Varicocele - One of the leading causes of infertility in men

Varicocele
one of the leading causes of infertility in men
Dr. Sonu Balhara
IVF Specialist, India
https://www.drsonubalhara.in

V
aricocele, one of the leading causes of infertility in men, is known to
be a life style disease which develops over the course of time.
There are many surgical and non-surgical treatments available for
the issue.
Varicocele – One of the Causes of Infertility in
Men
Male's testicles are covered inside a scrotum, which is a sac like
structure.
This also contains arteries and veins that supply blood for the sex
organs.
Sometimes abnormal enlargement occurs in the veins; this condition
is known as Varicocele.
It is a widespread disease that can be found in 15% of the total male
population. This usually starts developing in puberty and most of the time
the targets left side of the scrotum. These can also occur on both sides, but
it is rare.
Not all types of the Varicoceles affect the production of sperms.

How does Varicocele develop?
Veins are mainly responsible for taking the blood towards the heart for
purification. In veins, there are some valves which prevent the blood to
come back. Because of our lifestyle and habits, there is some imbalance in
the Ph of the cell, and the valves start developing some problems.
This leads to the accumulation of the blood in veins which give rise to
Varicoceles.
Symptoms of Varicocele
In many cases, we do not see any symptoms of the disease. But some
symptoms may be the sign of Varicoceles. These symptoms are:
Lump on one side of testicles
Swelling in the scrotum
Visible enlarged and twisted vein
Recurring pain in testicles
Varicoceles are present in the 35 % men with primary infertility and 80%
in the men with secondary infertility.
Detection of Varicocele and Classification
It can be detected by:
Physical examination of the testicles while the man is standing up
and lying down.
Scrotal ultrasound
Angiography
CT scan / MRI scan
This cause of infertility is classified into three grades:
Grade I - In this, the dysfunctional veins are not visible. It is only
evident during or after physical exam while the male performs
Valsalva maneuver (a breathing exercise used as a diagnostic tool.)
Grade II - It is not visible but can be felt on the physical examination
even without Valsalva maneuver.
Grade III - It can be identified through scrotum without any physical
examination.

When do you need to treat it?
One would require seeking treatment for one of the leading causes of
infertility men:
• when:
it is painful
it is causing testicular atrophy
It is causing issues with testicular functioning
it is the cause of infertility
• you want to
go for ART (Assisted Reproductive Techniques)
increase low testosterone levels
Surgical Treatments available for the treatment
Varicocelectomy:
It is a procedure in which the specialist go through the abdomen to
clamp the abnormal veins so that blood can flow around the
abnormal vein to the normal ones.
Varicocele Embolization:
It is a less invasive method as opposed to Varicocelectomy.
In this procedure, a catheter is put into the neck vein or groin, and
then a coil is placed through the catheter into the varicocele to block
the blood from entering the abnormal veins.
Varicocelectomy has been found to be the cost-efficient, and the rate of
success in pregnancy after the Varicocelectomy are found to be 36% (this
value varied with the quality of semen.)

Selection of the Clinic for the Treatment
Selection of a good clinic can impact the success of the treatment of one of
the causes of infertility i.e. the Varicoceles. Here are some suggestions that
you should consider if you are going to treat the cause of the fertility issue.
The clinic should:
have reliable doctor which means minimal risk of failure
have an operative versatility
be consistent with cost-containment (cost-effective)
can perform with minimal morbidity and complications
have a uniform success rate