Role of Interventional Radiology in Treatment of Varicocele

Background: The term "varicocele" indicates an irregularly dilated and tortuous pampiniform venous plexus in the spermatic cord. Varicocele embolization is a minimally invasive procedure, and because of that, major complications are rare. Despite the fact that venous vascular perforation is common during the procedure, it's rarely associated with any clinical symptoms. Aim and objectives: To evaluate the interventional role of radiology in treating varicocele. Patients and methods: This randomized control trial has been performed on 30 cases having varicocele referred mainly from the uro-surgical department to the interventional radiology unit at the Sayed Galal University Hospital. The study lasted for six months. Results: According to semen analysis, a statistically significant rise has been observed in the motility and number of the examined patients with p-values = 0.003 and 0.032, respectively. A statistically significant decline has been observed in pain percentage among 33.33% before the procedure and 16.67% following the procedure with p-value= 0.034. The pain was estimated pre-procedure and post-procedure using the visual analogue score which was anchored by giving "no pain" (score of 0) and "pain as severe as it might be" or "worst imaginable pain" (score of 100 [100-millimeter scale]). Conclusion: Symptomatic varicoceles and male infertility can be effectively treated with percutaneous varicocele embolization, an efficient and safe alternative to operations.