Color Doppler ultrasound characteristics after subinguinal microscopic varicocelectomy

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Vascular Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Varicocele is a common cause of male infertility and pain.
• Microscopic subinguinal varicocelectomy (MSV) is a standard treatment.
• Assessing microhemodynamic changes post-MSV is crucial for outcome prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of testicular artery (TA), capsular artery (CA), and intratesticular artery (ITA) peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistive index (RI) changes after MSV.
• To determine the predictive value of these vascular parameters for postoperative pain and semen quality.

Main Methods:

• Color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) was performed on 33 patients pre-MSV and at 3 and 6 months post-MSV.
• Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale.
• Sperm concentration was analyzed to correlate with CDUS findings.

Main Results:

• Significant pain reduction was observed post-MSV.
• Postoperative CDUS showed increased TA-PSV and decreased TA-RI, CA-RI.
• TA-PSV negatively correlated with pain; TA-PSV and CA-PSV positively correlated with sperm concentration.

Conclusions:

• PSV and RI are valuable for monitoring testicular microhemodynamics after MSV.
• TA-PSV and CA-PSV can predict improvements in pain and sperm parameters following MSV.