Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Fertility after prostatectomy: can you still have a child? | CION Cancer Clinics
Not naturally. After a radical prostatectomy there is no semen and the tubes from the testicles are cut, so sperm has no way out. But the testicles are untouched and keep making sperm. Frozen sperm banked before surgery, or sperm collected from the testicle afterwards, can be used with IVF at a fertility clinic. This page explains the routes, who each does not suit, and why the question has to be asked before the operation. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
On this page
- Can you father a child after prostate removal?
- What are the routes to a child after prostatectomy?
- What does it look like if you want a child later?
- Words you will hear, in plain language
- Four things couples tell us, and what is actually true
- Cost, age and what this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about fertility after prostatectomy
The short answer
Can you father a child after prostate removal?
Not naturally. After a radical prostatectomy there is no semen, and the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles are cut, so sperm has no way to leave the body. But the testicles are untouched and keep making sperm. With help from a fertility clinic, a child is still possible for many men, and it is far simpler if sperm was frozen before surgery.
What the operation changes, and what it does not
The prostate and seminal vesicles make almost all the fluid in semen. Both are removed. The vas deferens, the tube from each testicle, is divided where it enters the prostate. So climax is dry and there is no natural route for sperm. What does not change is sperm production, testosterone, desire, or the feeling of orgasm.
The two routes to a child
The first is sperm frozen before the operation, used later with IVF. The second is collecting sperm directly from the testicle after surgery, under local anaesthetic, and using it with a form of IVF where one sperm is placed inside one egg. Both go through a fertility clinic, not your cancer surgeon.
Who this page is for
Most men having this operation are past the age of wanting children. It matters for younger men, for men in a new marriage, and for couples who had not finished their family. If there is any chance it matters to you, the easiest option only exists before the surgery date.
Your options
What are the routes to a child after prostatectomy?
Each has a group it does not suit. A fertility specialist helps you choose; your surgeon can refer you.
Frozen sperm, banked before surgery
The simplest route. One or more samples are frozen at a fertility lab before the operation and used later with IVF. It needs to be done before surgery, and it needs a usable sperm count at the time.
Does not suit
- Men already past their surgery date
- Men with no sperm in the sample
Sperm collected from the testicle
A fertility specialist takes sperm directly from the testicle with a fine needle or a small cut, under local anaesthetic. The sperm is used with ICSI, where one sperm is injected into one egg.
Does not suit
- Men on long-term hormone therapy, which stops sperm production
Donor sperm
Used where no sperm can be collected, or where a couple decides against the other routes. Regulated in India under the ART law, with counselling and consent steps that the clinic walks you through.
Deciding not to
A real option, and a common one. Some couples decide the cost, the time and the treatment on the wife are more than they want to take on. Nobody at the clinic will push you either way.
Talk it through together before you decide, not separately.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistThe pathway
What does it look like if you want a child later?
-
Before surgery: the question is asked
Your surgeon should ask whether you may want children. If nobody asks, raise it yourself. This is the moment sperm banking is possible, and it can be arranged within days.
-
Surgery and recovery
The operation goes ahead as planned. Nothing about fertility changes what the surgeon does. Recovery comes first, and most couples wait until continence and energy are back before thinking about a pregnancy.
-
Referral to a fertility clinic
When you are ready, your surgeon or your GP refers you. The clinic checks the wife's health and age, reviews any frozen sample, and explains which route fits.
-
Collecting sperm, if none was banked
A short procedure under local anaesthetic at the fertility clinic. Sperm taken this way is usually fewer in number and needs ICSI rather than ordinary IVF.
-
IVF and pregnancy
The wife has the eggs collected and the embryo placed, as in any IVF cycle. More than one cycle is often needed. The clinic gives you its own figures for the chance of a pregnancy per cycle.
At the fertility clinic
Words you will hear, in plain language
- Azoospermia
- No sperm in the fluid at climax. After prostatectomy there is no fluid at all, so this word may appear on a report even though the testicles are working normally.
- Sperm banking or cryopreservation
- Freezing a sperm sample in liquid nitrogen so it can be used years later. Done before surgery.
- TESA or TESE
- Taking sperm directly from the testicle, either with a fine needle or through a small cut. Done after surgery, under local anaesthetic.
- ICSI
- A form of IVF where a single sperm is injected into a single egg. Used when the number of sperm is small, as it is with sperm from the testicle.
- ART
- Assisted reproductive technology: the umbrella term for IVF, ICSI and donor treatment. In India a law sets the consent and age rules, which the clinic will explain.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
Four things couples tell us, and what is actually true
"After the prostate is gone, a man is sterile. That is the end of it."
