COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF VARICOCELECTOMY ON THE SPERMIOGRAM OF PATIENTS WITH SUBCLINICAL VERSUS CLINICAL VARICOCELE

Many studies with different results have been conducted regarding varicocelectomy inpatients with subclinical varicocele and its effect on semen parameters. this clinical trial was aimed atassessing the effect of varicocelectomy on the spermiogram of patients with subclinical varicocele. atotal of 142 patients with varicocele (79 clinical and 63 subclinical) took part in the study. twospermiograms were taken from the patients, one before and the other 3 to 6 months aftervaricocelectomy. although the spermiogram results of the patients with subclinical varicocele did notshow a significant change after operation, the spermiogram of the patients with clinical varicoceleimproved significantly (p < 0.05). in the patients with subclinical varicocele, bilateral and rightvaricoceles were more prevalent compared to group with clinical varicocele (p < 0.05). in addition,incidence of secondary infertility in the patients with subclinical varicoceles was higher in comparisonwith the other group (p < 0.05). consideration of the ineffectiveness of operation in patients withsubclinical varicoceles and considerable clinical differences between these patients and patients withclinical varicocele, we recommend avoiding surgery in these patients unless no other causes of semenabnormality, such as hormonal abnormality, internal urogenital abnormality or immunological disorderscan be found.