Value of microsurgical varicocelectomy for severe oligo-asthenospermia patients failed in fertilization assisted by in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy on severe oligo-asthenospermia patients failing in fertilization assisted by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. PATIENTS AND METHODS From January 2013 to August 2014, forty-nine patients with severe oligo-asthenospermia and serious varicoceles were treated by microsurgical varicocelectomy after failing in fertilization assisted by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), eleven of whom had varicoceles on the left side and thirty-eight had bilateral varicoceles. Patients were followed up for the natural pregnancy condition, changes of routine semen parameters and reproductive hormone level and the embryonic development and outcome of next IVF-ET (ICSI) cycles within 6 months. RESULTS After surgery, 61.2% (30/49) of spouses obtained clinical pregnancy. Among whom 22.4% (11/49) were naturally pregnant, 32.65% (16/49) were conceived after second IVF-ET assistance, and 6.1% (3/49) were conceived with the third or further assistance of ICSI-ET. The overall miscarriage rate was 16.7% (5/30). All of the patients had improvement in the sperm concentration and forward motility. The sperm concentration increased from (10.53 ± 8.76) × 106/ml to (20.23 ± 11.76) × 106/ml. The ratio of forward motile sperm was increased to (30.52 ± 18.78) % from (8.75.52 ± 6.36) % (p < 0.01). The serum total testosterone (T) improved from (2.19 ± 1.03) ng/ml to (4.05 ± 0.64) ng/ml (p < 0.05). Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) changed from (5.23 ± 1.26) mIU/ml to (3.76 ± 2.22) mIU/ml after the procedure. Luteinizing hormone (LH) changed from (4.38 ± 1.36) to (3.98 ± 1.38) mIU/ml. Estrogen (E2) changed from 40.28 ± 7.26 pg/ml to 35.24 ± 5.75 pg/ml. Prolactin (PRL) level elevated from (18.24 ± 4.28) to (17.16 ± 2.16) ng/ml (p > 0.05). The fertility rate of in vitro fertilization significantly improved to (83.36 ± 19.36) % from (72.36 ± 17.88) % (p < 0.05). The rate of 2PN ratio increased from (66.73 ± 17.93) % to (75.96 ± 20.39) %. The cleavage rate increased from (83.26 ± 32.33) % to (90.35 ± 23.66). The abnormal fertility rate were (5.36 ± 12.58) % and (7.26 ± 13.89) % before and after the procedure (p > 0.05), while the rate of high-quality embryos increased significantly from (34.36 ± 33.27) % to (55.67 ± 23.36) % (p < 0.05). The rate of transferable embryos remained without significant change (70.67 ± 30.6% before and 60.53 ± 30.27% after the procedure). The anabiosis rate of frozen embryo increased from (66.32 ± 30.69) % to (89.72 ± 29.69) %. The further blastocyst rate improved from (10.98 ± 9.7) % to (30.27 ± 15.33) % (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The microsurgical varicocelectomy effectively improved sperm parameters, the fertility rate of oocyte fertilized in vitro and the anabiosis rate and blastocyst rate of the frozen embryo for on patients with severe oligo-asthenospermic, and further increased the odds of natural pregnancy, the rate of high-quality embryos and the success rate of in vitro fertilization.