Abstract
Background: This study evaluated whether microsurgical varicocelectomy performed in infertile men with severe oligozoospermia (SO) resulted in improved semen parameters or increased rates of spontaneous pregnancy (SP) and performed a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and varicocelectomy.
Methods: This study included 25 patients with SO who underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy between September 2019 and May 2022, which resulted in post-surgical SP in all cases. Men with azoospermia, abnormal karyotype, or Y-chromosome microdeletion were excluded from the study. Serum luteinizing, follicle-stimulating, and testosterone hormones were measured preoperatively. Semen was analyzed every 3 months postoperation. The incidence of SP was recorded at each visit. Cost-effectiveness for assisted reproductive technologies was calculated based on reported costs. Several parameters were evaluated as potential predictors of the response to microsurgical varicocelectomy using univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results: After a mean postoperative observation period of 7 months, 25 couples with SP after microsurgical varicocelectomy were recruited. The mean sperm concentration increased from 3 million/mL (interquartile range [IQR]: 2–5 million/mL) to 12 million/mL (IQR: 5–17 million/mL; p<0.05), and mean sperm motility improved from 4% (IQR: 3%–6%) to 7.6% (p<0.05). Total motile sperm count (TMSC) increased to 3.08 million (IQR: 1.02–5.83 million) from a preoperative value of 0.34 million (IQR: 0.16–0.83 million). A cost-effectiveness analysis comparing IVF with varicocelectomy indicates that varicocelectomy may represent a better first-line option for infertile men with very low preoperative TMSC. However, further research remains necessary to confirm this result.
Conclusion: Varicocelectomy should be discussed as a treatment option for men with SO and may improve sperm quality and fertility potential, resulting in SP.