There is a powerful new treatment available for male infertility. According to doctors at Tainan’s Kuo General Hospital, microsurgery, which has been developed to maturity in recent years, enables surgeons to perform testicular sperm extraction, vasectomy reversal and other surgeries with greater safety and precision and quicker recovery. Thanks to the availability of such technologies, Kuo General Hospital has successfully helped several infertile men to impregnate their partners.
A 38-year man surnamed Hung who sought treatment for infertility was diagnosed by doctors at Kuo General Hospital as having a zero sperm count. While performing a conventional procedure to extract sperm from Hung, doctors found that Hung’s testicular tissues had atrophied severely, which made sperm extraction difficult. Doctors therefore changed the method, instead applying microsurgery, by means of which they found several testicular tissues that were still capable of producing sperms. Sufficient sperms were then collected for artificial insemination.
Another patient, a 38-year-old man surnamed Lee, had undergone a vasectomy five years ago. However, after losing their child in an accident, Lee and his wife wanted to compensate for this regrettable event by having another child, and Lee went to Kuo General Hospital in the hope of having his vasectomy reversed. After a preoperative evaluation, the doctor performed a microsurgery on Lee to reconnect his sperm duct. Six weeks after the surgery, Lee returned to the hospital for a postoperative follow-up, which confirmed he was already producing sperms. A year later, Lee’s wife got pregnant and successfully gave birth to a baby boy.
Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者王俊忠
(Liberty Times, translated by Yu-an Tu)
男性不孕症有新法寶。台南郭綜合醫院醫師指出,近年來發展成熟的顯微鏡手術,能夠以更安全、精確、更快恢復的方式,進行睪丸取精與輸精管重新接合等手術。該院已成功幫助多位不孕男子讓另一半成功受孕。
卅八歲洪姓男子因不孕求診,郭綜合醫院診斷為無精蟲症,進行傳統取精手術過程中發現睪丸組織嚴重萎縮,難以順利取得精蟲,於是改採顯微睪丸取精術,找到少部分仍有造精功能的睪丸組織,取得足夠精蟲進行人工生殖。
此外,卅九歲李姓男子,五年前做過輸精管結紮手術,但因孩子意外過世,夫妻倆想再生育小孩,以彌補遺憾。李先生到郭綜合醫院求診,希望接受輸精管重建手術,醫師評估後,為李先生進行顯微輸精管重建手術,六週後到門診做術後追蹤已看到精蟲。一年後,李妻順利懷孕生子。
(自由時報記者王俊忠)
As the priest Antonius Hambroek stood in the dim chamber of Fort Zeelandia, his eldest daughter clung to him, her voice trembling. “Father, don’t go. They’ll kill you, and what will become of Mother and my sisters?” Outside, the sounds of Koxinga’s relentless canon siege boomed through the fortress. The defenders were on the brink of collapse. Starvation gnawed at their resolve, and the air carried the acrid stench of spent gunpowder and rotting flesh. Dutch reinforcements from Batavia had failed to arrive, leaving the garrison isolated and hopeless. Hambroek’s face was calm, though sorrow weighed heavily on his
As we bundle up in thick coats to stay warm during the winter, there is a population that has already adapted to extremely low temperatures. These people live in the remote city of Yakutsk, the coldest city on Earth. Yakutsk is situated in the heart of Siberia, which is the capital of the Sakha Republic in Russia. This historic mining city began to flourish in the 19th century following the discovery of gold deposits. Given its construction on permafrost, the average temperature in the city remains below 0°C for over half the year, with winter temperatures dropping to an astonishing -50°C.
A: Happy Year of the Snake! Did you do anything special during the Lunar New Year holiday? B: I went to K-pop girl group Apink’s concert. How about you? A: I just stayed at home. But I’m going to girl group 2NE1’s show on Saturday. B: Wow, I really love their megahit “I Am the Best,” better known by its Korean title “Naega jeil jal naga.” A: I’m so glad that 2NE1 reunited last year, eight years after they disbanded in 2016. A: 蛇年快樂!你春節有做什麼特別活動嗎? B: 我去了南韓女團Apink的演唱會,你呢? A: 我都宅在家裡,不過這週六要去韓流天團2NE1的演唱會。 B: 我愛該團神曲《我最紅》,韓文歌名《Naega jeil jal naga》超洗腦。 A: 她們2016年解散8年後,去年終於合體真令人開心。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei
The Dutch introduced the Indian mango (Mangifera indica) to Taiwan in the 17th century. It is a green-skinned mango with thick fibers that get stuck in the teeth, but it boasts a rich aroma and a unique taste. In 1954, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture introduced several mango cultivars from Florida, USA, including the Irwin, Haden, and Keitt varieties. After seven years of testing and domestication, the Irwin variety was chosen for promotion. Years later, the sample saplings started to bear fruit. These mangoes were large, with thin, vibrant red peels and golden pulp. The Irwin mangoes were mouth-wateringly sweet and