What is varicocele?

  Varicocele is a common and frequent disease among young and strong men, with an incidence of about 10-15% of adult men, of which, about 80% are fertile and only about 20% are combined with infertility. Varicocele that can give birth normally is considered physiological and does not need treatment; varicocele combined with definite infertility is the indication for treatment.  Usually, the clinical examination reveals varicocele, combined with clear male infertility, and after excluding female infertility and other factors that cause infertility, the semen routine semen quality is obviously abnormal, then there is an indication for surgical treatment of varicocele. Before treatment, a detailed physical examination, ultrasound of the spermatic veins and endocrine hormone tests should be performed to systematically assess the degree of varicocele, the severity of the impact on fertility, the possible benefits of surgical treatment on the improvement of reproductive function and the possibility of possible complications. Since semen quality still does not improve significantly in 10-30% of infertility patients after varicocele surgery, patients whose semen quality is not very poor can be treated with conservative medication for a period of time, and if semen quality improves significantly or even if the wife conceives successfully through treatment, there is no need for surgery; if semen quality does not improve after systematic and regular treatment or even If the quality of semen does not improve or even progressive damage after systematic formal treatment, surgery can be taken.  Some patients with varicocele may have clinical symptoms such as swelling of the scrotum, pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen, which are usually mild in the morning and gradually increase in the afternoon or evening with increased activity. If the varicocele is combined with the above mentioned symptoms and affects the daily life and work, surgery can also be considered. However, since many of the clinical symptoms of varicocele and chronic prostatitis are concurrent or confused with each other, many patients’ symptoms do not improve or even worsen after surgical treatment, so it is recommended that patients who are ready for surgical treatment just because of their symptoms try to use conservative medication first, and then consider surgical treatment if the symptoms are not relieved satisfactorily to ensure postoperative efficacy.  The treatment of adolescent varicocele is a difficult area of current treatment, and since most patients with varicocele are able to have children naturally by the time they reach adulthood, there is a great controversy as to whether early surgical intervention should be performed in this group of patients. In principle, the question of whether adolescents with varicocele should be operated on is primarily a matter of assessing how great the risk of varicocele adversely affecting future fertility is, and if the risk is high, early surgical intervention is required. Since it is difficult for many patients to obtain semen specimens through masturbation in adolescence, the need for surgery for adolescent varicocele is determined mainly by a combination of the degree of varicocele, the size and texture of the testes bilaterally, and changes in male endocrine hormones.  The most common method is the high spermatic vein ligation, which is performed via inguinal, transabdominal and laparoscopic high ligation, etc. Internationally, microscopic low or high spermatic vein ligation is mainly used. The specific method should be determined by the surgeon’s proficiency in a particular procedure and the patient’s specific situation. The general semen improvement rate after varicocele surgery is about 60-70% and the pregnancy rate is 30-40%. In most patients, semen quality improves six months to a year after surgery, but many patients take 1-2 years to recover. During this period, one should review regularly to keep track of the post-operative recovery and work closely with the doctor to adjust the treatment plan in a timely manner. For patients in a better financial situation, medication can be used in conjunction with the treatment in order to obtain the best results. Some patients who find the post-operative efficacy is not good and the semen quality is not obviously improved within a short period of time after surgery, they lose their confidence or turn to assisted reproduction treatment, it should be emphasized that the effect of varicocele on testicular function is a long-term, slow process, so the recovery of testicular function and the improvement of semen quality after surgery also takes time; furthermore, assisted reproduction methods are generally more expensive and have limited success rate (e.g., IVF). For example, the cost of IVF is 25,000-30,000 with a success rate of 30-40%, so it should be used with caution in cases where the outcome is really unsatisfactory after surgery.  Finally, it should be emphasized that the surgery for varicocele is part of the overall infertility treatment, so it should be reviewed regularly after the surgery to keep abreast of the recovery of testicular function and the improvement of semen quality after the surgery, with the aid of medication if necessary, which should be considered as important as the surgery. The general post-operative review period is three months, six months, one year, one and a half years and two years after surgery. Of course, during this period one should lead a regular life, eat a balanced diet and abstain from bad habits. If the wife conceives spontaneously, it is the end of the treatment and the best result.