Varicocele and Male Infertility: Current Issues in Management-A Review

Varicocele is the most common correctable cause of male factor infertility. The role of varicocele in the etiology of male infertility is still controversial regarding to whom varicocelectomy should be done and the selection should be meticulous. With the recent advances in biomolecular and development of novel sperm functional tests, it has been possible to better understand the mechanism involved in damage provoked by varicocele and therefore, propose ways to reverse them. Clinical studies have shown that varicocele surgery can improve semen quality sufficient to downgrade the type of assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure required. This reveiw discusses current concepts on the mechanisms for varicocele induced testicular damage and efficacy of varicocelectomy for treatment of infertility. We also review the current guidelines and need for proper case selection before surgery.The authors critically reviewed the cost effectiveness of the surgical treatment of a varicocele compared with assisted reproductive techniques. *Corresponding author: Krishna Reddy SV, Associate Professor, Narayana Medical College, Urology, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh 524001, Tel: +918612321828; Fax: +918612300068; E-mail: [email protected] Received May 01, 2014; Accepted June 25, 2014; Published June 30, 2014 Citation: Krishna Reddy SV (2014) Varicocele and Male Infertility: Current Issues in Management-A Review. Med Surg Urol 3: 137. doi:10.4172/2168-9857.1000137 Copyright: © 2014 Krishna Reddy SV. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.