Male Fertility Success Stories

The realization of infertility can be a frustrating and emotionally trying time. For one who has always loved working with children and has dreamed of bringing up my own, I could never imagine how difficult it would be to learn that I might not ever have "one of my own." Dr. Turek and his staff (Paula and Judi) are top-notch. Each are professional and courteous in what they do. They made what can be a very difficult experience tolerable and comfortable. I was always thankful for their warm greetings.
The environment of the clinic is also non-threatening and you get a sense of personality rather than the drab decor of most MD's offices. This is most apparent by the surfboard hanging from the clinic's wall. The structure of the clinic is exactly as the pictures depict and is very inviting.
Dr. Turek has given hope to my wife and I; something I did not have a couple of weeks prior to meeting with him. Although we understand that Dr. Turek cannot promise miracles, his work has moved us closer to believing that one may come true. We are grateful to have one of the top men's reproductive health practitioners in the world!"
X.X.
Alameda, CA.

More Patient Success Stories below.

• Success Story of David M.

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    Thirty-one year old David M. grows cherries and walnuts on a 100-acre farm in California’s fertile Central Valley.  Talking to David, it is evident how proud he is of the farm he took over from his father. “Some of the land has been in our family for more than a hundred years,” explains David.  Yet, despite how proud he is of his farming legacy, there is something he’s far more proud of: his new daughter, Brooklyn. Having a daughter is an accomplishment that almost never happened.

    That’s because David was born with a condition known as cryptorchidism, or testicles that did not properly descend into the scrotum.  It is the most common genital abnormality in boys, affecting 30% of boys delivered prematurely and about 4% born full term. 

    To correct the problem, David underwent three separate surgeries as a young boy. Despite the surgeries, only one of his testicles descended. Yet after the last surgery, the situation never concerned David.

    “Everything worked fine, so I never really thought about it,” declares David.  That is, until he met and decided to marry Lisa.

    “We were in our late 20’s and having a family was very important to Lisa. She is the one who suggested I get a sperm count test taken,” says David.  “I went to a local urologist and had the test done three times.  Each time my sperm count was zero.  It was devastating to hear this news just a month before our wedding.”

    His urologist had no real advice except to suggest the couple plan on adopting children. “Adoption was out of the question for us. It took me a long time to decide I wanted to have children, but once I decided to, I knew I wanted my own,” says David. 

    Fortunately, Lisa was persistent. She went to Dr. Peter Hickox, an OB/GYN and fertility specialist in Lodi, California. That’s when Dr. Hickox referred her to Dr. Paul Turek of The Turek Clinic in San Francisco.

    Dr. Turek, former professor and endowed chair at the University of California San Francisco and founder of The Turek Clinic, pioneered the technique, called FNA Sperm Mapping, that is able to discover pockets of viable sperm in the testes.  The sperm can then be extracted with minimally invasive procedures and used for in vitro fertilization and single sperm injection.

    “We were able to find multiple pockets of viable sperm in David’s testes,” said Dr. Turek.  “I had no doubt we would be able to retrieve them so David and Lisa could go through with IVF.”

    In fact, Dr. Turek was able to retrieve several vials of sperm from David, most of which is still frozen for future use.

    “The egg retrieval was difficult for Lisa, but now we have a beautiful, completely healthy little daughter and several embryos frozen so we can have a second child when we are ready,” says David.

    “In farming you work your butt off, but it’s worth it,” David says.  The process for David and Lisa to have a child of their own wasn’t easy either, but both definitely agree it was worth the effort.

    

• Vasectomy Reversal After 10 Years

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    "I went to see Dr. Turek about reversing a 10+ year old vasectomy. We sat down and pored through data. We examined costs and risks of the procedure. We looked at data for the last several years. He showed me success and failure rates, and regression analysis showing the factors that affected success rate. Then we compared these same factors to my own medical history and proceeded with the surgery.
    The process was exactly as he said it would be, and all my decision-making was done with reams of medical data in front of me. The research he's compiled and published on success rates would be true of almost any other doctor I might have chosen to see. But Dr. Turek took the time to go through it all, explain all the terms to me, and never made me feel rushed.
    He's about as well published an expert in the field of male fertility as you might find, and an incredibly nice person as well. Even if you go for an initial consult (which I did first) before you make any decisions, it's well worth your time."
    [Update: we got pregnant within eight weeks]
    [Update2: We have a beautiful 1 year old baby girl as a result of Dr. Turek work.]
    S.S.
    San Francisco, CA

