Varicocele | Mumsnet

SEpoppet · 2021-01-22T17:18:15+00:00

Hi all, I can find a couple of threads about this on here but not recent. Just wanted to find out if anyone had any experience of conceiving when DP has a varicocele? I've been TTC for 6 months and know DH has one. I hear mixed things about whether they can affect fertility... anyone had a semen analysis with one? Thanks

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catsarebetterthandogs9 · 22/01/2021 17:43

DH had one and after 2 years TTC he had an open to clear it and we conceived that month!
Sperm tests also showed a significant increase.
Doctor was sceptical and said it wouldn't do anything but it certainly did (or just coincidence but I refuse to believe that)

2021Hope · 09/02/2021 19:50

Heya ladies We’re currently exploring treatment for varicocele and been presented with 2 options 1) embolization or 2) laproscopic surgery which treatment has everyone gone for? The consultant has said both are great options so it’s up to us. I’m thinking embolization potentially first and if that doesn’t make a difference then laproscopic as a back up? Any insight is so appreaciated! Thank you x

Original poster

SEpoppet · 09/02/2021 20:28

Hey @catsarebetterthandogs9 thanks for your reply, I somehow missed it! Really weird but I got a BFP today so I'm thinking maybe it hasn't affected his fertility after all, or not too much as it took a while to conceive. Sorry @2021Hope I can't help but hopefully someone else can!

OP posts:

catsarebetterthandogs9 · 10/02/2021 09:27

@SEpoppet congratulations! Wonderful news

@2021Hope DH had the embolization. It was fascinating, they went in through his neck!

Mar6 · 15/06/2021 13:10

Hello everyone,
Could you please let me know where you had your treatment and how much it cost?
We are desperately trying to find an urologist who can do the checks and varicocele embolazation
But all quotes are over 5k and I started feeling really down about it after spending so much on failed ivfs.
We are based on Ealing in London.

Thank you:)

K8dferXdder · 01/10/2022 21:57

Hi all, looking for the most efficient and cost effective way to sort male fertility issue - bilateral varicocele. Would be helpful to know where you did it as we are desperate, we can’t get to blastocyst even though using ICSI! I never knew that dna fragmentation can’t be resolved by ICSI. We were suggested to do multiple freezing and try Imsi but would rather sort the root cause first. Thanks for your tips. I guess NHS will not treat it and we have to go privately?

alt22 · 30/01/2023 19:09

K8dferXdder · 01/10/2022 21:57

Hi all, looking for the most efficient and cost effective way to sort male fertility issue - bilateral varicocele. Would be helpful to know where you did it as we are desperate, we can’t get to blastocyst even though using ICSI! I never knew that dna fragmentation can’t be resolved by ICSI. We were suggested to do multiple freezing and try Imsi but would rather sort the root cause first. Thanks for your tips. I guess NHS will not treat it and we have to go privately?

Hi @K8dferXdder - I just wondered how you were getting on?

K8dferXdder · 30/01/2023 19:52

Hello, my partner had his embolisation on Friday 13th Jan. it all went very smoothly, no scars, nothing, just through the neck vein and he was with a local sedation, so very quick recovery. The doctor said to wait 3 months and book semen test to see the parameters, hopefully they will increase. It is a very simple procedure via interventional radiology. With local sedation it cones cheaper even though we were with the insurance company.
For 5 days after the procedure he was taking Paracetamol just in case he starts to feel some pain which he did briefly on the 3rd day but then it was gone. I would encourage you to do it if you can.
Also the doctor said he doesn’t see anything on the right, so he did it on the left side only. He said other urologysts that you see before who don’t specialise in these stuff may mis-diagnose as was his case because he was diagnosed via the NHS urologyst in the fertility clinic as bi-lateral (on both sides) but apparently it was on one side only, so all good for us.
Let me know if you want to know anything specific. At what stage are you at the moment?

K8dferXdder · 30/01/2023 19:59

Forgot to mention that thanks to the great people’s tips on this forum to say that he has a slight pain/discomfort when he is sitting down :) , we managed to go through the insurance! The GP did nothing! Absolutely zero!

alt22 · 30/01/2023 20:05

K8dferXdder · 30/01/2023 19:52

Hello, my partner had his embolisation on Friday 13th Jan. it all went very smoothly, no scars, nothing, just through the neck vein and he was with a local sedation, so very quick recovery. The doctor said to wait 3 months and book semen test to see the parameters, hopefully they will increase. It is a very simple procedure via interventional radiology. With local sedation it cones cheaper even though we were with the insurance company.
For 5 days after the procedure he was taking Paracetamol just in case he starts to feel some pain which he did briefly on the 3rd day but then it was gone. I would encourage you to do it if you can.
Also the doctor said he doesn’t see anything on the right, so he did it on the left side only. He said other urologysts that you see before who don’t specialise in these stuff may mis-diagnose as was his case because he was diagnosed via the NHS urologyst in the fertility clinic as bi-lateral (on both sides) but apparently it was on one side only, so all good for us.
Let me know if you want to know anything specific. At what stage are you at the moment?

Thanks so much for getting back to me @K8dferXdder that's really helpful. My husband has just found out he has quite a few varicoceles. We're just waiting to have our follow up with the consultant who I'm hoping will be able to tell us whether it is worth resolving or not

K8dferXdder · 30/01/2023 20:15

Yes I think they are like a cluster of varicoceles and they do something with some coils. That’s great you have progressed it that far. Is he taking any medication? My partner is on Clomiphene 50mg every second day and Impryl vitamins…