Does varicocelectomy improve semen in men with azoospermia and clinically palpable varicocele? Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The effectiveness of varicocelectomy in nonobstructive azoospermia is controversial. The current study assessed the efficacy of microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy in nonobstructive azoospermic men with palpable varicocele and to evaluate predictive parameters of outcome. We reviewed the records of 723 patients who had microsurgical varicocelectomy and diagnostic testicular biopsy between 2012 and 2016 at a tertiary medical centre. Data pertaining to the physical, laboratory (semen analysis and hormonal profile) and histopathology features were examined, exploring the predictors of improvement in semen analysis post-varicocelectomy. In total, 42 patients with mean age 35.71 ± 6.35 years were included. After a mean varicocelectomy follow-up of 6.7 months, motile spermatozoa in the ejaculate could be observed in 11 patients (26.2). Out of all the factors examined, only testicular histopathology significantly predicted post-varicocelectomy outcome, where 8/11 patients exhibited hypospermatogenesis, and 3/11 Sertoli cell-only regained spermatozoa in semen. Microsurgical varicocelectomy in nonobstructive azoospermic men with clinically palpable varicocele can result in sperm appearance in the ejaculate with the highest success expected in hypospermatogenesis.

publication date

  • December 11, 2019

Research

keywords

  • Azoospermia
  • Semen Analysis
  • Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male
  • Varicocele

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85076342227

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/and.13486

PubMed ID

  • 31825116

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 52

issue

  • 2