    

• Top Notch Doctor By Far

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    "I met Dr Turek when he was at UCSF. My wife and I think he is the 
most caring and encouraging doctor we have ever met. His depth of knowledge in his field is amazing and he treats us with such respect that we both feel comfortable around him. He is also an excellent communicator. He takes time to listen, explain, and we feel he has a genuine willingness to want to help, which is so rare these days.

    With my complicated condition, there are not many doctors who can 
answer my questions. I met with many doctors in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, but he is the top notch doctor by far. I feel I finally found a doctor I can trust. We highly recommend Dr Turek."

    Norman G.
    Los Angeles, CA
    

    

• Best Possible Care for Varicocele

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    "In my experience with medical professionals, it's rare to encounter a physician who is one of the foremost leaders and pioneers in his field and who has a true human touch (how many doctors would you enjoy having a beer with?). The same can be said about his dedicated staff. Dr. Turek is committed to providing the best possible medical care to his patients as opposed to practicing medicine purely as a business enterprise.


    In January 2009, he quickly diagnosed and correctly treated me for the surgical repair of varicocele. Prior to surgery, Dr. Turek did a masterful job of explaining the process, recovery, and long - term goals. He made my wife and I feel that we a real part of the decision making process. On the eve of surgery, he called, personally, to clearly explain how the following day's events would unfold (a practice unheard of in my experience). Exactly as Dr. Turek predicted, I returned to normal activities five days after surgery without any complications.

    Happily, he has agreed to monitor long - term improvements produced by the surgery.
We are very fortunate that such a skilled physician has chosen to practice medicine in the "old school" model of placing patient care and the human touch over profits. I cannot recommend Dr. Turek and his staff highly enough. I only regret that I did not seek his care earlier; thankfully my wife pushed me to do so."

    Mark M.
    San Francisco, CA
    

    

• Miraculous Work with Sperm Mapping

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    "Beginning in 2005, My wife and I were trying to conceive a child with no success. Shortly thereafter, I had a semen analysis done which indicated I had a zero sperm count. I had several analysis done after that with the same result, zero. I was subsequently referred to Dr. Turek, while he was still practicing at UCSF, and followed him when he opened his own practice at the Turek Clinic.

    Soon thereafter, I underwent a procedure called fine needle mapping of the testicular region, a procedure which he and another doctor had developed to locate sperm in really tough cases such as mine. Although, my sperm count was extremely low as a result of the mapping, Dr. Turek was able to locate and extract 12 sperm from testicular tissue, which were later used in an IVF procedure. My wife is now pregnant. His work is nothing short of miraculous. I would highly recommend the Turek Clinic to any male in a similar situation who is seeking fatherhood. The man is a genius."

    Patrick M.
    Alexandria, VA
    

    

• Beyond Grateful

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    "I went to go see 3 other male infertility doctors who are considered the cream of the crop. All were considered the tops in this field. These 3 people basically told me that I was toast. I produced almost no sperm and the one's that I did were ALL dead. They said my only slim chance of hope was to do surgery, invasive at best, and pray some sperm are found. Also, they said that I would then be destined to be on hormone therapy injections for the rest of my life if I wanted to be a man.

    I also saw Dr. Turek about 3 months ago. He provided me with a FULL and COMPLETE analysis of my case and provided me with other options to help me. Today, he has increased my testosterone levels from less than 200 to over 600!!!! All with the help of therapy and no testosterone or steroid use. He also is extremely hopefull that me and my wife will be able to conceive. 

I am beyond grateful to Dr. Turek. He gave me hope and just didn't want to do surgery. He has been patient and gave me a chance to win this battle. He already solved one problem, and I finally feel I have a chance to win. If you are like me, SEE HIM!!!! You will not regret it. Even if he confirms that you only have one option, then at least you know you have seen the best in the business. BTW, I am also a physician. Thank you Dr. Turek."

    John A.
    Central Coast, CA.
    

