Cure of Varicocele under Local Anesthesia: Impact on Sperm Parameters

Abstract

I ntroduction : Varicocele is one of the most frequent causes of infertility. There are several therapeutic modalities, namely surgery (open and laparoscopic) and conventional radiology. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of a varicocele cure under local anaesthesia on spermogram quality. Material and Methods : We conducted a retrospective descriptive study from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023 in the urology department of the Hôpital Militaire de Ouakam (HMO). The parameters studied were age, reasons for consultation, time to urology consultation, grade of varicocele, Doppler ultrasound and spermogram data before treatment and 3 months after treatment. Treatment consisted of bilateral subinguinal varicocelectomy under local anaesthetic. Data were entered and analysed using Excel software version 2021. Results : We studied 41 patients. The mean age of the patients was 35.3 ± 6.9 years, with extremes of 22 and 50 years. Thirty-eight of our patients (88.37%) were married. The most frequent reason for consultation was primary infertility (72.09%). 28 patients (68.3%) had a bilateral varicocele on ultrasound. Varicocele was associated with bilateral testicular hypotrophy in 13 patients (31.7%) and unilateral left testicular hypotrophy in 11 patients (26.8%). All patients underwent subinguinal varicocelectomy under local anaesthetic. Mean follow-up was 4.5 months. A clear statistically significant improvement was noted in sperm motility and concentration in postoperative spermograms, with normalisation of the spermogram in 15 (36.5%) of patients. Conclusion : The impact of varicocele on sperm parameters has been clearly established. There are various therapeutic methods for curing varicocele, including varicocelectomy under local anaesthetic, which, in addition to its undeniable economic advantages, can significantly improve sperm parameters in patients with varicocele and prevent their deterioration over time.