Infertility is one of the important problems of our age. It is possible to treat infertility, which increases day by day due to factors such as unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, according to its types. Varicocele disease ranks at the top of male infertility types. Urology and Andrology Specialist Op. Dr. Evren Işık said, “Varicocele is a problem characterized by varicose veins on the testicles. Men usually notice this disease as follows; The heat increase caused by varicose veins causes a slight pain. Patients who resist pain, struggle with it on their own, and do not consult a doctor begin to feel fullness after a while. Varicocele is currently the number one cause of curable male infertility. Almost one in five men has varicocele. Fortunately, awareness of varicocele is increasing nowadays. There is an increase in the number of people who know about this disease, thanks to the ease of access to information on the internet,” he said.
GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Stating that varicocele can be caused by genetic factors as well as by the effect of environmental conditions, Op. Dr. Evren Işık said, “There is usually a genetic predisposition on the ground. It’s a vein disease. If there is a predisposition to vein disease in the genes from the mother or father, the varicocele problem is very likely to occur in men. If factors such as smoking, being tall, working constantly, and doing physical exercise for hours are added to this genetic inheritance, that genetic inheritance completely reveals varicocele.
TREATMENT IS TAKEN IN 4 STAGES
Dr. Işık explained the diagnosis stage of the disease as “We examine our patients who come to us with complaints of pain, feeling of fullness or an image problem. Afterwards, we ask our patient to have a ‘scrotal color Doppler ultrasound’. This must be taken by a radiologist. In this ultrasound, which lasts for about 20-25 minutes, the veins in the region are displayed. If the radiologist reports that the veins have reached a certain diameter and that they can no longer carry the dirty blood that they produce towards the heart, the diagnosis of the disease is made,”he said.
UNTREATED VARICOCELE CAN LEAD TO INfertility
Underlining that untreated varicocele can lead to infertility, Op. Dr. Evren Işık stated that they could control the process with vitamin supplements in the early stage of the disease, but surgical operation is absolutely necessary in advanced cases. Işık said, “Although some patients have varicocele, there is no regression in testicular functions. This indicates that the disease is at a very early stage. We can invite our patients for a check-up every 3 months with short-term vitamin supplements. The aim of the treatment is: To eliminate the heat problem caused by varicocele. It is not possible to treat varicocele with any medication or a cream to be used externally. It must be treated under the microscope in operating room conditions,” he said.
IF THE DISEASE IS DETECTED ON TIME, IT CAN BE REMOVED WITH THE CORRECT TREATMENT.
Expressing that this common disease can be completely eliminated if detected on time, Op. Dr. Işık said, “This is a disease that scares men. I always say this to my patients; If you are thinking of getting married, get treatment beforehand to avoid dealing with these problems during marriage. If the disease is detected on time, it can be completely eliminated with the right treatment methods,” he said.