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MALE FERTILITY · DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Male Infertility Treatment in Istanbul
Male infertility has a cause, and the cause decides the treatment. Assoc. Prof. Tuncay Taş starts with the right tests, then explains which path fits you: lifestyle change, hormone care, varicocele repair or sperm retrieval for IVF.
2 semen tests
before decisions
Same day
home after surgery
3 to 4 days
in Istanbul
20+ years
in urology
Stay length applies to varicocele repair and sperm retrieval. Career figures from Assoc. Prof. Taş's clinical profile.
Medically reviewed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay Taş, urologist · Updated November 2026
What is male infertility?
Doctors speak of infertility when a couple has not conceived after a year of regular sex without contraception. A male factor plays a part in about half of these couples. Yet many men never think to get checked, because they feel completely well.
Male infertility is not one disease. Instead, it is a result with several possible causes, such as a hormone problem, a varicocele, a blockage or a testis that makes too little sperm. So the first job is to find the cause.
Timing matters as well. Because female fertility falls with age, couples where the woman is over 35 should seek advice after about six months of trying. In addition, men with a known risk, such as undescended testes in childhood or past chemotherapy, can get checked straight away.
Once the cause is clear, the options become concrete. Some men need only simple changes. Others need surgery, and a smaller group needs sperm retrieval for IVF with ICSI.
Which question brought you here?
Most men reach this page after a semen test that came back below normal. So pick the closest question and jump straight to the answer.
Tests that find the cause
A single semen test never settles the question. Results vary a lot from week to week, so Assoc. Prof. Taş always bases decisions on at least two samples.
Semen analysis
The laboratory measures volume, sperm count, movement and shape. The table shows the lower limits of normal used by the World Health Organization in 2021. Values below them do not mean you cannot father a child, but they point to where the problem lies.
Lower limit of normal: 1.4 ml
What a low value suggests: Incomplete sample, blockage or retrograde ejaculation
Sperm concentration
Lower limit of normal: 16 million per ml
What a low value suggests: Varicocele, hormone or testis problem
Total sperm count
Lower limit of normal: 39 million per ejaculate
What a low value suggests: Same causes as low concentration
Progressive movement
Lower limit of normal: 30%
What a low value suggests: Varicocele, infection, heat or smoking
Normal shape
Lower limit of normal: 4%
What a low value suggests: Often lifestyle factors or varicocele
Further tests
Examination: testis size, the sperm ducts and any varicocele, checked standing and lying down.
Hormone tests: FSH, LH, testosterone and prolactin show how the brain and testes talk to each other.
Scrotal ultrasound: it measures the testes and confirms a varicocele.
Genetic tests: when the count is very low or zero, a karyotype and a Y chromosome test come next.
Common causes and their usual path
Each cause leads to a different plan. Moreover, more than one cause can apply to the same man, so the plan sometimes combines steps.
Varicocele
What the tests show: Swollen veins above the testis, weaker movement or count
Usual path: Microsurgical repair in selected men
Hormone imbalance
What the tests show: Low FSH, LH or testosterone, or raised prolactin
Usual path: Find the reason, then hormone care
Blockage
What the tests show: No sperm, normal FSH, normal testes
Usual path: Sperm retrieval or repair of the blockage
Low sperm production
What the tests show: No or very few sperm, raised FSH, small testes
Usual path: Genetic tests, then micro-TESE for IVF
Lifestyle and medicines
What the tests show: Mild changes in count, movement or shape
Usual path: Stop the trigger, retest after 3 months
No clear cause
What the tests show: Mild changes with normal hormones and ultrasound
Usual path: Couple-based plan, often with assisted conception
The female partner's tests matter as much as yours. Therefore, Assoc. Prof. Taş plans your care together with her fertility doctor whenever possible.
What you can change yourself
Sperm take about three months to form. So any change you make today shows in a semen test about three months later.
Stop testosterone and anabolic steroids: they switch off sperm production, sometimes completely.
Stop smoking: it lowers sperm count and movement.
Keep alcohol low: heavy drinking affects hormones and sperm.
Avoid heat: hot tubs, saunas and a laptop on the lap warm the testes.
Aim for a healthy weight: obesity lowers testosterone and sperm quality.
Treat infections: an infection of the prostate or the epididymis can harm sperm, and antibiotics usually clear it.
