Quite a Concept(ion)!

Quite a Concept(ion)!

Florida Hospital East Orlando is pleased to announce that Urologist Zamip Patel, MD is joining the medical staff as the only fellowship trained Andrologist in Orlando.  Dr. Patel specializes in male infertility problems, from the management of semen abnormalities to advanced microsurgeries that can correct problems that have existed since birth. 

"About 15 percent of couples have trouble conceiving and in about half of these cases, male infertility plays a role. Couples who have tried for a year without success, should see a specialist, because it's a common misconception that conceiving is a female only issue," says Patel.

A common test for diagnosing an initial infertility problem is a semen analysis, where a sample of sperm is examined in a laboratory to determine the number and quality of the sperm. Male infertility can be treated effectively with medications, lifestyle changes, surgery, or a combination of the three. 

Blockages in the male reproductive system can often be cleared with minor surgery, and procedures exist to correct varicoceles (a tangle of varicose veins in the scrotum that causes an increase in temperature within the scrotum and negatively impacts sperm production).

In other cases, assisted reproductive techniques such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) may help couples conceive.

Working with in vitro clinics throughout the region, Dr. Patel provides a vital part to the kind of team approach to care needed to maximize the chances of conceiving, wherever the couple may reside within the State of Florida.

Dr. Patel's procedures include:

• Male evaluations: In addition to a semen analysis, other lab tests are conducted to determine possible causes of infertility. These causes become important not only for further evaluation of infertility, but to overall current and future health of the male.
• Management of semen abnormalities: If one of the tests comes back abnormal, then depending on the abnormality, varying treatments may be recommended.
• Microsurgeries: If intervention is needed, in cases such as blockages that the man may have either been born with or acquired throughout life or pre-existing conditions that affect the production of sperm, a multitude of different types of procedures to improve sperm parameters or extract sperm can be performed.
• Sex chromosome abnormalities: Male infertility evaluations may reveal abnormalities in the actual sex chromosome that can have implications for overall health of the patient and potential offspring.
• Treatments for low testosterone levels and erectile dysfunction include medications that preserve fertility potential while helping with the symptoms that accompany low testosterone.
• Reproductive tract obstruction: Obstruction blocking the tube that connects vas deferens (commonly known as obstructive azoospermia) to the remaining male reproductive tract. The problem could be found where the tract meets the rest of the urethra, or it may be deeper and can be addressed with either minimally invasive surgery or a combination of minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
• Varicocelectomy: Treatment of testicular veins which may result in increased sperm counts and potentially improve overall health benefits. This procedure is also performed with the help of a microscope to maximize benefit while minimizing potential risks and complications.
• Vasoepididymostomy/Vasovasostomy/Vasectomy Reversal: Correction of obstruction in the tube connecting the testes to the male reproductive tract. Typically urologists do not do vasectomy reversals and seek an andrologist's expertise.

Dr. Patel conducted his urology residency at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, and his Andrology fellowship at the University of Illinois, Chicago, a state known to establish national in vitro fertilization standards for the specialty. Andrology is an extremely specialized field of medicine requiring exceptional and precise microsurgical skills.

For more information, call 407.303.6865 for patient referrals.

Florida Hospital East Orlando

7727 Lake Underhill Road

Orlando, FL 32822