Effect of varicocelectomy on patients with unobstructive azoospermia and severe oligospermia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the treatment outcome and benefits after varicocelectomy in men with unobstructive azoospermia (UOA) and severe oligospermia (SO).


METHODS
The records were retrospectively evaluated for six patients with UOA and 54 with SO who had microsurgical inguinal varicocele ligation (mean age 33.3 years, SD 5.3). Fifty-one (85%) had a unilateral left-sided procedure (five of six with UOA, 46 of 54 with SO), and nine (15%) had a bilateral procedure.


RESULTS
After ligation, spermatogenesis was induced in two of the six men with UOA; the mean (SD) sperm concentration increased from 2.3 (1.6) to 9.2 (12.6) million/mL (P < 0.001), but the sperm motility did not change significantly. Four (7%) of the 54 men with SO achieved paternity, with unassisted pregnancies.


CONCLUSIONS
Varicocelectomy resulted in the induction or enhancement of spermatogenesis for several men with UOA or SO; it seems to be a reasonable option in selected patients with UOA or SO.
Ishikawa
Tomomoto
T
Division of Urology, Department of Organs Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. iskwtmmt@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Kondo
Yutaka
Y
Yamaguchi
Kohei
K
Sakamoto
Yuichi
Y
Fujisawa
Masato
M
D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013076:Sperm Count; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D013519:Urogenital Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*