Sperm is made in the testicles, not the prostate, and the testicles are not touched. What is lost is the route out. With a fertility clinic's help, sperm can still be collected and used.
"We can sort out the fertility side after the cancer is dealt with."
The simplest option, freezing a sample, only exists before the operation. Afterwards the routes are more involved and more expensive. Banking takes a few days and rarely delays surgery. Raise it before the date is fixed, not after.
"Cancer in the prostate means the sperm carry cancer too."
Sperm does not carry prostate cancer to a partner or to a child. There is no evidence of harm to a baby conceived with a father's sperm after prostate cancer. If there is a strong family history, a genetic counsellor can advise separately.
"IVF is only for women with a problem."
IVF is used whenever the sperm and egg cannot meet on their own, whichever side the reason lies. After prostatectomy the reason is the man's, but most of the treatment falls on the wife, and she should be part of the decision from the start.
Being straight with you
Cost, age and what this page cannot tell you
Fertility treatment after prostatectomy is not usually covered by Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance, which cover the cancer operation itself. Ask the fertility clinic for a written estimate before you begin, and ask your insurer directly.
Where age comes in
The wife's age matters more than the husband's for the chance of a pregnancy per IVF cycle, and the clinic will be frank about that. India's ART law also sets upper age limits for both partners. If you are near those limits, ask the clinic early.
Hormone therapy changes the picture
If hormone therapy is planned after surgery, it stops sperm production for as long as it lasts, and sometimes for a while after. Sperm collected from the testicle may not be possible during that time. This is another reason banking before surgery is the safer route if there is any doubt.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you your chance of a child, which depends on your sperm, your wife's age and health, and the clinic's results. It cannot tell you what treatment will cost. A fertility specialist can answer both after seeing you.
CION does not provide fertility treatment. What we can do is raise the question in time and point you to the right clinic.Questions we are asked
Common questions about fertility after prostatectomy
Is it still possible to have a baby after prostate surgery?
Yes, for many men, but not naturally. Sperm is still made in the testicles; it just cannot leave the body. A fertility clinic can use sperm frozen before surgery, or collect it from the testicle afterwards, and use it with IVF. The chance depends on your sperm and your wife's age.
Is it too late to bank sperm if my surgery is next week?
Usually not. A sample can often be frozen within a day or two of contacting a fertility lab, and two or three samples a few days apart are better than one. Tell your surgeon today. It is very rarely a reason to move the operation.
Does prostate cancer affect the quality of my sperm?
Prostate cancer itself does not damage sperm, which is made in the testicles. Age, smoking, diabetes and some medicines do affect sperm quality. Hormone therapy stops sperm production for as long as it lasts. If you are on it, or will be, tell the fertility clinic.
Can the cancer be passed on to a child?
The cancer itself, no. A small share of prostate cancers run in families through inherited gene changes, which can be passed on as a raised risk, not as a disease. If there is a strong family history, ask about a genetic counsellor before conceiving.
Will I still have normal testosterone and desire?
Yes. The testicles make testosterone, and they are not touched by the operation. Desire may dip for a while because of tiredness, low mood or worry, and it drops sharply if hormone therapy is given. Without hormone therapy, hormone levels are unchanged.
What does collecting sperm from the testicle involve?
A short procedure at a fertility clinic under local anaesthetic. Either a fine needle draws fluid from the testicle, or a small cut allows a tiny piece of tissue to be taken. You go home the same day. It is uncomfortable rather than painful, and the sperm found is used with ICSI.
Is fertility treatment covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Usually not. The schemes cover the cancer operation, but fertility treatment is generally paid for by the couple. Ask the clinic for a written estimate and ask your insurer directly. Any figure the clinic gives is an estimate rather than a fixed price.
Who should we talk to first?
Your surgical oncologist, before the operation if it has not happened yet. Say plainly that you may want children. The surgeon does not provide fertility treatment but can refer you to a clinic that does, and can make sure banking is arranged before the surgery date.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Fertility issues in boys and men with cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for prostate cancer
- American Cancer Society — Fertility and men with cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Prostate cancer
- NHS — Prostate cancer: treatment
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Sperm Banking Before Prostate SurgeryThe simplest route, and it only exists before the operationDry Orgasm and Changed SensationWhy there is no semen after surgeryErectile Dysfunction After ProstatectomyThe other change to sex life, and how it recoversTalking to Your Wife About Life After ProstatectomyA decision to make togetherDeciding on Cancer SurgeryQuestions to settle before the date is fixed
Talk to us
Surgery is planned and you may want children?
Tell us your surgery date and we will make sure the question is raised with your surgical oncologist in time to arrange sperm banking. One helpline serves every CION centre.