Can Varicocele Surgery Be a Solution to Infertility?

Yes. It can be a solution to low sperm count.

We did laparoscopic varicocelectomy, minimally invasive surgical approach, on a patient three months ago. Before the surgery, his sperm count was 5 million/ml. Three months later, the semen analysis was repeated and his sperm count had risen to 35 million/ml. Sperm morphology also improved from 2% normal forms to 6%, and motility increased from 20% to 55%. The response to surgery was excellent.

We also had a delivery this year from a patient who had varicocele surgery with us last year.

We perform laparoscopic varicocelectomy right here at Kelina Hospital. We no longer do open surgery. The results are better and the discomfort is minimal. Patients can eat a few hours after surgery and can go home the same day or the next day. It is a simple procedure.

It is best to treat this problem early before it damages the testes. If the testis becomes badly affected and shrunken, the hormones can become disorganized and the response to surgery may not be so excellent.

For patients who keep moving from clinic to clinic trying IVF that keeps failing, an important question is this: have you seen a Urologist to check for a simple problem like varicocele that can be easily fixed?

IVF is not a solution to infertility. IVF bypasses infertility. When IVF is done, it does not mean the couple has become fertile. The problem that was there may still be there.

If varicocele is not treated on time, it can damage both testes. Other functions of the testes, such as hormone production, especially testosterone, can also be affected. Some men may even begin to have problems with erection because of a simple problem that could have been corrected earlier.

If the problem is treated at the right time, the couple can return to normal fertility and have their babies naturally in the comfort of their home, instead of going from hospital to hospital.

IVF should be the last resort when there is no other solution.

Where the problem is mainly from the man, there is no reason for the woman to go through multiple hormone injections and body manipulation just to harvest eggs for IVF. The burden of IVF is mostly on the woman, yet the varicocele problem is from the man and can be solved easily.

When the problem from the man is corrected, the woman should not need to go through all that stress at all, especially where the main problem has not been solved. That is why it is important for couples dealing with infertility to properly investigate the cause and see a Urologist as well as a Gynaecologist.