Varicocele Symptoms

Varicocele can be asymptomatic in a significant number of patients. Occasionally, it may present as swelling felt by patients above the testicle.

Symptomatic patients experience scrotal or groin pain that may be sharp to dull throbbing ache. Some patients experience scrotal heaviness that gets worse with exercise, or after prolonged standing. Occasionally varicocele can present with sudden onset of sharp pain due to inflammation of the veins due to venous congestion.

Varicoceles have also been associated with low sperm count and infertility.

How Is a Varicocele Diagnosed?

Diagnosis of varicocele is based on clinical assessment followed by ultrasound scan of the scrotum. The latter is usually done in lying down and standing position especially in symptomatic patients.

Varicocele Treatment Options

There are three management options.

• Monitor clinically and ultrasound scan
• Surgical procedure called varicocelectomy 
• Minimally-invasive treatment of varicocele embolization.

Varicocele embolization is day surgery procedure  carried out after accessing veins in the groin (rarely the neck). Tiny 2 mm needle mark is used to get into the vein under local anesthesia or intravenous sedation (depending on patient choice). A tiny special tube called catheter is guided using fluoroscopy through the pathway of veins to reach the varicocele. The time required to reach this area is less than 15 minutes with total procedure time of about 45 minutes. Special dedicated coils and embolic agent are injected into the abnormal blood vessels supplying the varicocele in order to block the blood flow. There is no pain or discomfort post-procedure. Normal activites can be resumed fully within 2-3 days.

The major advantage of the procedure is that there is minimal chance of  recurrence provided the correct technique is used in hands of an experienced operator.

Frequently Asked Questions