Varicoceles are abnormally dilated veins around the testicle that can damage testicular and sperm cells and can impact a man’s fertility. In fact, they are the most common correctable cause of male infertility. Cryptozoospermia is a severe category of male infertility characterized by extremely low numbers of sperm in the semen, nearly a sperm count of zero. Cryptozoospermic cells have been demonstrated to result in very low pregnancy and live birth rates, even when used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICS).
Although it has been well established that repairing varicoceles with a minor but specialized meticulous microsurgery improves semen parameters in infertile men, the impact of varicocele repair in infertile men with cryptozoospermia had not been assessed to date until now. Dr. Parviz Kavoussi recently published a study on this in The Journal of Urology, the premier urological scientific journal used to teach in academic medical centers across the country and the official journal of the American Urological Association. Dr. Kavoussi’s study revealed that 54% of men with cryptozoospermia who underwent varicocele repair improved their semen parameters to usable sperm numbers for either in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), or, in some cases, timed intercourse opportunities for pregnancy.
Dr. Kavoussi states, “This data is very important for us to be able to counsel and guide men in this very challenging situation and to support them in the shared decision-making for their potential next steps in their fertility journey.” Dr. Kavoussi performs multiple varicocele repairs a week and has completed over 1,000 repairs just in Austin over the last 15 years.
