ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration

Okay, so imagine that there is a part of the body called the epididymis, which is like a little storage place for sperm. Sperm are tiny little cells that are needed to make a baby. Sometimes, some people may have trouble making babies because they don't have enough sperm or their sperm can't get out of the body.

So, in this special procedure called percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration, doctors use a tiny needle to get sperm from the epididymis. A needle is a really thin and sharp thing that doctors use to get things out of the body. They are very careful and gentle when they do this.

First, the doctors will clean the area where they will put the needle, just like when you wash your hands before eating or when you clean a scraped knee. Then, they will give medicine to make sure the body doesn't feel any pain during the procedure. It's like getting a tiny shot to make sure you don't feel anything.

Next, the doctor will carefully insert the needle through the skin into the epididymis. Remember, they are being very careful and gentle, just like when you play with your toys. Once the needle is in the epididymis, they will gently suck out a small amount of sperm. The needle is like a very small vacuum cleaner that sucks up the sperm.

After they get the sperm, the doctors will take a look at it under a microscope to make sure it is healthy and ready to make a baby. They want to make sure the sperm are working properly, just like they check your toys to make sure they are not broken.

Once the doctors have the sperm that they need, they can use it to help make a baby. They can either use the sperm right away or they can freeze it and use it later. Freezing means keeping something really, really cold to preserve it. It's like putting ice cream in the freezer to keep it fresh until you are ready to eat it.

So, percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration is a special procedure where doctors get sperm from a special part of the body called the epididymis. They use a tiny needle to gently take out the sperm so that it can be used to make a baby.