Varicocele Embolization: How This Procedure Can Relieve Pain and Improve Fertility

If your varicocele is causing bothersome pain or infertility, consider varicocele embolization. Here’s a look at how this nonsurgical procedure can help.

Like the rest of your body, your scrotum contains veins that help keep the area healthy by supplying oxygen and nutrients through blood. When you have a varicocele, those veins get enlarged due to valves that don’t function well.

Similar to varicose veins that commonly affect the legs, varicoceles can cause bothersome symptoms, such as pain. Over time, a varicocele may fuel infertility.

With his expert team at Midtown Manhattan practice, double board-certified vascular and interventional radiologist Dr. Yosef Golowa provides varicocele embolization to relieve your symptoms and protect or restore your fertility.

If you’re bothered by varicocele symptoms or complications, read on to learn how this minimally invasive procedure can help.

How varicoceles cause pain

When you have a varicocele, blood can’t flow normally within your scrotum. This strains nerves and tissue in the area, making way for discomfort and pain. You can develop a varicocele without noticeable symptoms, but those that do arise typically affect the left testicle.

Many people describe varicocele pain as a heavy achiness. You may notice that moving about or standing for a while worsens these symptoms.

How varicoceles affect fertility

While research findings are a bit mixed on varicoceles and infertility, the enlarged veins are believed to cause 70% of secondary infertility cases in men. So if you have a history of normal fertility and struggle with fertility later, a varicocele could be to blame.

Varicoceles are also present in up to 40% of people with any type of male infertility.

Varicoceles may interfere with fertility by:

Increasing the temperature in your scrotum, which can disrupt sperm and testosterone production
Reducing sperm count or quality
Causing excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can harm sperm

In teens, a varicocele may damage fertility by interfering with testicle development.

How varicocele embolization helps

Varicocele embolization reduced blood flow to the problematic vein by inserting a special coil through a catheter. Dr. Golowa guides the catheter using X-ray images during this outpatient, nonsurgical procedure.

Because varicocele embolization only requires a tiny puncture, you won't need to worry about a hospital stay, lengthy recovery, or surgery-related risks. Within a day or so of your treatment, you should be able to return to your usual activities.

With a roughly 90% success rate, most people experience symptom relief quickly. Your fertility may increase within a few months, as your sperm quality and testicular health improve.

Call our office today to learn more about varicocele embolization or to find out if you’re a good candidate. You can also book an appointment with Dr. Golowa through our website.