Test Catalog

Test Id : POSV

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Post Vasectomy Check, Semen

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Overview

Test Catalog

Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Determining absence or presence of sperm postvasectomy

Method Name
A short description of the method used to perform the test

Manual

NY State Available
Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.

No

Reporting Name
Lists a shorter or abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test

Post Vasectomy Check, Semen

Aliases
Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching

AID

AIH

Post Vasectomy

Sperm Analysis

Specimen Type
Describes the specimen type validated for testing

Semen

Shipping Instructions

Specimen must arrive within 24 hours of collection. Send specimen Monday through Thursday only and not the day before a holiday. If holiday falls on a Saturday, holiday will be observed on the preceding Friday. Sunday holidays are observed on the following Monday. Specimen should be collected and packaged as close to shipping time as possible. Laboratory does not perform testing on weekends.

Necessary Information

Include the following information with the specimen:

-Semen volume

-Number of days of sexual abstinence

Specimen Required
Defines the optimal specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing

Patient Preparation: Patient should have 2 to 7 days of sexual abstinence at the time of semen collection for accurate results.

Container/Tube: Semen Analysis Kit (T178)

Specimen Volume: Total ejaculate

Specimen Minimum Volume
Defines the amount of sample necessary to provide a clinically relevant result as determined by the testing laboratory. The minimum volume is sufficient for one attempt at testing.

See Specimen Required

Reject Due To
Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected

All specimens will be evaluated at Mayo Clinic Laboratories for test suitability.

Specimen Stability Information
Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the performing laboratory, alternate acceptable temperatures are also included

Specimen Type Temperature Time Special Container
Semen Ambient

Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Determining absence or presence of sperm postvasectomy

Clinical Information
Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test

Following a vasectomy, sperm may be found in the semen for 6 weeks to 3 months or longer. Regular ejaculation (every 3-4 days) may eliminate sperm from the reproductive tract more quickly.

 

To check for the absence of sperm, semen should be evaluated for the presence of sperm 3 months postvasectomy and after a minimum of 20 ejaculations. Because the sperm count may be very low, the semen is centrifuged for concentration purposes.

 

A negative result from 1 well-mixed postvasectomy semen specimen generally indicates that the use of contraception is no longer necessary. Occasional cases have been reported where postvasectomy semen analysis shows intermittent presence of rare nonmotile sperm in the semen.(1)

Reference Values
Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.

Zero sperm seen

Interpretation
Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results

Patients may stop using other methods of contraception when examination of 1 well-mixed postvasectomy semen specimen shows azoospermia or rare nonmotile sperm (RNMS) (< or = 100,000 nonmotile sperm/mL).

 

The risk of pregnancy after vasectomy is approximately 1 in 2000 for men who have postvasectomy azoospermia or postvasectomy semen analysis (PVSA) showing RNMS.(1)

 

If >100,000 nonmotile sperm/mL persist beyond 6 months after vasectomy, then trends of serial PVSAs and clinical judgment should be used to decide whether the vasectomy is a failure and whether repeat vasectomy should be considered.(1)   

 

Vasectomy should be considered a failure if any motile sperm are seen on PVSA at 6 months after vasectomy, in which case repeat vasectomy should be considered.

Cautions
Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances

No significant cautionary statements

Clinical Reference
Recommendations for in-depth reading of a clinical nature

1. Sharlip ID, Belker AM, Honig S et al; American Urological Association: Vasectomy: AUA guideline. J Urol. 2012 Dec;188(6 Suppl):2482-2491. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.09.080

2. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen. 5th ed. WHO Press; 2010

3. WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen. 6th ed. World Health Organization; 2021

Method Description
Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference

Seminal fluid is examined microscopically for sperm. Specimen is centrifuged if no sperm are seen and re-examined for the presence or absence of sperm. If sperm are present, the number and motility are assessed and reported.(Keel BA, Webster BW: CRC Handbook of the Laboratory Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility. Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 1990)

PDF Report
Indicates whether the report includes an additional document with charts, images or other enriched information

No

Day(s) Performed
Outlines the days the test is performed. This field reflects the day that the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means that assays are performed multiple times during the day.

Monday through Friday

Report Available
The interval of time (receipt of sample at Mayo Clinic Laboratories to results available) taking into account standard setup days and weekends. The first day is the time that it typically takes for a result to be available. The last day is the time it might take, accounting for any necessary repeated testing.

1 day

Specimen Retention Time
Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded

Not retained

Performing Laboratory Location
Indicates the location of the laboratory that performs the test

Rochester

Fees
Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.

  • Authorized users can sign in to Test Prices for detailed fee information.
  • Clients without access to Test Prices can contact Customer Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Prospective clients should contact their account representative. For assistance, contact Customer Service.

Test Classification
Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) product.

This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.

CPT Code Information
Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Clinic Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.

CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.

89321

LOINC® Information
Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the order and results codes of this test. LOINC values are provided by the performing laboratory.

Test Id Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
POSV Post Vasectomy Check, Semen 50677-4
Result Id Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
ABSTN Abstinence 10587-4
CLST1 Collection Site 56816-2
VL53 Semen Volume 3160-9
CENT Centrifuged 8100-0
SPML1 Sperm/mL 51623-7
MOTIL Motility 6800-7
GR3 Grade 29990-9
CMMT4 Comment 48767-8

Test Setup Resources

Setup Files
Test setup information contains test file definition details to support order and result interfacing between Mayo Clinic Laboratories and your Laboratory Information System.

Excel | Pdf

Sample Reports
Normal and Abnormal sample reports are provided as references for report appearance.

Normal Reports | Abnormal Reports

SI Sample Reports
International System (SI) of Unit reports are provided for a limited number of tests. These reports are intended for international account use and are only available through MayoLINK accounts that have been defined to receive them.

SI Normal Reports | SI Abnormal Reports