title: Spontaneous pregnancy rates in Chinese men undergoing microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy and possible preoperative factors affecting the outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate pregnancy rates after microsurgical varicocelectomy in Chinese infertile men with clinical varicoceles and to identify preoperative factors affecting the outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective data analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  University infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventy-six consecutive Chinese men with infertility and clinical varicoceles who underwent varicocelectomy from January 2010 to December 2011. Semen data were available for 145 patients, and pregnancy data were available for 66.
  
  
  METHODS
  Varicocelectomy was performed on all patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spontaneous pregnancy rates and improvement in semen parameters after varicocelectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We followed 145 men (82.4%) for a median of 21 months (range 12-36 months) after varicocelectomy. For 109 patients (75.2%), both sperm concentration and forward motility improved. Overall, 45.5% (66/145) of female partners achieved spontaneous pregnancy at a mean follow-up of 11.7 ± 6.2 months. On univariate analysis, preoperative high sperm concentration (≥20 million/mL) and high sperm motility (≥25%) were positively associated with spontaneous pregnancy. On multivariate analysis, only preoperative sperm concentration was an independent predictor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microsurgical varicocelectomy could improve semen quality and spontaneous pregnancy rates. Only preoperative sperm concentration was an independent predictor of spontaneous pregnancy. Patients with high initial sperm concentration may benefit from varicocelectomy for spontaneous pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zhangzhichao@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wanshou
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Andrology Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhongcheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sainan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014646:Varicocele / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Male infertility; microsurgery; pregnancy; varicocele