How long does varicocele surgery take?
The surgery will take about four hours. In the operating room, the surgeon will make an incision in your abdomen or groin. Open surgery requires a single 1-inch incision while microscopic or laparoscopic surgeries involve a smaller incision (or incisions).
Is varicocele operation painful?
To fix the problem, your doctor tied off the end of the vein so the blood will not pool. After surgery, you may have slight pain in your groin for 3 to 6 weeks. Your scrotum and groin may be bruised and swollen.
What are the disadvantages of varicocele surgery?
The three most significant complications related specifically to varicocele repair include recurrent or persistent varicocele, hydrocele formation, and testicular artery injury.
Can varicocele come back after surgery?
Persistence or recurrence of the varicocele happens in less than one of ten patients who have surgery. Microscopic surgery has the lowest persistence rate or chance of varicocele coming back. Most of the time, patients return to normal activities after 1 week with little pain.
Does varicocele shrink after surgery?
Without a steady flow of blood, the varicocele will shrink. Blood flow will be redirected by the body through normal deep pelvic veins. The doctor will then remove the catheter, and the procedure will be complete.
Can varicocele surgery increase sperm?
A 2014 study of men with low sperm count and a varicocele found that surgery increased their sperm count, on average, from 2.4 to 11.6 million per milliliter. However, in the same study, fertility rates remained relatively low.
How do you fix a varicocele?
A varicocele is repaired with a surgical procedure called a varicocelectomy. Varicocele repair surgery is relatively simple. The goal is to locate the distended veins and tie them off or block them to prevent blood from pooling. Most commonly, surgery is performed through a single incision in the lower abdomen.
Is surgery the best treatment for varicocele?
The purpose of surgery is to seal off the affected vein to redirect the blood flow into normal veins. In cases of male infertility, treatment of a varicocele might improve or cure the infertility or improve the quality of sperm if techniques such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) are to be used.
How serious is varicocele?
In some cases, a varicocele can lead to complications. Infertility is the most serious complication that can occur. It probably happens because the increased amount of blood in the region raises the temperature of the testicles. Between 35 and 44 percent of men with primary infertility have varicoceles.
Should varicocele be treated?
Varicocele treatment might not be necessary. Many men with varicoceles are able to father a child without any treatment. However, if your varicocele causes pain, testicular atrophy or infertility or if you are considering assisted reproductive techniques, you might want to undergo varicocele repair.