Also bring a full list of your medicines and supplements. In fact, several common medicines affect sperm, and a simple switch sometimes helps.
Hormone problems and male infertility
The brain tells the testes to make sperm through two hormones, FSH and LH. When the brain sends too little signal, the testes rest, and sperm production falls.
When hormones are the cause
A low FSH and LH with low testosterone suggests a signalling problem. In that case, the reason needs a search first, for example a raised prolactin or a pituitary condition. Then hormone treatment can often restart sperm production, although it takes several months.
When hormones are not the cause
A raised FSH, by contrast, usually means the testis itself struggles. Hormone treatment rarely changes that picture. Instead, the focus moves to genetic tests and, if needed, sperm retrieval.
Hormone care is a specialist field that often involves an endocrinologist. So Assoc. Prof. Taş explains your hormone results, discusses whether a hormonal cause is likely and agrees the next step with you.
Varicocele repair
A varicocele is a group of swollen veins above the testis. It affects about 15 in 100 men and up to 40 in 100 men with fertility problems. The pooled blood warms the testis, which can lower sperm quality.
Not every varicocele needs surgery. However, repair is worth discussing when the varicocele can be felt and the semen is abnormal. Assoc. Prof. Taş performs a microscopic varicocelectomy through a small cut below the groin, and most men go home the same day.
Guidance differs between countries. In the UK, NICE does not advise varicocele surgery as a fertility treatment, while American and European urology guidelines support it in selected men. So he explains both views and your own test results before you decide.
No sperm in the semen: azoospermia
When two samples show no sperm, doctors call it azoospermia. It affects about 1 in 100 men. However, it does not always mean the testis makes no sperm.
Blockage or low production?
In obstructive azoospermia, the testis makes sperm, but a blockage stops them. Sperm retrieval from the testis or the duct is then usually successful. Our article on obstructive vs non-obstructive azoospermia explains the difference in detail.
In non-obstructive azoospermia, the testis makes very little sperm. Even so, small active areas often remain. Assoc. Prof. Taş searches for them under an operating microscope during micro-TESE sperm retrieval.
Coordinating with IVF
Retrieved sperm are frozen and later used for ICSI, where one sperm is injected into each egg. Therefore, the timing fits around your partner's treatment. Read more on the IVF for azoospermia page.
Erection and ejaculation problems
Sometimes the sperm are healthy, but they do not reach the partner. For example, erection problems, very early ejaculation or no ejaculation at all can stop conception. These causes are often easier to treat than a sperm problem.
Low or no semen
A small semen volume can point to retrograde ejaculation, where semen flows into the bladder. This happens after some prostate surgery and in men with diabetes. In that case, a urine sample after climax often contains sperm that the laboratory can use.
Erection problems
Erection problems and low fertility often share causes such as diabetes, smoking or low testosterone. So he checks both together. Read more on the erectile dysfunction treatment page.
Protecting fertility before cancer treatment
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage sperm production, sometimes for good. Therefore, men facing cancer treatment should ask about sperm freezing before it starts.
Freezing a semen sample is quick and simple. If a man cannot produce a sample, sperm can also be retrieved surgically before treatment begins. Likewise, men with testicular cancer can discuss sperm freezing before testicular cancer surgery.
Your male fertility assessment in Istanbul
The first visit focuses on finding the cause. Then any treatment follows a clear plan agreed with you and, where possible, with your partner's fertility team.
01
Consultation and examination
First, he takes a full history, including medicines, past surgery and lifestyle. Then he examines the testes and the sperm ducts.
02
Tests in Istanbul
Next, a semen analysis, hormone tests and a scrotal ultrasound take place, often within one or two days. Genetic tests follow if the count is very low.
03
Your treatment plan
Then he explains the cause and the options, from lifestyle change to surgery or sperm retrieval. You receive a written plan and quote.
04
Treatment and follow-up
Finally, surgery usually takes place as a day case. A repeat semen test about three months later shows the effect.
How long to stay in Istanbul
For tests alone, plan about two days. If you have varicocele repair or sperm retrieval, allow three to four days in total.
Recovery after fertility surgery
Both varicocele repair and sperm retrieval use small cuts, so recovery is usually quick. Still, a few simple rules help the area heal well.
Return to desk work after two to three days.
Wear scrotal support for about two weeks.
