varicocele of the testicles
Varicocele!.. What is it?
Varicose veins of the testicle affect 20% of men, from the age of 10 until adulthood. The left testicle is most often affected because the anatomy of the left testicular vein is different from the right. A varicose vein causes abnormal blood reflux, which can lead to negative effects. The most common symptoms are pain, heaviness in the testicle. It is also the leading cause of infertility in men. This is why it is advisable to treat them early before there are any consequences on fertility. Grade 3 Varicoceles are the most harmful.
Diagnosis and treatment
The varicocele can be grade 1 (minimal), grade 2 (palpable average size), or grade 3 (large and visible to the naked eye). The diagnosis is clinical and radiological by Doppler ultrasound of the testicles. You have to be careful that the Doppler ultrasound is done well, because it happens that it contains errors. Varicocele can cause the affected testicles to shrink in size. The spermogram is important, most often we find an oligo terato asthenospermia. Often spermatozoa are decreased in number, mobility is reduced, the shape of spermatozoa can be strongly altered.
The reference treatment is embolization: without anesthesia, without surgery, without pain, without scarring, it is the most comfortable treatment (comparable to a CT scan) and the most reliable (90-95% success rate) for the patient. Dr Hamza Benjelloun performs varicocele embolization. Surgery remains a preferred second-line treatment option, in the event of embolization failure.
The duration of an embolization is 15 to 30 min. The patient leaves after 1 hour of rest, to continue his day without pain.
Complications of the operation are very rare.