Computer-assisted simulation model of the counter-current heat-exchange mechanism at the testicular vascular pedicle

The countercurrent heat-exchange mechanism involving the spermatic artery and the pampiniform plexus represents the basic system that controls testes temperature in order to preserve a normal spermatogenesis. Poor semen caused by elevated temperature due to intrinsic abnormality of the testes was improved with testicular hypothermia devices. A computer-assisted model of the countercurrent heat-exchange mechanism at the testicular vascular pedicle simulates the normalization of the upset heat-exchange gradient mechanism through the correction of the physical parameters and consequently the rheology of the blood flow in the pampiniform plexus, considering the testes as a reservoir for space-variable, time-constant heat dissipation. A microsurgical correction of the venous vessels to reconstitute a functional heat-exchange mechanism is suggested.<>