Prognosis of varicocelectomy in the treatment of infertility, based on pre‐surgery characteristics

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Abstract
The semen characteristics, before and after varicocelectomy, were studied in 220 husbands from infertile couples, whose wives had no significant abnormalities. All couples were followed for 1 yr or until the wife became pregmnant. Sperm density, vitality, motility and percent with normal morphology were analyzed before surgery. Based on these results, subjects were divided into 2 groups according to whether their semen had normal or abnormal characteristics. The group with semen parameters within normal limits showed significantly less improvement after surgery, and the post-treatment pregnancy rate was independent of the effect of surgery on the characteristics of sperm. Between 71 and 84% of the subjects with abnormal semen characteristics showed improvement after surgery, and between 56 and 72% of those who improved, impregnated their wives. Subjects whose abnormal semen characteristics did not improve after surgery, had a very low pregnancy rate.