Male Infertility & Andrology Fellowship

Overview

As one of the first institutions in the United States to offer a clinical fellowship in male infertility and andrology, Cleveland Clinic has been training clinical and research fellows in for more than 20 years. The fellowship has been highly successful at fostering future academic leaders, and more than 60% of our graduates have gone on to academic positions.

This one-year program provides graduates of urology residency with the opportunity to develop clinical excellence in all aspects of clinical male fertility and men’s health. The clinical fellow will spend the majority of his or her time in the clinic and in the operating room evaluating and managing patients with infertility and men’s health.

The fellowship provides a well-rounded experience in all aspects of male infertility including diagnosis and management of the following conditions; obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia, vasectomy and vasectomy reversal, varicocele, and surgical sperm retrieval. In addition, medical and surgical management of prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain, and orchalgia is covered.

At the start of the fellowship, the fellow completes a comprehensive one-week in vivo microsurgery training course through by the Department of Plastic Surgery. In addition, he or she will have an opportunity to rotate with the reproductive endocrinology, genetics, and endocrine services at Cleveland Clinic. Fellows may also spend time in the andrology lab learning basic and advanced semen analysis skills if desired.

The fellowship staff have expertise in erectile dysfunction, complex Peyronie’s disease, and urinary incontinence. Fellows will spend time performing office-based procedures including penile duplex Doppler ultrasonography, Xiaflex injections, testopel implantation, and minimally-invasive prostate procedures such as Rezum and Urolift. Operative management of erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s is also emphasized, with fellows performing a high volume of complex penile prosthesis implantation and plaque incision/excision and grafting.  Surgical management of chronic orchialgia with microsurgical spermatic cord denervation is performed in high volume.

Fellows are expected to participate in education and didactic opportunities during their tenure at CCF. These include quarterly men’s health journal clubs with staff (usually held at a local restaurant), regular multidisciplinary conferences with the reproductive endocrinology team to discuss difficult fertility cases, and Urology Department grand rounds conference. Fellows will also provide guidance and hands-on education to residents and medical students in the operating room and via regular didactic sessions (e.g. vasectomy training using a dedicated trainer).

Research also plays an integral role in the fellowship. The fellow has opportunities to conduct clinical and basic science research on a variety of topics and is expected to publish original manuscripts during the fellowship. For candidates interested in additional rigorous scientific training, there is also an opportunity for a second-year or research fellowship.

The fellow may attend the annual meetings of the American Urological Association, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. Other relevant meetings may also be attended if desired.

At the conclusion of the program, graduates will have the expertise needed to investigate and treat all aspects of male infertility and men’s health, the ability to critically appraise state-of-the-art scientific literature and integrate this knowledge into his or her practice, and an extensive network of contacts and colleagues in infertility and sexual health to rely upon for further professional development.

Cleveland Clinic’s Andrology Center

Our state-of-the-art CLIA and HLCD-certified Andrology Center offers a comprehensive facility for the evaluation and management of male fertility. The facility boasts the largest lab of its kind in the Midwest and one of the largest in the country, serving more than 2,400 patients each year.

The center’s full spectrum of fertility tests and services includes semen analysis, sperm processing for intrauterine insemination and immunologic testing. Advanced semen-testing options offered include measurement of reactive oxygen species, antioxidant levels and sperm DNA damage. We also offer cryopreservation of sperm, testicular tissue, and epididymal aspirates.

Regularly Performed Procedures

• Microsurgical reconstructions
  • Vasovasostomy/Vasoepididymostomy
  • Crossover and inguinal reconstructions
• Surgical sperm harvest techniques
  • Micro-TESE
  • TESE
  • Percutaneous epididymal sperm extraction
• Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy
• Microsurgical spermatic cord denervation
• Transurethral resection of ejaculatory ducts
• Scrotal Surgery
• Vasectomy
• Penile Implant
• Penile Plication
• Plaque Excision and Grafting for Peyronie's Disease
• Penile Doppler
• Xiaflex
• Testopel
• Male Urethral Sling

Fellowship Faculty

Sarah Vij, MD

Staff

Neel Parekh, MD

Associate Staff

Petar Bajic, MD

Center Director

Scott Lundy, MD, PhD

Associate Staff

How To Apply

Application must include a curriculum vitae along with three letters of reference (preferably one from the residency program director) and a personal statement. The application can be sent by email or mailed to:

Urology Fellowship Coordinator
Re: Male Infertility/Microsurgery/Andrology Fellowship
Cleveland Clinic
Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute
9500 Euclid Avenue, Q10-1
Cleveland, OH 44195 USA

For any further questions or details, please email the Urology Fellowship Coordinator at UrologyFellowship@ccf.org.