Avoid heavy lifting, running and the gym for two to three weeks.
Wait about two weeks before sex.
Repeat the semen analysis about three months after varicocele repair.
Risks and limits
Tests carry no real risk. Surgery, on the other hand, carries small risks, and he explains your own before you consent.
Bruising and swelling: common for a few days, and they settle with rest and support.
Fluid around the testis: uncommon after microsurgical varicocele repair, because the lymph vessels are spared.
Varicocele returning: uncommon after the microsurgical method.
Infection: uncommon, and treated with antibiotics.
Lower testosterone: after micro-TESE, levels can dip for some months, so he checks them.
No treatment can promise a pregnancy. Fertility depends on both partners, and some causes have no treatment that restores natural conception. So he gives you an honest view of what each step can and cannot do.
How is the cost of male infertility treatment planned?
Costs depend on the cause, so there is no single price for male infertility. Instead, he confirms a personal written quote after the consultation and your test results.
Assessment
Consultation, semen analysis, hormone tests and scrotal ultrasound
Varicocele repair
Surgery, anaesthesia, fees and the day-case stay
Sperm retrieval
Surgery, anaesthesia, laboratory work and sperm freezing
IVF and ICSI for your partner take place at a fertility centre and appear in a separate quote. The coordinator can also arrange accommodation and transfers.
Travelling from the US, Canada or the UK
Fertility care works best when tests and treatment fit into one calm trip. So a little planning saves time in Istanbul.
Before you fly
Bring earlier semen, hormone and ultrasound reports to the consultation.
Also pack a list of your medicines and supplements.
Avoid ejaculation for two to five days before the semen test.
Share your partner's fertility plan if she is having IVF, so the dates fit together.
On the flight home
After scrotal surgery, wear the support garment and walk the aisle every hour. Also drink water regularly.
Back home
You leave with a written report in English. Then your family doctor or fertility clinic can arrange the repeat semen test.
Why patients choose Assoc. Prof. Tuncay Taş
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuncay Taş is a urologist with more than 20 years of experience. He also founded Safe Urology Clinic in Istanbul, and patients travel to him from over 60 countries.
Medical degree from Istanbul University School of Medicine, 2004
Urology residency at the University of Health Sciences, Taksim Training and Research Hospital
Fellowship in urological oncology and laparoscopic urology, Heidelberg University, Germany
Treatment in JCI-accredited partner hospitals in Istanbul
Member of the European Association of Urology and the Endourological Society
He has also published research on the testis, including a study of testicular tissue after vasectomy. Read his full background on the About Us page.
Frequently asked questions
Can male infertility be treated?
Often, yes. The answer depends on the cause, so treatment ranges from lifestyle change and hormone care to varicocele repair or sperm retrieval for IVF.
How many semen tests do I need?
At least two, usually a few weeks apart. Results vary a lot, so one test alone is not enough for a decision.
How long does it take to improve sperm count?
Sperm take about three months to form. So changes after lifestyle steps or varicocele repair show in a semen test about three months later.
Does a varicocele cause infertility?
It can lower sperm quality, but many men with a varicocele father children naturally. Repair is worth discussing when it can be felt and the semen is abnormal.
Can hormone treatment help male infertility?
It helps when the brain sends too little signal to the testes. However, it rarely helps when the testis itself is the problem.
Does testosterone therapy affect fertility?
Yes. Testosterone and anabolic steroids switch off sperm production, so men trying to conceive should discuss stopping them with their doctor.
What if there are no sperm in my semen?
Further tests show whether a blockage or low production is the cause. Sperm can often be retrieved from the testis for IVF with ICSI.
Do I need IVF if I have male infertility?
Not always. Some men conceive naturally after treatment, while others need IVF with ICSI, depending on the cause and the partner's tests.
How much does male infertility treatment cost in Turkey?
It depends on the cause and the treatment, so Assoc. Prof. Taş confirms a personal written quote after your consultation and tests.
How long should I stay in Istanbul?
About two days for tests alone, and three to four days if you have varicocele repair or sperm retrieval.
Sources and further reading
The medical facts on this page follow public health guidance. For general background, see these pages.
This page informs and does not replace an in-person medical consultation. So treatment decisions always follow your own examination and test results.
Talk to Assoc. Prof. Taş about male infertility
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