The varicocele dilemma

Abstract

There is probably no subject that is more controversial in the area of male infertility than varicocele. The overwhelming majority of non-urologist infertility specialists in the world are extremely sceptical of the role of varicocele or varicocelectomy in the treatment of male infertility. Directors of most assisted reproductive technologies (ART) programmes view the enthusiasm with which urologists approach varicocelectomy as a potential impediment to the couple that is getting older and do not have much time left to become pregnant using ART. There are many credible, well-controlled studies which show no effect of varicocelectomy on fertility. There are also a few 'controlled' studies that favour varicocelectomy, but all can be criticised on the basis of patient selection bias. Thus the great weight of evidence from controlled studies is against varicocelectomy and the reports supporting varicocelectomy are extremely weak. Finally, the reports that semen parameters are improved by varicocelectomy is flawed by uncontrolled observations and the failure to take into account the variability of semen analysis in infertile men and its regression toward the mean. Many control studies have demonstrated that, because of this variability, men with an initially low sperm count tend later to have higher sperm counts in the absence of any treatment whatsoever.