ScienceDaily (July 28, 2008) — A recent review of studies from the Netherlands finds no evidence that treating varicoceles — a somewhat common condition in men with fertility problems — improves a couple’s chances of conceiving a baby. Fertility experts have long thought that varicoceles, an enlarged group of veins within the scrotum, could be a cause of male fertility problems. Varicoceles occur in 15 percent of all men, and in nearly 40 percent of men undergoing infertility treatment. Surgery or embolization — a procedure that blocks blood supply to the varicoceles — is often performed in an effort to increase fertility. This review had studies that included men with normal semen parameters and very small or subclinical varicoceles. New research has shown that men with a higher body mass index had lower volumes of seminal fluid and a higher proportion of . read more

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