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retrograde ejaculation
Retrograde ejaculation occurs if a man’s semen is ejaculated backwards into the bladder instead of into the urethra. Viewed anatomically, the vas deferens joins the path of the urethra, so that the sperm can leave the body. Retrograde ejaculation is a defect of the valves that control urine flow versus sperm flow through the urethra. If a man’s system is functioning as it should, the valve between the bladder and the urethra closes during ejaculation and, the valve between the vas deferens and the urethra closes during urination.
symptoms
A lack of ejaculate can indicate retrograde ejaculation.
cause
The most common reason for retrograde ejaculation is previous prostate surgery. Other possible causes are cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and surgery on the abdomen, the pelvis or the genital area. Another cause could be the use of certain drugs for the treatment of heart disease and high blood pressure that may cause relaxation of the neck of the bladder. In some cases the exact cause of the problem is not always discovered.
treatment
Antihistamines are sometimes used to tighten the opening of the bladder, in an attempt to prevent the sperm from flowing backwards.
Alternatively sperm can still be obtained from the urine, although as the urine is poisonous to the sperm it has to be done in a particular way. The man is given a neutralising drink, after which the sperm is filtered out of the urine and treated for use in assisted reproduction techniques such as IUI or IVF. Another option is to insert a catheter into the bladder (after urination) to fill the bladder with a laboratory solution (medium). Following ejaculation, the fluid is then collected, and sperm collected from this.
