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Percutaneous varicocele embolization in the treatment of infertility

¹ Department of Radiology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9YW, UK ² Edinburgh University Medical Statistics Unit, Edinburgh, UK ³ University Department of Surgery/Urology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

Clinical and sub-clinical varicoceles are associated with infertility and abnormal sperm parameters. Percutaneous embolization is a minimally invasive, safe, outpatient method of treatment which is cost effective in comparison to surgery. This study is a retrospective review of embolization of the spermatic vein using stainless steel occluding spring coils, performed in 116 males from two infertility clinics. Follow-up results were complete in 87 patients of which 79 (91%) were successful both technically and clinically and all had sperm analysis performed both before and within 2 years after embolization. There was a highly significant increase in motility (mean 35% before, mean 46% after, p<0.001). Sperm density showed a trend towards improvement, but only p<0.10, and there was no significant change in semen volume or morphology. The partners of 29 men (33%) became pregnant in a total of 241 years of follow-up.

^* Current address: Radiology Department, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WL, UK.

Received for publication January 26, 1995. Accepted for publication March 15, 1995.

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