Varicocelectomy

I’ve had varicocele ever since I can remember, at least early teens. I am having embolization tomorrow to correct it, as it does cause aches and pains occasionally. Plus I have borderline low testosterone, so hopefully the procedure will help to increase it somewhat, which I have read that it usually does increase testosterone by 100 points or so. Has anyone else had this procedure, or surgery done to correct this? If so, did you notice any difference in pain, or increase to your T levels?

I sometimes wonder, had my parents gotten my varicocele fixed at an early age, would that have possibly help my penis size to increase during puberty? I imagine that it’s possible, if the varicocele was affecting my T levels all the way back to when I was an early teens, but I don’t know if that was ever an issue, or even looked at by the doctor we saw back then.

Well I figured I might as well update this even though no one seemed interested. Had the procedure yesterday, and the doctor said it was a success. He said it took a lot of coil, but it wasn’t complex, and was allowed to leave 1 hour after the procedure instead of the 2-3 he originally said. The annoying part was that, the time was supposed to be 9am, but the doctor had an emergency bleeder, and had to take care of that first. So what was supposed to be a 9am procedure time, it became a 12:30 procedure time. Having to wait and wait with nothing to do besides watching TV and get anxious really sucks. I was also a bit nervous because they were doing twilight sedation, which I’ve never had, just general anesthesia, but it ended up being fine. Was awake and aware most of the procedure, but dozed off briefly a few times as well.

Late last night though, while trying to take a nap, I started getting the chills and couldn’t really sleep. Woke up a while later and checked my temperature, which was like 101.4 or around there. I took some acetaminophen, and tried to eat and drink some, which dropped my temperature down to 100.7. I woke up at 100.4 this morning, and took some more acetaminophen, and that brought me back to normal, and I was feeling better. I still have a bit of pain and discomfort around the area where they put the coils, and the veins going to the testicle are still swollen, but they said that it will take some times to get better, so now it’s just a waiting game. It’s too early to say if this was worth it or not, but I can update this at a later point.

People sometimes read, and learn, and don’t make a comment. I wouldn’t say no one was interested.

What, if anything, do you notice different now? Harder erections? Better mood? Is the pain gone?

I’m not sure if I have one but having been cut down there before I’m not terribly eager to go under the knife again unless there’s serious benefit.

Well I haven’t noticed any difference so far, as it’s only been 3 days. I’m still in a bit of pain in the area where the doctor put the coils, particularly right next to my penis and up the abdomen on my left side. I’ve also had a low grade fever off and on since the procedure, and had a low temperature a little while ago at 97.3 and had the chills, but it has gone back to normal. I’ve also woken up every night so far covered in sweat, so I may have an infection. I called the number for my PCP and talked to the on-call doctor who said it sounds like an infection, but they can’t give out antibiotics without knowing what kind of infection it is, and to call my PCP, or the doctor who did the procedure tomorrow, which I will.

And I guess you aren’t aware, but the procedure I had done, they don’t cut you open. They stick a small catheter in your right leg at the crease (if you have left testicle variocele) and feed it into your main vein, and follow it up towards your left kidney and down towards the testicle. From there, they find the bad veins, and use these coils the seal off the bad veins from the inside. And from what I’ve been told, and read, it can take a few months for all the swelling to go down, and for the healing to finish, so I may not know if this was worth it for a while.

I did have pain and aches occasionally from varicocele, sometimes getting fairly bad, so that is a big reason why I wanted to have this fixes, especially since having it for 15+ years. But I also wanted to have it done because I have borderline low testosterone. Earlier in the year, my testosterone was at 470 at 32 years old, which isn’t exactly low, but my prolactin was higher than normal. My endo put me on some medicine for a few months to lower my prolactin to see if it would raise my testosterone, and after 2 months, my prolactin was at <1, and my testosterone went up to 657. My endo said I can stop taking the medicine because he believed the high prolactin wasn’t the cause of the lower testosterone, even though lowering prolactin raised my testosterone.

Anyways, last month I had my yearly physical, and asked my PCP if we could retest my testosterone and he was fine with that, but it came back at 345. That’s almost a 50% decrease in the 4 months after I stopped taking the medicine for high prolactin. And it’s a 25% decrease if you count the number before I started that medicine. I tried to tell my endo that that’s not normal, but he said it’s still in the normal range, and isn’t much he can do since insurance won’t cover TRT if you aren’t in the below normal range. We had talked about my varicocele earlier in the year, and that it may help, so I decided to give it a try to see if it will help any. I don’t really want to do TRT, but if I do fall into the below normal range, I would likely consider it.

So long story short, I did it to get rid of pains and aches, and to hopefully increase my testosterone. The procedure can also increase fertility rates, but I don’t think kids are in my future, so that didn’t concern me too much.

