You and your partner may have big dreams of having a baby. However, sometimes unexpected health problems can disrupt these dreams. Especially if the male partner has difficulty ejaculating, it can be a big burden on the mind. But today's advanced medical science has many solutions for such things. That's what we are going to talk about today.
Simply put, what is Electroejaculation?
The name may sound a little scary, but it's nothing to be afraid of. Simply put, it's a medical procedure that involves taking sperm from someone who is unable to ejaculate due to a spinal cord injury, a nervous system problem, or another medical condition.
Imagine, in this method, a doctor inserts a small electrical stimulator through your rectum into the prostate gland. Then, a very gentle electrical current is sent to stimulate the gland. This stimulation causes ejaculation. The doctor carefully collects the semen that comes out of your penis. Sometimes, a thin tube (catheter) can be inserted through your penis to collect the sperm.
The healthy sperm obtained in this way is then used for fertility treatments, either to help your partner conceive or through another suitable method.
First, let's look at what ejaculation is.
Let's put these big words aside and understand it simply. Ejaculation is the release of semen and sperm from the body. Sperm are male reproductive cells. Semen helps to keep these sperm healthy and suitable for pregnancy.
Ejaculation usually occurs during sexual intercourse, at the peak of its duration (orgasm). This entire process is controlled by our central nervous system. When sexually stimulated, the blood vessels in the penis fill with blood, causing an erection. When the stimulation reaches its peak, here are some things that happen:
- The vas deferens, the tubes that store sperm from your testicles and carry it to the base of your penis, contract tightly.
- Semen is released from the prostate gland and seminal vesicles at the base of the penis and mixes with the sperm.
- The muscles at the base of the penis contract, forcing this mixture of sperm and seminal fluid out of the opening of the penis.
For this process to work properly, messages from the nervous system must function correctly.
Who needs the electroejaculation method?
Some medical conditions can interfere with this natural ejaculation process that we've talked about. It's a major cause of male infertility. So, if you want to have a child of your own, you may want to consider electroejaculation as part of your fertility treatment.
This method may be useful for people with the following conditions:
| Medical condition | How it affects |
|---|---|
| Spinal cord injuries | When the spinal cord is damaged due to an accident, the transmission of nerve messages that control ejaculation is interrupted. |
| Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage caused by diabetes) | When diabetes is left uncontrolled for a long time, it can damage the body's nerves, which can also affect the functioning of the reproductive system. |
| Multiple Sclerosis | Because this is a disease that affects the nervous system, the nerve signals necessary for the ejaculation process may be disrupted. |
| Other sexual dysfunctions | When there is erectile dysfunction or other ejaculatory problems. |
This procedure is performed by a urologist. It can usually be done in a doctor's office, clinic, or hospital. Since it is an outpatient procedure, you can go home the same day.
What happens before this process?
Depending on the cause of your problem, your doctor may suggest that you try another simple method before electroejaculation, called penile vibratory stimulation (PVS) .
This involves giving the penis arousal medication, if necessary, and stimulating it with a vibrating device placed on the tip of the penis. This vibration can cause some men to reach orgasm and ejaculate. However, if this PVS method is not successful, the next step is electroejaculation.
How the electroejaculation process works, step by step
Even though this may sound scary, it is a very safe procedure. You will not feel any pain or discomfort.
1. Anesthesia: First, you will be given general anesthesia . This means that you will be completely asleep during the procedure. So you will not feel anything. (If you have no sensation below the waist, anesthesia may not be necessary.) Because you will be given anesthesia, you will need someone to go home with you afterward.
2. Preparation: You will be turned on your side or side in bed, and a thin tube (catheter) will be inserted through your penis to drain the urine from your bladder.
3. Reducing the acidity of the bladder: Next, a medicine that reduces the acidity of the bladder is injected through that tube. Do you know what that is? Sometimes, instead of coming out, sperm can go back into the bladder. This is called (retrograde ejaculation) . If that happens, the acidity in the bladder can damage the sperm. This medicine is given to prevent that.
4. Inserting the device: Now comes the main part. The doctor will slowly insert a lubricated electrical stimulation device through your rectum into the area where your prostate gland is located.
5. Stimulation: Once the device is in place, it is turned on and a gentle electrical current is sent for a very short period of time, about one or two seconds. Then it is stopped. This is called a stimulus cycle.
6. Ejaculation: This stimulation is repeated two or three times. Each time, the intensity of the electric current is increased very slightly. After a while, ejaculation occurs.
7. Semen collection: The doctor collects the ejaculated fluid and sperm. The sperm that has entered the bladder is also collected through the previously inserted catheter.
8. Finishing: After the work is done, the instrument and tube are removed.
What happens after the procedure?
Before you wake up from anesthesia, the medical team will take a sample of your semen and perform a semen analysis. This will check the quantity, quality, and health of your sperm.
- If there are healthy sperm: If there are healthy sperm that are suitable for fertilization, they are cryopreserved by a laboratory and stored for future use. This is also called sperm banking .
- If there are no sperm or they are weak: Sometimes there may be no sperm at all in the ejaculate. This condition is called azoospermia . Or the sperm that are present may not be strong enough to achieve pregnancy. If you have given your consent in advance, your doctor can immediately proceed with testicular sperm extraction . This involves taking sperm directly from the testicles.
How do you conceive a child then?
There are two main methods for creating a pregnancy using sperm obtained in this way.
1. Artificial Insemination (IUI): This involves inserting the retrieved sperm into your partner's uterus using a special device. This is also called Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) .
2. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): This involves combining your sperm and your partner's egg in a laboratory to create an embryo. The healthy embryo is then implanted into the uterus.
The advantages and risks of this method
The main advantage of this method is that even those who cannot ejaculate naturally have the opportunity to have a child with their own genes. That is priceless.
Talking about risks, they are very low.
- If you have a spinal cord injury, your heart rate and blood pressure may increase during this procedure, but this can be controlled because the medical team is constantly monitoring it.
- Very rarely, the stimulation device can cause minor burns .
How is the recovery time?
You may experience some minor pain and discomfort for a few days after the procedure. You can take over-the-counter painkillers for this.
You may also experience pain when urinating (dysuria). However, if this pain persists for more than three days, you should definitely talk to your doctor. It could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). In that case, you may need to take antibiotics.
When to call the doctor immediately
If you experience any of the following symptoms, inform your doctor without delay.
| Symptom | What to pay attention to |
|---|---|
| Bleeding | Blood in the urine (hematuria) or blood in the stool (rectal bleeding). |
| Difficulty urinating | Difficulty urinating, having to urinate frequently, or being unable to hold urine (urge incontinence). |
| Fever or chills | A fever or chills may be a sign of an infection. |
| Vomiting and nausea | Persistent nausea or vomiting. |
| Long-term pain | Pain during urination lasting more than three days. |
Finally, if you dream of having a child and have problems with ejaculation, don't give up hope. Electroejaculation is a successful medical procedure that can help such people. You can discuss this with your urologist and reproductive medicine specialist to determine if this method is right for you.
Take-Home Message
- Electroejaculation is a safe medical procedure that collects sperm from men who are unable to ejaculate on their own due to reasons such as spinal cord injuries or nerve problems.
- This procedure is performed under anesthesia, so you won't feel any pain.
- The sperm obtained from this can be used to create a pregnancy through methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination (IUI).
- There may be minor discomfort after the procedure, but serious risks are very low.
- If you experience symptoms such as blood in your urine, pain that lasts more than three days, or fever, inform your doctor immediately.
- If you have this problem, it is very important to not be ashamed or afraid, but to see a relevant specialist and seek advice.
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