Embolization & Varicocelectomy "High Rate of Success".

#Varicocelectomy "High Rate of Success".

“High Rate of Success”: Here is something that I find absurd: Many infertile couples are advised that surgery has a “high rate of success”, and they go for it thinking that they’ll have a successful pregnancy. But, really, they’re ill-advised. It’s important to ask “success at what?” Turns out that the word “success” has absolutely nothing to do with pregnancy—it simply means that the procedure was successful at removing the veins without causing major damage. Now, imagine telling that to an infertile couple who are have committed to dish out $15,000, and undergo the surgical risks—with their main goal being successful pregnancy...

Here is the correction again: The best results for surgery state that for every 7 men who undergo surgery, only 1 additional pregnancy is attained. That’s 14%. The natural conception rate of infertile couples over a year is 34%, with varicocele surgery, these same couples will have a 37% to 38% chance of successful pregnancy. And these are the best results. Actually, much of the scientific literature is showing mixed results. It is no wonder that varicocele surgery is the most controversial topic in the field of andrology.
Just Think About It:

• You do not return to a normal/healthy baseline post-surgery
• Cutting out swollen veins is Not curing them
• Surgical benefits are questionable
• Surgery is a high-risk procedure

Embolization Is Not an Alternative: Now, what about embolization? It is a great “non-surgical” “alternative”, right? Wrong. The best results for embolization state that for every 17 men who undergo embolization, only one additional pregnancy is attained. The supporting research is low quality (even lower quality than surgery). Embolization may not be effective at all. And, embolization is not a low-risk procedure. Worth the risks? I think not.

Embolization Is Not an Alternative: Now, what about embolization? It is a great “non-surgical” “alternative”, right? Wrong. The best results for embolization state that for every 17 men who undergo embolization, only one additional pregnancy is attained. The supporting research is low quality (even lower quality than surgery). Embolization may not be effective at all. And, embolization is not a low-risk procedure. Worth the risks? I think not.

High Risk, Low Benefit: Come on guys, they’re serving us an inconclusive 6-14% improvement in pregnancy rate (not really.. it’s 14% chance of successful pregnancy—you need to look it up), and we’re eating it up like it’s a cure. Surgery and embolization are not a cure. They are far from it. They are simply high-risk and costly treatment methods for varicocele.