Does private varicocele treatment affect NHS IVF eligibility?

[whysohardtogetusername]

Wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation. We've been referred for NHS IVF in London.

Partner has had testing via his GP who've said he has a 'mild to moderate' variococele and needs to see an andrologist who would advise on treatment options, but the NHS andrologist wait at our clinic is very long (end of 2025 😩). So we're looking at paying for a private andrologist appointment to speed that up and possibly even paying privately for any procedure too, depending on speed/cost etc.

When my partner called the NHS fertility clinic they seemed to suggest we might lose our IVF funding for doing 'private treatment' if we pay for a private andrologist? I can understand they won't let us see the NHS andrologist as we've done that bit privately, but presumably we'd still get the funding for the actual IVF itself?

Just panicking a bit as obviously the cost implications of going private for the full IVF rounds are massive. We are both 36, turning 37 soon, and don't want to waste a whole year waiting for an NHS andrologist appointment. It's already been a long journey getting to this point (almost 2 years since initial referral) and I'm worried the clock is ticking down.

That wasn't my experience though we didn't go with NHS in the end, went private bit that was through us wanting to expedite things. It may depend on the Trust you're in but I can't see why, it's not ivf it can be classed as just an operation to solve moderate to severe pain as some men have painful varicoceles.

Thank you, that's useful reassurance 💚. I think perhaps the person on the phone wasn't fully clued up but I suddenly got a bit freaked out. Ironically they can do the IVF quickly (or quicker, e.g. early next year) but the andrologist is the sticking point.

Seems crazy when it's not like it's a full ivf round, and it's to ensure that ivf has a better chance of working, to their benefit for their stats too! My husbands couldn't be embolised sadly, he went through the procedure but the surgeon just couldn't find the vein, he tried for ages. It happens to just 10% of men apparently, my husbands is severe.

We went into ivf expecting a terrible attention rate due to damaged sperm despite having ICSI but we had a dream round, 6 embryos from 7 eggs and although the fresh transfer didn't work the first frozen one did, he's 15 months now :) my husband did alot of life style and vitamin changes to try and mitigate the varicocele which must have worked :)

It was 9 years ago but we had 2 full private NHS cycles while waiting for our NHS treatment so unless somethings changed then I think you'll be fine

2 full private IVF cycles that should say

I know! It's to their benefit! Ironically now having seen the private andrologist we had an NHS appt come through a week later - we're going to that to see if they'll do the embolization on the NHS. Out of interest, what supplements and lifestyle changes did your husband make? We've already done a few (no alcohol, lycopene, NAC, lipoic acid, zinc, selenium) but although these have increased motility they haven't helped morphology. But perhaps they will help with an IVF round.