    

• I Felt Extraordinarily Safe

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    "I have worked with Dr Turek over the past year or so to address some complex fertility issues. I won't know for a while if everything was successful, but I feel extraordinarily safe in his hands. He is an awesome combination of way-above-average professional skills, a warm and compassionate bedside manner, and a comforting sense of humor. It is clear that he is completely up-to-date on all the latest research, and this guides his practice. That said, however, he brings to the table a human touch that was essential in a rather stressful time.

    He is aided by the always awesome Paula Chavez. A supreme combination of a skilled practitioner and a close friend, she provided the support that I needed throughout this process. I can't recommend these guys high enough."

    Chris W.
    Eureka, CA

    

• Leaving No Stone Unturned

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    "I am soon to become a father for the first time and owe a huge amount of that to Dr Turek. 

A year prior to seeing Dr. Turek I went to see another (well regarded) urologist as I had concerns about my sperm count after some issues and operations I'd required as a child and the fact that my wife and I didn't seem to be getting far with our attempts to get pregnant. That doctor told me flat out that I had absolutely no sperm and would never father a child. I had him re-test me three times and always got the same response. 



    Obviously my wife and I were extremely disappointed and upset and it led to many heated discussions about adoption, sperm donors etc. She refused to listen and pushed me constantly to get a second opinion - something I resisted as I didn't want to go through the whole process again only to be told the same thing - I know it shouldn't be in today's modern world but it can be humiliating and embarrassing to be told you're infertile and "firing blanks". 



    After a year of these debates she found Dr. Turek and finally convinced me to go see him. I was instantly set at ease by the surroundings in the office as this is obviously a male doctor dealing with males about male issues. The décor reflects that - you will not find a copy of Vogue, Cosmopolitan or any other glossy ladies gossip magazine in this office! Instead you find classic car and motorbike magazines (I think Dr Turek is a collector), surfboards and model fighter jets (a gift from an appreciative military customer of Dr Turek's). 

Dr. Turek walked me through a number of alternative processes that he could try to see if they could locate any sperm. Frankly, some of these will make your eyes water but he explained it all very clearly and also discussed the chances of success so I felt like I actually had the information that I needed to make a decision.

    The first step was to do a basic sperm test to confirm the prior findings. I said they wouldn't find anything but Dr. Turek explained that they'd use a centrifuge technique which increased the chances of finding something as the results were condensed making it easier to spot any sperm swimming about in there. This was an improvement on the prior doctor's technique of using a microscope to examine the results. Dr Turek called me a few days later and told me quite calmly that I did indeed have sperm -not a lot of it - but enough to consider possible IVF! He worked with me for a year using various medications to increase the sperm until I had enough to provide decent samples for freezing and allow my wife and I to go through IVF - that worked first time and our first child is due a few months from now! We also have frozen reserves in store for future children. 


    In the end I didn't need Dr. Turek to practice some of the eye watering techniques he'd described to me but his simple explanation, basic testing and attention to detail meant that I was able to father a child. The prior doctor I used should have known better and at least let me know that these options existed whether he could do them or not. I can't recommend Dr. Turek highly enough. If you are having male fertility issues go see him - he may not be able to solve your problems but at least you'll know that having seen him, you tried everything possible, leaving no stone unturned and will not be left with doubt afterwards."

    B. XM
    Larkspur, CA

    

• Champion Your Problem With You

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    "Guys - go see Dr. Turek if you have any, I mean any, questions about your reproductive health. He is an immediate asset to your cause and literally champions your case with gusto.

    Here is my story: About two and a half years ago: My wife and I totally frustrated and confused about why we were unable to get her pregnant after a year of trying. About two years ago: Me sitting in a conference room at work shell-shocked at the prospect that we may never have children after receiving a sperm report which was extremely negative (low motility, low volume, low forward progress, poor morphology, etc etc). Today: My wife and I have a beautiful baby girl and a baby boy on his way!

    Nothing in my life had been (or likely will be) more embarrassing, frightening, or intimidating. This was a high beta life-defining moment in which I unfortunately had zero control. Panic set in - what did I do wrong, why me, etc etc. This is not the kind of issue one shares with buds over beers ... there are so many questions; who can help?

