A varicocele is an enlargement of a vein or veins of the scrotum, much like varicose veins in the legs. It occurs primarily in young men, and is caused by incompetent valves in the blood vessels that allow blood to flow backward. It can cause pain, shrinking of the testicles, or infertility.
Varicocele can be treated by open surgery, but our doctors can treat them with a minimally-invasive procedure called varicocele embolization, in which the malfunctioning blood vessels are blocked by tiny polyvinyl particles, forcing healthy veins to take over the transport of blood.
A long flexible catheter is inserted into your blood vessel through a tiny incision and guided via fluoscopy (live x-ray) to the site of the varicocele. The tiny particles are released, blocking the flow of blood, and the damaged veins are then bypassed. This procedure is as successful as open surgery at treating varicocele, requires no hospital stay, and has fewer side effects. The symptoms of varicocele are typically reversed by varicocele embolization.
Varicocele embolization is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform at our freestanding facility. The procedure takes about an hour and no overnight stay is required.