title: Predictive factors of successful varicocelectomy in infertile patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the predictive factors of successful varicocelectomy in infertile patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five infertile male patients with varicocele and requiring varicocelectomy were recruited in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on their recovery outcome after subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy. Patients who showed significant improvement on their sperm density, motility and morphology 6 months after varicocelectomy were designated as group 1, whereas those who showed no improvement 6 months after surgery were designated as group 2. The predictive factors that were examined included: age; preoperative semen quality (i.e. sperm density, motility and morphology); testicular volume; seminal volume; varicocele grade; the number of ligated veins; body mass index (BMI), and serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, testosterone, alkaline phosphatase (Alk-p), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), cholesterol and triglyceride.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sperm density, motility and morphology improved significantly 6 months after varicocelectomy in group 1 patients (n = 35; 71.4%). Group 1 patients had significantly higher testicular volumes (mean ± SD: 29.6 ± 5.9 vs. 23.2 ± 6.1 ml), lower FSH (11.3 ± 2.9 vs. 16.1 ± 4.8 mIU/ml) and higher numbers of ligated veins (9.3 ± 0.8 vs. 7.9 ± 0.7) than group 2 patients. No significant association was observed between surgical outcome and age, preoperative sperm density, motility and morphology, seminal volume, varicocele grade, BMI and serum levels of LH, prolactin, testosterone, Alk-p, LDH, cholesterol and triglyceride.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the significant predictive factors of successful varicocelectomy in infertile patients were high testicular volume (>29.6 ml), low serum concentration of FSH (<11.3 mIU/ml) and high number of ligated veins (>9).
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. eric.yoyo@msa.hinet.net
authors.forename: Shiou-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-Kuei
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D014646:Varicocele / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D002784:Cholesterol