    Looking back, the recommendation that we consult with Dr. Turek was like a proverbial rope thrown down a well to save me trapped deep, deep inside. With a disarming and subtly humorous approach, Dr. Turek walked me through the entire (as deep or as high level, as I guided) logistics and operation of the male reproductive system. We rewound everything back to square zero and began with a clean slate. New tests, new assumptions, etc. Dr. Turek's men's health laser-focused facility (that is literally the only thing they do) and more personal attention/ownership allowed us to hone in on the real problem areas while putting distracting red herrings aside. His own, and respected colleagues', research reports and personal experience guided our joint analysis of my situation to navigate to the most optimal solution.

    I went on steroids to boost volume, really watched diet/heat/etc, and tried to reduce stress. It sounds odd to say it, but this was when the feeling turned from helplessness to active ownership. I was suddenly in (at least a minor way) control of the situation. Dr. Turek's frequent up-beat and casual-yet-serious encouraging calls greatly reduced the stress. All of a sudden, my semen results were starting to look more normal. And my attitude continued to improve, which improved the results, and so on.


    When we started IUI, the woman's health clinic still felt my sperm were still not healthy enough to get my wife pregnant. Fortunately, Dr. Turek and they had a conversation and they deferred to his area of expertise. They said don't do it, it is a waste of time and money. He said do it; this is my area of expertise. [note: this was a big clash of the two sides of men's v woman's experts] Well, we all took his guidance and voila we had success on only the second IUI! And today we have a fantastic baby girl.

    Clearly Dr. Turek has the high reputation he has for a reason... What did I say above? He will literally champion your problem with you. What an asset on your side.

Nine months later, we started immediately preparing for a #2 assuming we would endure another arduous and lengthy ordeal. However, I had a check up with Dr. Turek and some numbers were improved. He gave me the encouraging nod (and associated confidence) and recommended we start trying asap. It is all statistics after all ... and low and behold literally the first month we got my wife pregnant (unaided)!



    Our story is one of an incredible reversal of fortune, and we do not forget for a day the Hell we once felt. Dr. Turek played an incredibly pivotal role in building our family, and we are forever grateful. Thank you.
This is a hard story to retell as it illustrates a major vulnerability of mine. However, I hope it helps another dude like me who is sitting out there wondering where he can get confidential, expert, friendly, and problem-solving help for his personal problems."

    A.D.
    San Francisco, CA
    
    

    

• Help After Failed Vasectomy Reversal

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    "I do not usually write a review but with Dr. Turek I felt I had to. I have a unique situation and wanted others to know what a great find Dr. Turek is. I had my original Vasectomy over 14 years ago and 12 months ago I had a Vasectomy reversal that had failed!

    Then I was lucky enough to find Dr, Turek. Simply put he is THE BEST. When I think of a doctor I want someone who is good at what he does and well bedside manner is second but not with Dr. Turek. From the moment you meet him (and his awesome staff of Judi de Guzman and Paula Chavez) he makes you feel at ease and gives you confidence not with fancy words or throwing out some nation wide success numbers. But Confidence because you know when you walk out of his office he is the best. He shows you HIS results and what HE has done. Not what the Urology community as whole has done. In other words he stands on his own work and his own results.

    He is world renown and one look at what I call his "wall of fame" and you know you have the right doctor! He is State of the art from the look of his offices to the exam rooms. Dr. Turek is cutting edge in all aspects of his practice and abilities! Being that this was going to be a "Re-Do" for me I was feeling worried that it might not work out for me and my wife. But this is where the Technical expertise of Dr. Turek comes in. I completely understood the procedure I was going to have and had NO questions and was completely at ease. After my surgery Dr Turek took the time to talk to my wife and answer all her questions.

    That is the thing with Dr. Turek he takes the time. When he is with you, you feel like his only patient because he gives you 100% of his time and attention. I felt almost no discomfort from my procedure and I felt completely taken care of by the entire staff at all times.

Today I had my first analysis and true to his excellent skills I now am ready to have babies! I found that Dr. Turek's pricing was in line with everyone else but his skill level is the top of the chart! Do not waste time seeing someone else. Or try to cut corners. In the end it is your body and you may not get a second chance so go with the best. If your goal is to have a baby the only one other than Dr. Turek better at making that happen is God!"

    Michael W.
    San Jose, CA
    

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