Varicocele, I believe friends who study medicine should have some understanding. Simply put, varicocele is a male disease. So, what exactly is varicocele? How to treat varicocele? Next, the editor will provide a detailed introduction to this aspect, hoping to be helpful to everyone.
What is varicocele
Varicocele (VC) is a vascular disease that refers to abnormal dilation, elongation, and tortuosity of the plexus of veins within the spermatic cord, which can cause pain, discomfort, and progressive testicular dysfunction. It is one of the common causes of male infertility. It has attracted widespread attention due to its related scrotal pain and discomfort, infertility, and testicular atrophy. It is a common male urogenital system disease. It is mostly seen in young adults. The incidence rate accounts for 10%~15% of normal male population and 19%~41% of male infertility. Varicocele is a vascular sperm production disorder caused by the dilation of the spermatic veins and plexus surrounding the spermatic cord. It is usually seen on the left side, accounting for about 77% to 92%, and can also occur on both sides, accounting for about 7% to 22%. It is rare to have a single lesion on the right side, accounting for about 1%. Traditional surgery involves an inguinal incision, high ligation of the internal spermatic vein, and removal of partially dilated veins in the scrotum.
The prevalence of varicocele in the general male population is 10% to 15%, accounting for 30% to 40% in primary male infertility and 69% to 81% in secondary infertility. The comorbidity probability of first-degree relatives of patients with varicocele is significantly increased: 21.1% of fathers and 36.2% of brothers may both have varicocele.
Varicocele can be divided into adult and adolescent types according to age. According to the etiology, it can be divided into primary and secondary types.
How to treat varicocele best
1. General treatment. Including lifestyle, dietary regulation, physical therapy, etc., such as quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, eating light meals, and avoiding exercise that increases abdominal pressure; Cooling therapy or scrotal support, etc.
2. Surgical treatment. Firstly, secondary factors such as renal tumors, hydronephrosis, retroperitoneal tumors, and ectopic blood vessels should be excluded. It is currently one of the most common surgical treatments for male infertility.
The surgical treatment methods for varicocele include surgical treatment and interventional treatment (anterograde or retrograde).
Surgical treatment includes traditional inguinal approach, retroperitoneal approach, inguinal approach varicocele ligation, microsurgical inguinal or inguinal approach varicocele ligation, laparoscopic varicocele ligation, and so on.
Primary VC accompanied by infertility or abnormal semen is a treatment indication regardless of the severity of symptoms. Currently, surgical treatments include high ligation of the spermatic vein through the inguinal canal, laparoscopic surgery, high ligation of the spermatic vein through the retroperitoneum, and interventional embolization of the spermatic vein. Compared with inguinal canal surgery and laparoscopic surgery, retroperitoneal high ligation of the spermatic vein has the advantages of less surgical trauma, less damage to other blood vessels, less risk of missed ligation of the spermatic vein, shorter surgical time, lower surgical cost, and lower postoperative complications and recurrence rate. It is the preferred treatment method for unilateral varicocele.
The above is some information about varicocele introduced by the editor. Have you gained a deeper understanding of this topic after listening to the editor's introduction? In fact, this disease is quite serious, and it is better to seek timely treatment once discovered. Friends interested in this area can consult some medical books to learn more.
