[Varicocelectomy combined with Qilin Pills for the treatment of varicocele-associated male infertility: A multi-center retrospective study].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of varicocelectomy (VCE) combined with medication of Qilin Pills (QLP) in the treatment of varicocele (VC)-associated male infertility.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 180 cases of VC-associated male infertility treated in our hospitals between October 2017 and March 2019, 67 by VCE ( the control group) and 113 by VCE in combination with 6-month medication of QLP after operation (the VCE+QLP group). We obtained the semen parameters from the patients before and at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after surgery, measured their sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) before and at 6 months after operation, and recorded the rate of pregnancy at months postoperatively.

RESULTS

There were no severe complications in any of the cases after surgery or during the whole course of medication. Compared with the baseline, the patients in control group showed significant increases at 6 months postoperatively in sperm concentration (［17.1 ± 12.4］ vs ［29.5 ± 14.4］ ×10⁶/ml, P < 0.01), sperm motility (［33.6±13.5］% vs ［54.5±12.0］% , P <) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (［22.8 ± 10.9］% vs ［43.7 ± 11.7］%, P <) but a remarkable decrease in sperm DFI (16.5 ± 7.6］% vs ［13.3 ± 4.4］% , P <), and so did those in the VCE+QLP group in sperm concentration (［16.8 ± 10.7］ vs ［38.9 ± 24.1)×10⁶/ml, P < 0.01), sperm motility (［32.8 ± 14.0］% vs ［50.1 ± 15.0)%, P <), PMS (［21.8 ± 11.3］% vs ［39.6 ± 13.3］% , P <) and sperm DFI (［17.8 ± 9.0］% vs ［11.8 ± 4.8］%, P <). There were even more statistically significant differences between the control and VCE+QLP groups at 6 months in the above semen parameters (P < 0.01) and in the rate of natural pregnancy (32.8% ［22/67］ vs 48.7% ［55/113］, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Varicocelectomy combined with medication of Qilin Pills can effectively improve semen quality and increase the rate of natural pregnancy in the treatment of VC-associated male infertility.