Description
Ever since IVF (and especially ICSI) was introduced to the world stage, it immediately became the “go to” procedure to help infertile couples. This occurred without scientific validation of its safety or study of its cost-effectiveness or medical “value”. Significant research has since been published that compares classical treatments for male infertility, including varicocele repair, vasectomy reversal and ejaculatory duct resection, to assisted reproduction (including IUI). The published findings show a clear difference in the “value” of treating versus bypassing male infertility with assisted reproduction and will be reviewed in this lecture.
Learning Objectives:
1) Explain the difference between cost-effectiveness and decision modeling analyses to assess healthcare quality
2) Describe 3 classical surgical treatments offered for male infertility
3) Define how “shift of care” argument applies to the treatment of male infertility
Paul J. Turek MD, FACS, FRSM is Director of The Turek Clinics (www.TheTurekClinic.com) men’s health clinics in Beverly Hills and San Francisco. As a former Endowed Chair Professor at UCSF, he is a highly decorated teacher, mentor and internationally recognized authority on issues of men’s sexual and reproductive health.
Dr. Turek attended Yale College, followed by Stanford Medical School. After a urology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Turek was fellowship trained at Baylor College of Medicine. His over 200 publications have advanced our knowledge of stem cells, fertility genetics, Sperm Mapping and the epidemiology of men’s reproductive health. He is Past-President of the American Society of Andrology and the Society of Male Reproduction and Urology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Société Internationale d'Urologie and the Royal Society of Medicine (U.K). He has consistently been voted a “Top Doctor” by seven national accrediting agencies.
Dr. Turek has received an NIH grant to develop an artificial testicle. He is a consultant to Healthcare 2.0 organizations, is a board member of several non-profits, and regularly advises the NIH, the CDC and The White House. Dr Turek maintains an award-winning blog on men’s health issues (www.TurekonMensHealth.com) and is syndicated contributor to WedMD.