You might already be aware that your scrotum works hard to regulate testicular temperature. And you may also know that temperature regulation plays a role in your sperm quality. In fact, if you’re dealing with infertility, this is an issue well worth looking into.
Here at Vascular & Interventional Associates, our expert providers can determine if you could have reduced sperm quality because of an issue called varicoceles, which are enlarged veins in your scrotum.
With a diagnostic vascular ultrasound at our Crestview Hills, Kentucky, office, men throughout northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati, Ohio, area can find out if this problem is behind their infertility. If it is, we can help to treat it, too.
You develop varicoceles when one of the veins in your scrotum becomes enlarged. If the vein’s valves don’t work as they should, blood pools inside the vein, causing it to swell. In a number of cases, this isn’t an issue. Some men may experience pain from their varicoceles, but many men never know they have a faulty blood vessel.
If you’re trying to have children, though, varicoceles can be a major problem. Your scrotal veins play a large role in regulating the temperature in your testicles, which is what allows your body to make quality sperm. In short, varicoceles could be interfering with the temperature in your testicles and contributing to infertility.
Fortunately, treatment can help.
You don’t have to undergo surgery to get rid of varicoceles and improve your sperm quality. Here at Vascular & Interventional Associates, we offer a treatment called varicocele embolization.
We determine if you’re a candidate for this treatment using diagnostic vascular ultrasound so we can pinpoint your varicocele. If it’s likely that a vein issue can be behind your fertility problems, we can perform an image-guided embolization.
Embolization entails closing off the problem blood vessel. It’s a minimally invasive procedure performed through one small incision. Eliminating the problem vein means your body then redirects blood flow through other, healthy veins, supporting temperature regulation in your testicles and improving sperm quality.
We perform varicocele embolization under moderate sedation right in our office, and the whole procedure only takes about 30 minutes. You can go home the same day.
Following your varicoceles treatment, take it easy for 24 hours. Then, you can get back to normal activities like office work. We’ll let you know how long to wait before resuming strenuous physical activity like exercise and sex. Usually, you should be fully healed in a few weeks.
If you’re struggling with infertility, find out if a varicocele is affecting your testicles. To schedule a diagnostic ultrasound or embolization to boost your sperm quality, call our office or request an appointment online today.
