Percutaneous Embolization for Painful Varicocele: An 8-Year Tertiary Centre Experience

Background: Varicocele is a common condition in men that can lead to several clinical problems. Treatment modalities include surgical and non‑surgical methods. There has been no randomized controlled trial proving the superiority of one treatment approach over another. Materials and methods: We conducted an 8‑year retrospective analysis of varicocele embolization procedures at our department of Interventional Radiology. Demographic data, procedure details, procedure success and complications were collected. Telephone interviews were also conducted at the time of the study. Results: A total of 182 interventions were performed. Median age of patients at presentation was 31 years (range, 12-71). Median follow‑up duration was 44.5 months (range, 3.4-106.9). Employed embolic agents were coils in 171/182 (91.94%) cases. Technical success rate was 88.15%. Ultrasonographic success was accomplished in 44.87% patients. Clinical success rate in patients referred for scrotal pain was 70.42%. Fluoroscopy time was 20.3 ± 14.9 min (mean ± SD), dose area product was 63.2 ± 50.5 Gy∙cm² (mean ± SD) and kinetic energy released per unit mass was 193.2 ± 173.6 (mean ± SD). Minor complications were encountered in 19/182 (10.45%) of the interventions. Conclusions: Varicocele embolization was found to be an efficient and safe procedure for patients referred for scrotal pain. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to elaborate treatment algorithms in varicocele patients.