PVS is an office procedure that requires no anesthetic or sedation.
 

A custom-designed mechanical vibrator is placed at either the base or glands of the penis and set to vibrate at designated frequency and wave amplitude.
 

Vibration travels along the sensory nerves to the spinal cord and induces a reflex ejaculation. Of note most store-bought vibrators are not effective in producing ejaculation in patients with spinal cord injury. This technique only works in patients with an intact ejaculatory reflex arc and the results are dependent on the level of spinal cord injury.
 

If enough high-quality sperm are recovered from the semen, they can be washed in our laboratory and used in Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), a process where prepared sperm are injected using a small tube or catheter directly into the uterus to achieve egg fertilization.
 

In general, the quality of sperm in men with spinal cord injuries is poor. If a dismal number or quality of sperm is recovered in the semen, the recovered sperm can still be used with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Using Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), a single sperm, processed in our laboratory, is injected directly into an oocyte (egg) to fertilize it. Once fertilized, the developing embryo is implanted into the uterus.