Treatment for Varicoceles

What are the treatment options for varicoceles?
There is a lot of debate whether varicoceles require any treatment. No medical therapies are available for either treatment or prevention; however analgesic agents may alleviate associated pain when present. Some doctors claim that no treatment is required. Others claim that treatment may benefit individuals who are infertile and have symptoms. The treatment involves removal of the vein mass which is causing the enlargement and infertility.

The timing of the varicocele is also debated. Some doctors claim that even though varicoceles may be detected in adolescence, the treatment can wait until the individual has any symptoms or is getting married. Others recommend varicocele repair in adolescence only if there is evidence of pain, testicular atrophy or if the sperm count is altered.

Surgery Treatment

There are two main approaches to the treatment of a varicocele. Treatment of varicoceles varies from open surgery to refined radiological destruction techniques. Most urologists recommend the radiological techniques after the open surgery techniques have failed

Surgical Repair

The surgery is done under anesthesia and is an outpatient procedure. There are various surgical techniques and all involves tying or removal of the large vein complex. Most surgeons recommend that the wearing of high magnification loops allows for better visualization and identification of these venous clumps. Today, smaller micro invasive procedures have also been developed which only require 1-2 small incisions. However, these refined laparoscopic procedures also have the potential for a higher rate of complications than the open method. The procedure may be done under local, spinal or general anesthesia.