Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38166223›Full record

ArticleInternational braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology

Low-dose prednisone is an effective rescue for deteriorating semen parameters following vasovasostomy.

Joshua White, Katherine Campbell, Nicholas Deebel, Akhil Muthigi, Francesco Costantini Mesquita, Lucas Campos, Christabel Egemba, Maria Camila Suarez Albaraez, Braian Ledesma, Jesse Ory and 1 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Vasectomy reversal: lessons learned to optimize clinical outcomes.International journal of impotence research · 2026
    Review
  2. Infertility is the hot topic in the 1st number of International Brazilian Journal of Urology in 2024.International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology
    Article
  3. Can we improve time to patency with vasoepididymostomy with an innovative epididymal occlusion stitch?International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Joshua WhiteDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Katherine CampbellDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Nicholas DeebelDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America.
Akhil MuthigiDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Francesco Costantini MesquitaDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Lucas CamposDepartment of Urology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Christabel EgembaDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Maria Camila Suarez AlbaraezDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Braian LedesmaDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Jesse OryDepartment of Urology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Ranjith RamasamyDepartment of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
University of Miami · USDalhousie University · CAUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais · BRVirginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering & Sciences · US

Funding

Disease Modifying Treatment Using Combined Shockwave Therapy and Platelet Rich Plasma In Microvascular Erectile DysfunctionR01DK130991 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI IBRAHIM, EMAD · 2021 to 2023
$921k
NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK130991
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose prednisone as a rescue therapy for patients with deteriorating semen parameters following vasovasostomy. MATERIALS AND

methodsElectronic medical records were queried at the University of Miami with documented CPT code 55400 (Bilateral Vasovasostomy) between January 2016 and April 2023. Records were then reviewed to identify patients who demonstrated ≥50% decrease in semen parameters, specifically sperm concentration, motility and total motile sperm count. Patients who were treated with 6 weeks of low-dose prednisone were identified, and baseline semen parameters and subsequent changes after prednisone therapy were assessed. A Mann-Whitney U Test was used to compare semen parameter changes before and after prednisone. Adverse effects associated with prednisone were monitored.

resultsA total of 8 patients were identified with deteriorating semen parameters who were treated with 6 weeks of low-dose prednisone. Following prednisone therapy, all patients demonstrated improvements in total motile sperm count (TMSC), with a median improvement of 6 million. The median relative improvement in TMSC was 433%. Sperm concentration and motility also improved compared to post-operative baseline. No adverse effects were reported during the treatment period.

conclusionsLow-dose prednisone therapy appears to be a safe and effective intervention for managing deteriorating semen parameters following VV. The observed improvements in TMSC suggest the potential of prednisone to rescue patients with delayed failure after VV. Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm the safety and efficacy of low-dose prednisone as a rescue therapy in this specific patient population. Optimizing VV outcomes is crucial in male infertility, and further exploration of steroid therapy and innovative biotechnologies is warranted.

Indexed as

Infertility, MaleVasovasostomyHumansMalePrednisoneRetrospective StudiesSemenSemen AnalysisSperm CountSperm MotilityPrednisonePrednisoneSemenVasovasostomy

Identifiers

PMID38166223
PMCPMC10947653
OpenAlexW4390546600

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.