Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29774482›Full record

SynthesisCurrent urology reports2018

The Effect of Subclinical Varicocele on Pregnancy Rates and Semen Parameters: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Taylor P Kohn, Samuel J Ohlander, Jake S Jacob, Tina M Griffin, Larry I Lipshultz, Alexander W Pastuszak

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Current urology reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Recent Trends in the Management of Varicocele.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2019
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Taylor P KohnBaylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Samuel J OhlanderDepartment of Urology, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Jake S JacobBaylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Tina M GriffinLibrary of Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Larry I LipshultzScott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Alexander W PastuszakScott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. pastusza@bcm.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewCurrent guidelines recommend against surgical repair of subclinical varicoceles (SCVs) for infertility; several studies demonstrate mixed fertility results after SCV correction. To determine whether surgical correction of SCV improves semen parameters and/or reproductive outcomes, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. Seven biomedical literature databases were searched through January 2018 for studies that assessed reproductive outcomes and/or change in semen parameters in men with corrected SCV compared to either (1) uncorrected SCV or (2) corrected clinical varicocele. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. RECENT

findingsData were extracted from 13 studies involving 1357 men. Overall, the risk of bias for included studies was high and without a consistent SCV definition across studies. Surgical correction of SCV was associated with a minor increase in sperm density and total motile sperm count (TMSC) compared to uncorrected SCV. This increase in semen parameters is not clinically significant, as men prior to varicocelectomy were on average normospermic nor was correction of a SCV associated with an increase in pregnancy rates when compared to men with uncorrected SCV. Comparing corrected SCV to corrected clinical varicocele, SCV correction resulted in a smaller increase in TMSC but no difference in average annual pregnancy rate. The risk of bias within and heterogeneity between studies assessing SCV correction are high, yet overall very little clinical benefit is derived from SCV correction.

Indexed as

HumansInfertility, MaleMaleSemenSperm CountVaricoceleMeta-analysisPregnancySemen analysisVaricoceleVaricocelectomy

Identifiers

PMID29774482

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.