I had a mild varicocele, went to my walk in clinic and the male doctor was not in that day. Had a SMOKING HOT Blonde Nurse Practitioner, who asked what my “male problem” was, so I told her. She asked, “Do you mind if I take a look?” and I said if she did not mind, I don’t either :D I think she was playing me just a bit, she “handled” me a little bit extra, gently brushed her fingertips behind my shaft 3-4 times, telling me “This side is normal, but this side is a bit swollen right up here”, back and forth. I was kinda biting my lip, and afterwards she was making some eye contact, pretty smile and such. I’m getting a bit of wood just relating the story, she was a little, stacked, 5’ nuthin’ Babe!!! GREAT BIG Diamond Ring, however, prolly has an old Dr. ready to croak, who is LOADED. Too bad, she went to a better clinic after that, and I moved to another town anyway :(

My varicocele is practically gone, now. I think my PE and overall testicle massage has helped it recede. Still have a small bundle of tubes, but really no symptoms most of the time. Yes, we do care, Bloody. I just never saw this until you commented in a thread I was on!
I don’t explore TP enough, perhaps I should “get out more” :rofl:

You can easily game the system for T levels, if you keep your “boys” extra warm for a week or two before the tests. The cheap hand warmers are great fr this. I did it once… got my T levels under the 250 level, which is called “normal” :p

Well that is an interesting idea, but I really don’t want to do that since my endo would want to start TRT I’m sure, and I’d like the avoid that as much as possible. And how is under 250 testosterone normal?

I’m supposed to get my T levels, FSH, LH and possibly other tests done in the beginning of 2017, and if they still come back lower normal, I’ll try to convince my endo to try hCG. hCG is supposed to help restore size and function to testicles, and a lot of steroid users use hCG since steroids decrease testicle size. The reason why I’d want to try this is because varicocele is supposed to cause damage to the testicles if left untreated for a while. Well I had it since I was an early teen, so who knows what kind of damage I have to my testicles in almost 20 years, since the increased heat from 1 sided varicocele affects both testicles.

I should clarify, 250 to 1050 is what the medical establishment calls the “Normal Range”.
At less than 250 ng/dl, it was considered below normal. If I recall, I was ~220 ng/dl. But you can buy androgel w/o a scrip, overseas, from the UK. Some have said that it will make the snake much fatter and longer. But so will a Ball Zinger ;)

Interesting things to look into are the connection between estrogen and varicosed veins, physical activity during the day etc.. Varicocele does seem to have a minor impact on testosterone but other factors are probably more important.

As for androgens levels, diet and lifestyle come first. At the moment I find Ray Peat’s work interesting , but don’t recommend anything in particular (hope that helps :) ).

Hello,
I have a varicocle too in my left testis this I get when I was a kid training with my friends in Tae Kwondo 14 years old, so he kick my testis and I got a 2 hours down and cannot wake up, after that I rest in my home 3 days , and go to doctor, but doctor only give me pain killer.
After 4 year I grow up I read in biology normally man have a 2-3 spoon of sperms but me only below 1 spoon, in my 17 olds.
After I graduate from university my left testis is still worst and pain, but I m afraid go to doctor because in this case I will get surgery, and I my mine I’m afrais after surgery my penile cannot wake up anymore.. :) Thats why I try to search which healty food for my testicle problem and found tomatoes, ginger, centella asiatica , stawberry is good for mine. And before I married every night in 9 months I massage my testicle and find the hard blocking in veins with very2 pain., masagges and massages both left and right. Untill today , and still use any natural raw herbs and leaves for maintains my body and cure this varicocle.

Thats I can inform you my experience with this problems, and I have a 3 kids, 2 son and 3th is girl.
Ilive in Jakarta-Indonesia

So I thought I’d update this since I just had some blood work done to see if the embolization helped my T levels.

So when I had my T level checked in October, it was 345. In November I had the procedure done. And now in the beginning of January, 6+ weeks after the procedure, my T level is now 664. There was other tests done, and I don’t have the results yet, even though the doctor did and said everything was normal, but there was total, free and bio for Testosterone, prolactin, LH, FSH and e2 done. Also, even earlier in the year, I was at 470 at one point, but had high prolactin, and after that was treated, my T level went up to 657, but eventually dropped back down to the 345 after a few months.

I’ve read that the procedure can increase T levels by around 100 points, so I’m am in disbelief that I almost doubled, and think maybe it was high for some reason. And to be honest, I didn’t really notice much, if any difference with regards to the symptoms I had, related to low T, like weak erections, low libido, tired all the time, rare morning wood, among others. My testicles do feel much cooler than usual now though, and the left one did seem to grow a bit afterwards. It use to be smaller than the right, and I believe it is bigger than the right now. And the pain and aches are gone or mostly gone now as well, but it might not be 100% healed, as the doctor said it could take a few months for the swollen veins to die down.

Overall, it was probably worth getting the procedure done, but may not be needed for everyone. I had a large grade 3 varicocele, large being what the doctor who did the procedure described it as, and needed quite a bit of coil to close off the varicosed veins. I’m hoping my varicocele is permanently gone, and my T levels are going to stay elevated like they are. I’m also very sedentary at the moment, well for a while now. I’d like to get back into lifting, but have been down for over a year and a half due to a bad shoulder surgery. I want to try to ease into it and hopefully can actually get back to my gym body and beyond, as long as my shoulder cooperates. And maybe my symptoms that resemble low T will improve if I start exercising once again.

Hope you continue to improve, Bloody Angel!