KENDALL, Fla. – Fifteen percent of all adult men may suffer from a condition call Varicocele which, although not dangerous, can be very painful and significantly impact male fertility.
Fortunately there are treatment options to correct the problem.
Daniel Alvarez never gave much thought to his health until he started having pain in his pelvis.
“It was very uncomfortable. Sometimes I would wake up in the morning and it was painful, and it was really uncomfortable,” he said.
Dr. Jason Wolf, a urologist with H.C.A. Florida Kendall Hospital, diagnosed Alvarez with Varicocele which is an enlargement of the veins in the skin that holds the testicles.
“It’s a dilated vessel that’s very stretched out with a very poor valve like someone with a varicose vein would have,” Wolf said.
Dr. Jonathan Black with The Center for Gynecologic Oncology in Miramar, Fla. said women can suffer from a similar condition call Pelvic Congestion Syndrome.
“There are veins that drain the gynecologic organs, the uterus the cervix the ovaries the fallopian tube and if the veins in the pelvis are not working properly or the valves are malfunctioning then the blood gets backed up in them causing ultimately varicose veins within the pelvis,” Black said.
While some cases of Varicocele resolve on their own, there are times when some type of surgical intervention is necessary.
“Some are more traditional type of surgery where we make an incision and remove the large vein segment to improve the flow of blood to the testicles,” he said.
After undergoing treatment with Wolf, Alvarez No longer has pain and his fertility problems are in the past.
“Oh I feel a whole lot different, I feel better I can do all of my stuff normal, I can have babies again. that was a very nice experience with him,” he said.
About 20 percent of adolescents have a Varicocele which can have a significant impact testicular growth and function.
These younger patients are typically followed with regular doctor visits to monitor the effects and avoid irreversible problems.