Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Oct 15;59(10):1835. doi: 10.3390/medicina59101835.
Infertility is a global health concern, with male factors playing an especially large role. Unfortunately, however, the contributions made by reproductive urologists in managing male infertility under assisted reproductive technology (ART) often go undervalued. This narrative review highlights the important role played by reproductive urologists in diagnosing and treating male infertility as well as any barriers they face when providing services. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review of reproductive urologists' role in managing male infertility, outlining their expertise in diagnosing and managing male infertility as well as reversible causes and performing surgical techniques such as sperm retrieval. This manuscript investigates the barriers limiting urologist involvement such as limited availability, awareness among healthcare professionals, and financial constraints. This study highlights a decrease in male fertility due to lifestyle factors like sedentary behavior, obesity, and substance abuse. It stresses the significance of conducting an evaluation process involving both male and female partners to identify any underlying factors contributing to infertility and to identify patients who do not require any interventions beyond ART. We conclude that engaging urologists more effectively in infertility management is key to optimizing fertility outcomes among couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatments and requires greater education among healthcare providers regarding the role urologists and lifestyle factors that could have an effect on male fertility.
不育症是一个全球性的健康问题，男性因素尤其起着重要作用。然而，令人遗憾的是，生殖泌尿科医生在辅助生殖技术（ART）下管理男性不育症的贡献往往被低估了。本叙述性综述强调了生殖泌尿科医生在诊断和治疗男性不育症以及在提供服务时面临的任何障碍方面所发挥的重要作用。本文全面回顾了生殖泌尿科医生在管理男性不育症中的作用，概述了他们在诊断和管理男性不育症方面的专业知识，以及可逆原因和进行精子提取等手术技术。本文研究了限制泌尿科医生参与的障碍，如有限的可用性、医疗保健专业人员的意识和财务限制。本研究强调了由于生活方式因素（如久坐行为、肥胖和物质滥用）导致男性生育能力下降的问题。它强调了对男性和女性伴侣进行评估的重要性，以确定导致不育的潜在因素，并确定除了 ART 之外不需要任何干预的患者。我们的结论是，更有效地让泌尿科医生参与不育症管理是优化接受辅助生殖技术治疗的夫妇生育结果的关键，这需要医疗保健提供者更多地了解泌尿科医生的作用以及可能影响男性生育能力的生活方式因素。
