ANDROLOGY LAB

Urological Associates of Dothan has a dedicated state-of-the-art medical laboratory which has been certified by The State of Alabama as a complex lab. The lab and the Certified Lab Technician who run it are routinely checked and certified to specific high standards to produce accurate and reproducible results.

The well trained and dedicated staff operates a variety of specialized equipment including a Beckman Coulter Chemistry Analyzer which was purchased in 2006. Other equipment featured in the lab includes a Vitros DT-60 analyzer which performs renal profiles and a Phase Contrast Microscope that offers excellent treatment.

The Andrology Lab also offers special services useful in diagnosing and treating male factor infertility such as Cryopreservation (liquid nitrogen storage of semen) and sperm banking. This is performed in the office to provide semen for use during intrauterine insemination in the obstetricians' offices and in vitro fertilization at remote fertility centers. Cryopreservation and sperm banking is often critical in providing a reserve for a man's sperm prior to initiating radiation or chemotherapy, which can cause male infertility. Semen analyses are also done in the Andrology Lab to determine the concentration, mobility, viability, and level of maturation of the sperm present in a patient's ejaculate.

Lab personnel conduct thousands of tests each month to check serum levels of certain hormones, glucose, and kidney function. Blood tests that evaluate the function of the testes, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and thyroid are routinely performed. Lab personnel also perform other tests depending on the needs of patients.

To ensure accurate and reproducible test results, the lab's machines are tested daily and results of some test such as PSA are computerized so any changes in values can be recognized quickly.