Non-Surgical Options

When preservation of future reproductive ability is in doubt, non-surgical actions taken in the field can also provide options to men with genital injuries. Stanton Honig, MD, assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center added in an editorial note to Waxman’s article that “providing the battlefield hospital with the tools to preserve testis tissue (especially in men with bilateral testis injuries), is simple to do, not time-consuming, requires few reagents and a small amount of space.” Essentially, he said, while freezing sperm prior to deployment should be the first choice, fertility preservation for wounded warriors can adapt procedures currently used primarily for cancer patients.

-Photo from U.S. Army Website