comparing between varicocele surgery and embolization, our experience in king hussein medical center

Objective: our objective was to compare between endovascular varicocele embolization vs varicocele surgery , for the treatment of varicocele. varicocele is considered the most common surgical cause of male infertility . methods : retrospective review of the prince hussein medical center varicocele database . we reviewed a total of 265 patients , all of the patients in the database had clinical varicoceles confirmed by scrotal ultrasonography, a total 45 patients underwent unilateral varicocele embolization, and a total 220 patients underwent bilateral and unilateral varicocele surgery in prince hussein center of urology and organ transplantation , between january 2015 and march 2017. patients have been followed up at the urology outpatient clinic, and by their semen fluid analysis to assess the results. results: in patients who underwent varicocele embolization , the failure rate was 3 % , and the recurrence rate were 3 % , sperm motility improved in all patients , with no complications related to the procedure . in the other hand , in patients who underwent varicocele surgery , the recurrence rate was 7 % , sperm motility improved in all patients too , and there are no documented complications in all patients. conclusion: both methods , have similar result regarding semen fluid analysis improvement , and recurrence rate ( in the international studies. recurrence rate between 5 and 10 % ) . but the surgical option is is less than embolization.