EDITORIAL COMMENT Azoospermia affects up to 15% of men seeking evaluation for infertility. Sperm retrieval from testicular tissue and using for intracytoplasmic injection to the oocytes is the only treatment option for men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). Although the use of fresh sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is widely used in many centers all around the world, it brings the risk of 50% cancellation of the procedure if no sperm extract from testicular tissue. Contrary to that freezing testis sperm offers many advantages, ie TESE operation can be scheduled electively, women do not need to go simultaneous procedures and most importantly couple knows whether they have enough sperm to proceed for IVF. This meta-analysis demonstrates that men with NOA the fertilization and pregnancy rates are similar with fresh and frozen sperm retrieved from the testis. However physician should have to inform their patients who have cryopreserved very low count of testicular sperm that after thawing some or all sperm may lose their vitality. Emre Bakircioglu MD
