Testicular tissue freezing (cryopreservation)
Testicular tissue freezing is a surgery where a doctor removes tissue from one of your testicles to use in the future if you ever decide to have biological children.
What are testicles?
Testicles hang behind the penis in a pouch called the scrotum. During puberty, the testicles start to make millions of sperm. Sperm are cells that can join with (fertilize) an egg to begin to grow into a baby.
Where to start?
Who can choose testicular tissue freezing?
You can think about choosing testicular tissue freezing if:
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You have testicles.
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You have not started puberty. You can't yet produce the mature sperm cells needed for sperm banking.
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Or you have gone through puberty and you can't bank sperm.
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You have a higher risk level of fertility problems.
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You can have a surgery.
What will I need to do if I choose testicular tissue freezing?
At a hospital, a doctor or nurse will first give you medicine (anesthesia) to put you to sleep through the surgery so you won't feel anything.
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The doctor will make a small cut in your testicle, so they can remove tissue from your testicle to freeze and store for the future.
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This doesn’t damage your testicle or change the way it looks.
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After the surgery, you will wake up and may feel pain or soreness in your testicle.
Usually you can go home the same day and do most activities in one or two days.
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If your cancer or blood disease treatment starts right after your surgery, you may also feel symptoms from your treatment that limit your normal activities.
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Doctors are still studying testicular tissue freezing. Most of your tissue will be frozen for you to keep, and a small amount will be given to scientists to learn how to use testicular tissue to help people in the future have babies.
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When can I do it? How long does it take?
Testicular tissue freezing usually happens before you start treatment for cancer or a blood disease.
But if you've already had a treatment that gave you a lower risk of fertility problems, you may still be able to do testicular tissue freezing before starting a higher risk treatment.
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The surgery usually takes one day. It can take a couple days or more to set up the surgery.
Talk with your doctor or nurse about the timing of your treatment and testicular tissue freezing.
Where can I do testicular tissue freezing?
Testicular tissue freezing is new, and most places do not offer it. If your hospital or fertility clinic doesn’t, ask your doctor or nurse to refer you somewhere that offers this option.
You can also visit the Alliance for Fertility Preservation's "Fertility Scout" website as a starting point, although it may be incomplete.
The downsides
What are the side effects of testicular tissue freezing?
You will feel side effects from the surgery, such as pain or soreness in your testicle or swelling. This should go away between 1 and 14 days after the surgery.
What are the risks of testicular tissue freezing?
Risks to you
Rarely, the surgery may cause:
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Infection
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Bleeding
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Anesthesia used for surgery may also carry risks.
In very rare cases, there may be cancer cells in the testicular tissue if it’s placed back in your body in the future. Your doctor or nurse will say if this is a risk for you, and if that risk makes you unable to use this option.
Risks to your frozen testicular tissue
There is a chance your testicular tissue can’t be used if there’s a mistake or accident at the storage facility, such as a power outage. You can talk to the storage facility about what they do to prevent accidents.
How much does testicular tissue freezing cost?
Surgery for testicular tissue freezing may cost several thousand dollars.
How much the surgery will cost you depends on:
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Where you have the surgery done
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If your insurance plan covers part or all of the surgery
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if you are already having surgery for your cancer or blood disease and can combine this surgery with testicular tissue freezing​
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Other factors
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It may cost several hundred dollars a year to store your frozen testicular tissue.
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There could be costs in the future if you want to use your frozen testicular tissue.
Visit the “Costs” page to learn more about costs for fertility preservation and ways to cover them.
In the future
How would I use my frozen testicular tissue in the future?
Try for pregnancy without using your frozen testicular tissue
If you want or need to use your frozen testicular tissue, doctors may:
Try for pregnancy using your frozen testicular tissue
If you decide to have biological children someday, you can try for pregnancy without help from a doctor or fertility clinic if:
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Your testicles still produce sperm.
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You have a partner that can get pregnant.
If you try for 6-12 months and are unable to produce a pregnancy, you and your partner should see a fertility specialist.
1. Thaw your frozen testicular tissue.
2. Put your tissue back in your body to produce sperm.
3. Or they may use your tissue in a lab to create sperm.
How your testicular tissue will be used to produce a pregnancy is still being studied.
How well does testicular tissue freezing work?
Testicular tissue freezing is considered experimental, which means doctors are still studying if it will work to make mature sperm that could fertilize an egg.
No human babies have been born using this option, but several types of animals, including monkeys, have had babies using testicular tissue freezing in research.
Doctors will continue to study tissue freezing and improve the technology, so hopefully it will work by the time you may want to have a biological child.
We have more information on sperm banking, if you are able and prefer to use an option that we have more information on.
Freezing your testicular tissue may give you a higher chance of having a biological child, but it does not guarantee you will have a biological child someday.
Important note!
If you are unable to have biological children, there are other ways to become a parent. Visit this page to learn more.
