“If We Would Have Known”: A Couple’s Regret Over a Missed Opportunity to Have a Biological Child After Lung Transplantation
Year: 2018
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic, chronic disease that results in thickened secretions in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive tracts. Over 95% of males with CF have congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens causing infertility. This is a case study of a 29-year-old male who underwent a lung transplant after 8 months of oxygen dependency secondary to poor lung function. Approximately 1 year posttransplant, he and his wife decided that they wanted to start a family and consulted a fertility specialist who advised them to utilize donor sperm due to the teratogenic effects of posttransplant medications. Taken by surprise with this news, they expressed regret about the missed opportunity for pretransplant sperm aspiration and cryopreservation to conceive a biological child. He reported, "If we would have known, we would have made sure I [banked] my own [sperm]." This case study highlights a critical gap in CF comprehensive clinical care.
Source: Journal of Patient Experience
Authors: Sigrid Ladores, Leigh Ann Bray, Janet Brown
Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,380
OpenAlex ID: W2806095991