Treatment for Varicoceles Part 3

What can be expected after treatment?

The surgery for varicocele treatment is considered minor in nature and the incision is small. The majority of individuals recover rapidly. The pain is easily controlled with over the counter pain medications and only lasts 24 hours. All patients are asked to refrain from strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for 2 weeks. The majority of individuals can return to work in 48 hours. The surgeon will always recommend a follow up appointment in 1-2 week after the surgery. At the follow up appointment, the sperm is analyzed. Semen analyses are typically obtained at three to four month intervals after the procedure. Improvement is often seen within six months, but may not be observed until one year postoperatively.

The majority of individuals who undergo the open procedure do well and only have a recurrence rate of 1%.

Results

All the operative techniques show a good response in the short term, but the recent microsurgical techniques have the fewest complications and the fastest recovery. Despite the advent of newer laparoscopic techniques and better instruments, this technique has not been found to be superior to the open surgical techniques. The short term results are the same as the open surgery.

Today, the majority of urologists agree on one thing; only clinically visible varicoceles should be treated. The varicoceles which are small and only identified by ultrasound should be observed. No one has shown that repairing these varicoceles improves the fertility rates.

For the symptomatic and large varicoceles, there is some evidence (depending on whom you believe), that pregnancy rates are improved in the previously sterile male. In an era where money and medicine have become a business, the surgeons always claim to have great success with everything they do-so be informed and ask questions.