ArticleBasic and clinical andrology2017
Subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy vs. percutaneous embolization in infertile men: Prospective comparison of reproductive and functional outcomes.
Article in Basic and clinical andrology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of sclero-embolization and surgical ligation for varicocele treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.World journal of urology · 2025Pooled it
- [Varicocele: comparison of minimally invasive treatment options : Endovascular embolization, microsurgery, and patient-tailored treatment selection].Radiologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Review
- Outcomes following varicocele treatment: a comparative study of microsurgical and angioembolization approaches.Asian journal of andrology · 2026Article
- Preliminary study of ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block in performing low ligation of the spermatic vein.Translational andrology and urology · 2025Article
- A closer look: sperm analysis and clinical outcomes of microscopic and loupe-assisted varicocele repair in male infertility due to moderate-to-severe varicocele.International urology and nephrology · 2025Article
- Does Varicocele Repair Improve Conventional Semen Parameters? A Meta-Analytic Study of Before-After Data.The world journal of men's health · 2024Article
- Varicoceles: Overview of Treatment from a Radiologic and Surgical Perspective.Seminars in interventional radiology · 2022Review
- Varicocele management for infertility and pain: A systematic review.Arab journal of urology · 2018Review
- Selecting patients for embolization of varicoceles based on ultrasonography.Journal of ultrasonography · 2018Article
- What family physicians should know about interventional radiology?Journal of family & community medicineReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVaricocele is a condition characterized by dilated, tortuous veins within the pampiniform venous plexus of the scrotal sac. Presence of varicocele is associated with an increased risk of alteration of semen parameters. The objective of this study was to compare the current standard in varicocele treatment procedures: sub-inguinal microscopic ligation to percutaneous embolization in terms of semen parameters improvement, fertility, and morbidity at the university hospital of Toulouse (France). Seventy six patients with clinical varicocele, alteration of semen parameters and infertility, underwent either procedure (microsurgery in 49 case performed by a single surgeon and embolization in 27 cases) and were prospectively analyzed. Outcome measures were: semen parameters, spontaneous pregnancies, pain, side effects, recovery time and overall satisfaction. All patients were contacted in January 2015 in order to determine reproductive events.
resultsPreoperatively, there was no difference in clinical and biological items between the two groups. Postoperatively, on the overall population, there was a significant improvement of sperm concentration at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months (
conclusionOur study shows that percutaneous embolization seems to be an equivalent alternative to sub-inguinal microscopic ligation in term of sperm quality improvement, pregnancy rate, and overall satisfaction with a slight advantage on post-operative morbidity.
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