OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the suppression of spermatogenesis and sperm retrieval rate after testicular sperm extraction (TESE) or testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) in adult rats with surgically induced cryptorchidism. METHODS: Adult rats were submitted to TESE and TESA procedures after 15 days of induced cryptorchidism. After spermatozoa retrieval, the testicles were extracted, weighed and a morphological analysis by conventional light microscopy was done. The numbers of spermatozoa retrieved in both TESA and TESE were rated and compared. RESULTS: Histological analysis of the testicles revealed Sertoli cell-only syndrome in 60% of the testicles, and maturation arrest in the remaining cryptorchid testicles. Significant differences were seen in the number of spermatozoa retrieved (P < 0.05) between cryptorchidic and control rats. When sperm retrieval techniques were compared, no differences were detected in the number of spermatozoa obtained (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It seems that a 15 day period of cryptorchidism is enough to induce spermatogenesis disorders. No differences were detected in the number of spermatozoa retrieved in the right or left testicles, irrespective of the testicular pole. Furthermore, and even more importantly, no differences in the retrieval rate were seen between the two techniques.