Semen Analysis, Post-Vasectomy**

Code

PVAS

Sample Reqs

Semen [1]

Turnaround

2 days

Special instructions

[1] Contact the laboratory for special sample tubes/containers/instructions.
** For men who have had a vasectomy, clearance should only be given when there is no evidence of presence of sperm in a single ejaculate when recommendations are met. It is rare that a ‘diagnosis’ is made without confirmation, therefore patients/clinicians should be able to freely request a second confirmatory sample. Special clearance may be given at the doctor’s discretion, when there are <100 000/ml non-motile sperm present after the assessment of two specimens in full accordance with recommendations. Recommendations, as given by the Association of Biomedical Andrologists, the British Andrology Society and the British Association of Urological Surgeons 2016, are as follows:
1 Analysis of post vasectomy semen samples should not occur until 12 weeks post-surgery and after a minimum of 20 ejaculates
2 Semen samples must be analysed within 4 hours of production, and in cases where sperm is found a repeat analysis must be performed within 1 hour of production
3 Semen should be provided in weighed specimen containers provided by TDL Andrology
4 Sexual abstinence should be between 2 and 7 days.

Sample guidelines

Ideally semen samples should be produced on-site at TDL’s Patient Reception at 76 Wimpole Street, London.

Patients should abstain from ejaculation for 2–3 days before the test (but no less than 2 days and no longer than 5 days). This requirement is important for semen analyses and post-vasectomy analyses to ensure reliability of results. It is possible that samples that do not comply with guidelines for abstinence and collection may not be able to be processed.

All semen samples must be produced directly into the sterile containers provided by TDL.

All containers are weighed and batch tested for sperm cytotoxicity. In exceptional circumstances when semen samples are produced off-site, they can only be accepted by the Andrology Department in sample containers provided by TDL.

All semen samples must be accompanied by a completed 'Information Form For Patients Producing Semen Samples'.