A varicocele, also called a scrotal varicose vein, can cause pain in your scrotum and affect your fertility. Traditional therapy for varicocele involves surgery which can be painful, result in unwanted side effects and not always be effective. At his practice in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, double board-certified Vascular and Interventional Radiologist, Yosef Golowa, MD FSIR, specializes in minimally invasive  varicocele embolization. This outpatient procedure effectively treats varicoceles through only needle puncture into a vein in the leg with a safe non-surgical approach without discomfort.

Call Dr. Golowa’s office today or book an appointment online to benefit from his expertise in varicocele embolization

What is a varicocele?

A varicocele is a varicose vein in the scrotum — the loose skin containing your testicles.

Healthy veins that drain the testicles have one-way valves that only allow blood to flow back to your heart. If you have a varicocele, these valves may not work correctly, so blood pools in the veins, causing it to swell and can case discomfort.

Varicoceles develop in the left testicle more often than in the right, and this is due to the left vein’s indirect route back to your heart. A varicocele can cause scrotal and testicular pain

Does a varicocele affect fertility?

Pooled blood creates heat that raises the temperature in your scrotum, resulting in a lowered sperm count (fewer sperm). Varicoceles can also affect sperm motility (how well they move) and increase the number of abnormal sperm.

Varicoceles are the leading cause of infertility in men. They affect up to 30% of couples experiencing problems conceiving a child. Fortunately, varicoceles are treatable. Following treatment, your chances of conception will increase.

How is a varicocele diagnosed?

Your doctor can usually see or feel a varicocele because the pooled blood causes the vein to bulge. However, a small varicocele might not enlarge the vein enough for identification during a physical exam.

Doppler ultrasound can identify even small varicoceles. This technology uses sound waves to create images of blood flowing from the scrotum back to your heart.

How is a varicocele treated?

Dr. Golowa specializes in using varicocele embolization to treat these dilated vessels. Embolization is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive outpatient procedure that reduces blood flow to the diseased veins. To perform embolization, Dr. Golowa inserts a catheter (a slim, flexible tube) into the femoral vein in your groin. He guides the catheter to the varicocele using moving X-ray images (fluoroscopy).

Dr. Golowa puts a coil or special medication into the vein to block the blood flow into your varicoceles. Your body redirects blood through one of your other veins so that there is no issue with lack of venous blood return.

Varicocele embolization only requires a small puncture into a vein, not much larger than an IV incision, so it’s far less invasive than surgery with fewer potential complications with quick recovery. You won’t need to stay in the hospital, and you should be able to return to your usual activities within a day of treatment.

Call Yosef Golowa, MD, FSIR, today or book an appointment online to learn how you can benefit from varicocele embolization.