Outcome of varicocele surgery and infertility at Prince Hussein Urology Center

ABSTRACT

To describe the outcome of surgical techniques for the treatment of testicular varicosity to improve fertility among infertile males at Prince Hussein Urology Center. This descriptive study was conducted on a total of 844 patients who underwent Varicocele surgery at Prince Hussein Urology Center, for infertility between the period of June 2003 and June 2008, surgery was performed for patients upon presenting to our clinic complaining of infertility for one year or more in the absence of female factor for infertility. Patients were non-randomly selected. Sperm concentration, motility and morphology was assessed by analysis of at least two different semen specimens each obtained after a 5 days period of sexual abstinence and separated by three weeks interval. Post surgery patients were classified as responders [more than 50% increases in sperm parameters] and non-responders. Simple descriptive statistical methods [frequency, mean and percentage] were used to describe the study variables. Surgical treatment of clinical palpable Varicocele successfully cured over 95% of Varicocele. Post surgery spermatogenesis was improved among 256 patients [30.3%]. Sperm concentration increased to variable degrees from 6.23 to 12.1 million among these patients with mean of 9.2 million, sperm motility improved from 5.2% to 18.7% with mean of 8.3%. Spontaneous pregnancy was achieved in 194[23%] couples within 12 months following surgery. Varicocelectomy is a safe, effective and associated with a rapid recovery and minimal morbidity. Varicocelectomy resulted in the induction or enhancement of spermatogenesis in several men with clinical Varicocele and abnormal semen parameters. Despite the absence of definitive studies on the infertility outcome of varicocele surgery, it is reasonable to be considered as an option in selective patients with semen abnormalities