Efficacy of spermatic vein ligation in patients affected by high grade left varicocele.

PURPOSE To study the effect of high grade varicocele treatment in infertile patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-five patients were selected by the following criteria: infertility persisting for more than 1 year; abnormal semen parameters; no other infertility-related disease; no obvious causes of infertility in the subject's partner; basal eco-color Doppler ultrasound demonstrating continuous reflux in the spermatic vein. All patients considered for the study had at least a six months period from the diagnosis to the surgery due to waiting list, choice of the patient or time needed to complete diagnostic evaluation of the couple. The surgical procedure was performed through an inguinal approach. All enrolled patients were counseled to have unprotected intercourse during the ovulation period in order to maximize the probability of pregnancy within the 6-month preoperative period. The achievement of pregnancy and semen parameters were recorded during the preoperative and postoperative period. RESULTS Two of the seventy-five patients were excluded because of persistent varicocele after surgery. The preoperative pregnancy rate was 1.3% (1 couple). The postoperative pregnancy rate was 42.5%. The stratification of pregnancies by semester showed a significantly higher rate in the first postoperative period (p = 0.0012). Mean time to conception was 13.5 months. Mean preoperative sperm count was 17.6x10(6)/mL compared to 19.7x10(6)/mL in the postoperative period (p < 0.0001). Mean percentage of progressive sperm motility was 13.7%, compared to 17.6% in the postoperative period (p < 0.0001). Mean percentage of normal sperm morphology was 7.6%, compared to 15.2% postoperatively (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Surgical treatment of high grade varicocele proved to effectively treat associa¬ted infertility by improving seminal parameters and pregnancy rate in our patient cohort.