of spinal cord injury, are able to experience reflex ejaculation.A specially designed mechanical vibrator is placed at the base of the glans penis and it is set a certain frequency and amplitude.Penile vibratory stimulation is an office procedure that is painless and requires no anesthetic or sedation. Men with spinal cord injury can frequently achieve erection and have sexual intercourse, however the percentage who can successfully ejaculate is very low.
