Observational studyAndrology2021
Improvement of sperm morphology after surgical varicocele repair.
Observational study in Andrology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effect of varicocele surgical repair on antisperm antibody positivity rate in patients with clinical varicocele: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Pooled it
- Don't wait any longer, conceive in time: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on semen parameters after varicocelectomy.International urology and nephrology · 2024Pooled it
- Predictive parameters of semen outcome improvement after varicocele treatment by scleroembolization: a retrospective study.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2026Article
- Observational
- Evaluation and Surgical Management of Varicocele in Infertility Treatment with Assisted Reproductive Technology: A Case Report.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2025Article
- Efficiency and safety of microscopic cluster ligation of the internal spermatic veins: A prospective matched case-control study.Central European journal of urology · 2025Article
- Article
- The Effects of Varicocelectomy on Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Conventional Semen Parameters in Men with Severe Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia: A Prospective Study.International journal of fertility & sterility · 2024Article
- Changes in Sperm Parameters with Time in Men with Normal and Abnormal Baseline Semen Analysis.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2024Article
- Article
- Does Varicocele Repair Improve Conventional Semen Parameters? A Meta-Analytic Study of Before-After Data.The world journal of men's health · 2024Article
- The (decision) tree of fertility: an innovative decision-making algorithm in assisted reproduction technique.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2022Article
- SilencingEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
- Low-dose prednisone is an effective rescue for deteriorating semen parameters following vasovasostomy.International braz j urol : official journal of the Brazilian Society of UrologyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA causative relationship between varicocele and impairment of semen quality has been largely investigated in the context of male infertility, although its clinical benefit remains controversial.
objectiveTo investigate the effect of varicocele correction on detailed morphologic microscopic semen parameters in a large homogeneous cohort of patients and to evaluate which factors could predict semen improvement after the surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND
methodsAn observational, retrospective cohort study was carried out including all patients undergoing surgical treatment for varicocele from September 2011 to March 2020 in the same clinical centre. Enrolled males performed at least one semen analysis before and one after surgical varicocele correction. Primary outcome was the detailed morphologic microscopic sperm evaluation. Secondary outcomes were conventional semen analyses.
resultsA total of 121 males (mean age 24.6 ± 6.1 years) were enrolled. Using detailed morphologic microscopic sperm evaluation, a significant morphological improvement was recorded, with a reduction in head and tail abnormalities. Moreover, a significant increase in sperm concentration (p = 0.015) and percentage of progressive and total motility (p = 0.022 and p = 0.039) were observed after surgery. The multivariate logistic analysis identified the ultrasonography varicocele degree before surgery as a main predictor of the sperm concentration improvement (p = 0.016), with the highest improvement for varicocele of I and II degree. DISCUSSION: For the first time, the detailed morphologic microscopic sperm evaluation highlights a relevant reduction in sperm abnormalities after varicocele surgery, showing its potential application in clinical practice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.