Infertility can be a curse on couples in modern times. Because there are several treatment options open to them, couples are often confused on the procedure to adopt and are often unaware of the prognosis. However a new procedure promises to help correct the most common cause of infertility in men.
This minimally invasive treatment called embolization was also able to identify the sperm motility before the procedure as a vital factor in the success or failure of the treatment. Scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany presented the findings of their study at the yearly meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
The procedure is not tedious and patients are usually able to return to normal activities in 24 hours. In the present study, Sebastian Flacke and colleagues studied 223 infertile men having a minimum of one varicocele. The researchers reported that 226 of the overall 228 varicoceles present in the men were treated by embolization.
After three months 173 patients underwent a semen analysis, which showed that sperm motility and sperm count had improved after the procedure. Within six months 26 percent of these patients had reported a pregnancy.
“We found that spermatic vein embolization combined with anti-inflammatory treatment improves sperm motility and sperm count in infertile men with varicoceles,” Sebastian Flacke, who is an assistant professor of radiology at the University of Bonn, said.
The most common cause of infertility in men is a varicocele. These varicoceles occur when the blood is unable to circulate out of testicles due to the presence of defective valves in the veins that regulate the blood flow through the heart and the testicles. The result is the presence of a mesh of blood vessels in the scrotum leading to a varicose vein or varicocele.
The National Institutes of Health say that most cases of varicocele occur between 15 to 25 years of age. They are often symptomless, but at times can cause pain and fertility problems. The latter is believed to be caused by the pooling of warm blood in the scrotal area leading to decreased sperm count and motility.
The minimally invasive procedure of embolization is carried out by first placing a small nick in the groin area and then using x-ray to insert a small catheter to the affected vein.
“This study confirms that varicocele repair can significantly improve sperm count and motility,” Dr. Flacke said.
