Factors affecting the probability of conception after treatment of subfertile men with varicocele by transcatheter embolization with Bucrylate.

Retrospective analysis of 100 patients treated for varicocele-associated infertility by means of transcatheter embolization with 2-isobutyl-cyano acrylate (Bucrylate, Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ) reveals that the age of the man and the duration of infertility do not influence the probability of pregnancy after treatment. Patients treated for subclinical varicoceles had the same probability of success as patients with larger varicoceles. The following factors were found to have predictive power as far as the posttreatment success rate is concerned: the coincidence of other disease interfering with the fertility of the man or woman, serum follicle-stimulating hormone concentration, total testicular volume, and pretreatment semen quality. Depending on the latter factors, the probability of conception varies between 8% and 80%. It seems possible to define certain subgroups of varicocele patients with poor, moderate, or good fertility prognosis.