Varicocele Treatement by Endovasculer Embolization

Plain-language summary

A varicocele is a collection of varicose veins within the pampiniform (spermatic) plexus secondary to reflux in the internal spermatic vein (ISV).The condition affects 10% to 15% of the general population but is detected in as many as 40% of men undergoing an infertility workup. Depending on the method used for diagnosis, varicoceles are reported as bilateral in 17% to 77% of men. Traditionally, the diagnosis was made through clinical examination; however,as with other venous reflux disorders, ultrasound has become the mainstay of diagnosis. The traditional indications for treatment include infertility in patients with appropriate semen abnormalities, chronic groin pain, testicular atrophy in adolescent varicoceles, and recurrent varicocele after previous repair. Other indications more recently described with variable strength of evidence include low serum testosterone (with or without erectile dysfunction), benign prostatic hypertrophy,enhancement of assisted fertility techniques, and recurrent first trimester pregnancy loss.Infertility affects 10% to 15% of men of reproductive age. In approximately 50%, a cause is not found. The proof that varicocele repair improves fertility remains elusive; however, there is general acceptance that treatment does improve abnormalities of semen production.The traditional measures to assess semen production are sperm motility,morphology, and total sperm count. However, sperm counts greatly vary from day to day in any individual patient, and these measures correlate poorly with infertility outcomes. The investigators do this study to evaluate the effectiveness of endovascular therapy using coils and other sclerosing agents and compare their results with other traditonal surgical methods in treatement of varicocele.

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