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Varicose veins most often appear in young men. Doctors believe that about 15 percent of men have varicocele, but it is also known that among those with fertility problems, this percentage rises to 30-40 percent. What are the causes of varicocele and how is it treated?

Contents:

  1. Varicose veins: what are they?
  2. Varicocele: symptoms
  3. Varicose veins: diagnosis
  4. Varicocele: treatment

Varicose veins of the spermatic cord- the fact that they arise mainly due to anatomy.

- The left nuclear vein is 42 cm long on average and is one of the longest vessels in the human body - says prof. Barbara Darewicz, urologist-sexologist from the Medical University of Bialystok.

- Blood flow is additionally hindered by the fact that it enters the renal vein at right angles. So if the valves in it are insufficient or the man suffers from a congenital lack of them, circulatory problems occur relatively easily. They are favored by, among others intense, regular exercise or, for example, a sedentary lifestyle - he says.

Blood begins to accumulate in the vessels, exerting excessive pressure on their walls, which leads to dilatation in the veins. It is due to the anatomy that this problem affects the vast majority of the left side of the scrotum. When varicose veins appear on the opposite side, you should look for another cause that caused them (e.g. tumors inside the abdominal cavity) - she adds.

Varicose veins: what are they?

Varicose veins of the spermatic cord is a widening, twisting and lengthening of the venous vessels collecting blood from the testicle and forming the so-called scrotum. flagellate plexus. This plexus is part of the seminal cord in its scrotal section, above the testicle. The varicose veins can be easily felt in this area in the form of soft, lumpy structures of various sizes. They are associated with the adoption of a vertical, two-legged body posture by humans, which exposed us to the problem of venous stasis.

There are three stages of varicocele:

  • 1st degree- small, hardly perceptible at first, revealing itself in a standing position, especially when contracting the abdominal muscles;
  • IIdegree- larger, although not clearly visible, can be detected by touch, and an attempt to tighten the muscles causes their further enlargement;
  • 3rd degree- large varicose veins, visible to the naked eye, distorting the outline of the scrotum.
Temperature is important

When the blood flow is impeded, the surrounding cells are hypoxic and exposed to an increased amount of harmful substances (catecholamines, cortisol and renin) on the nucleus . Their temperature is also rising. This is very bad, because for the sperm to develop properly, the temperature in the scrotum should be 2-3 degrees lower than in the abdominal cavity.

If you have varicocele, this temperature difference decreases significantly - sometimes it is only 0.1 degrees. In addition, although varicose veins are usually one-sided, the temperature rises in both testes. Effect - a reduction in the total number of sperm in the semen and an increase in the percentage of abnormal sperm. So serious fertility problems. That is why it is so important to see a urologist at the right time.

Varicocele: symptoms

- The problem is that usually varicose veins do not cause any major problems. They are very often diagnosed only when a couple wants to have a child, and cannot, emphasizes prof. Darewicz.

- Sometimes men also come to the office because they accidentally sensed thickenings in the scrotum above the testicle. Therefore, it is worth carrying out a test of self-examination from time to time (even while showering or bathing) so as not to miss disturbing signals. As your disease gets worse, you start to feel discomfort, heaviness, or a dull ache in your scrotum and / or groin, which worsen with prolonged standing or with an erection. This is a clear signal that it's high time to see a urologist.

Varicose veins: diagnosis

The doctor will see the advanced stage of changes in blood vessels at first glance. Then he will physically examine you, which means he will simply use his fingers to check the condition of the testicles and dilated veins before and during the Valsalva test (contracting the abdominal muscles).

To confirm the diagnosis, he or she will order an ultrasound (USG) with the visualization of the retrograde blood flow. - It is very important to test the semen twice, because it both facilitates the choice of treatment and helps in assessing its effects - adds Prof. Darewicz.

- Sometimes when the quality of the sperm is very bad, we recommend that the patient deposit it in a sperm bank. If the varicose veins are not the cause of the pain, we only ask the patient to observe whether they are enlarging. However, when they do come into playPain ailments, the desire to have children or changes are very advanced, surgical treatment is necessary. In adolescents, the indication for the procedure is the inhibition of the increase in the volume of the testicle on the side of varicose veins.

Varicocele: treatment

The only effective method of getting rid of varicocele is surgery. It can be performed under local anesthesia, as well as under anesthesia, using traditional and laparoscopic methods. The surgeon finds enlarged vessels and then ligates them. This usually takes around 30 minutes, and you spend an average day to two days in the hospital.

Pain is very effectively reduced by tablets and ice packs. On average, after two weeks, the person returns to full fitness, including sexual life. Complications are very rare. Relapses can occur if not all vessels have been closed - this usually happens when the lesions have been very large.

Varicose veins: treatment effects

Ligation of varicose veins improves the quality, mobility and increases the total number of sperm in 40-60 percent. patients. You have to wait 80 days for the first improvement noticeable in the test results, because this is how long a sperm is formed. You wait about a year for full effects. Even if the number of sperm does not increase, their better quality increases the chances of, for example, the success of artificial fertilization methods.

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Category:

Male diseases