Fifteen-year trend in the use of male reproductive surgery: analysis of the healthcare cost and utilization project data

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Prior to this work, there were no systematic studies determining the national trends in the utilization of reproductive surgery in males. The role of reproductive surgery as it pertains to the treatment of infertility has become less clear given the increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The current study showed that the number of male reproductive surgeries has declined during the period between 1988 and 2002. OBJECTIVE center dot To determine trends in male reproductive surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS center dot A database analysis was performed using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project databases from 1988, 1992 and 1998-2002. SAS statistical software was used to estimate the total numbers of reproductive surgeries and their variances for each year. RESULTS center dot The number of male reproductive surgeries has declined during the period of study, both in the inpatient and outpatient arenas. The number of procedures with a diagnosis of infertility has also declined. CONCLUSION center dot The number of male reproductive surgeries has declined from 1988 to 2002.