Back from the urologist...

DH has a bilateral varicocles. I am wondering what will they do me ? Will I get inseminated by my regular ob/gyn? after or go thru drugs and IVF? Help... I have lots of questions... what will my ob/gyn do when i go on Monday? Will we be able to have a family with my DH sperm?

Re: Back from the urologist...

Your OB/GYN will probably refer you to an RE.
With a Varicocele you won't even bother with IUI, there is very little chance of getting PG with IUI and Male Factor.
They will probably recommend you go straight to IVF with ICSI (meaning they inseminate each egg with sperm to insure fertilization).
The other option is for your DH to have surgery on the varicocele and wait about six months for it to heal and then check his SA again and try TTC naturally.

Re: Back from the urologist...

Re: Back from the urologist...

Posted by jacquig

Posted by Gertyrae

Your OB/GYN will probably refer you to an RE.
With a Varicocele you won't even bother with IUI, there is very little chance of getting PG with IUI and Male Factor.
They will probably recommend you go straight to IVF with ICSI (meaning they inseminate each egg with sperm to insure fertilization).
The other option is for your DH to have surgery on the varicocele and wait about six months for it to heal and then check his SA again and try TTC naturally.

Gerty is right. My DH has bilateral varicoceles also. My RE said that success with IUI was slim to none. We went straight to IVF/ICSI and got PG on the first try. My DH did start taking a regimen of vitamins that did help his count somewhat....not enought to be close to normal but it did go up. The surgery is another option however the success rates are questionable. Some urologists say they success rates are good and some say it doesn't help much. DH is going to get the surgery done not only because of the IF factor but because his varicoceles do bother him. My co-workers DH had the surgery done in Oct. and his count was checked last week and it's still low so the surgery didn't work for him. She just did IVF/ICSI and got PG on her first try too. Good Luck!!!

Re: Back from the urologist...

I am so down about this, but I guess it is a good start doing what we have to do, is IVF successful with this to get pregnant? Also will I be put on medications if I ovulate?

Re: Back from the urologist...

If you opt for IVF - this is the process.

First of all, you will totally have to get used to being completely examined by assorted people. When doing IVF, you will be monitored frequently as you will be taking drugs to create more follicles or eggs. You will most likely have to give yourself injections in order to create all these eggs. The injection/monitoring process takes about ten to twelve days. Then you will go for a retrieval in which they remove all those eggs. You will be put under mild anesthesia for the retrieval and will need to take a day off of work.
Three to five days later, depending on your RE and fertilization rates, you will have a transfer done. Again, depending on your RE you may have this done while awake or it may be done under mild anesthesia.
Then you will be in the dreaded 2WW.

BTW, my BIL has varicoceles and she got PG on her second IVF/ICSI and now has a healthy baby boy!!! Her DH opted out of the surgery due to it's questionable results also.

Re: Back from the urologist...

Well, sorry to hear the diagnosis...

MY DH had bilateral varicoceles and had them removed February 8th...His counts were terrible....very low everything...His right varicocele was the size of a penne pasta..lol..the left was small-medium...DH also has low testosterone which the vericoeles were the cause.....We are going for our 3 month SA in May...the doctor did say that it will take at least 6 months (more like a year) to see improvements...that is why I went to an RE and I am all ready for IVF which we might do after the summer (we will see after 6 months)...

We did the surgery because we do have a big chance of having a second baby naturally since the results take more than a year.....

Check out this site which is ONLY dedicated to MF....the center was founded by our doctor Dr Marc Goldstein who is the best male urologist in the country....He is from Cornell (which is the best IVF clinic for MF in the country and if not in the world)

DR Goldstein is the one who together with Dr Palermo (from Belgium) developed ICSI which is now used in severe MF (and not)...without ICSI, many IVFs (extreme MF) would not work.....They both work together at Cornell IVF center where you would go if you decided to do IVF....

http://www.maleinfertility.org/index.html

http://www.maleinfertility.org/new-varicocelectomy.html

The site is very informative...check out the link under Microsurgical Varicocelectomy (that is what DH had with Dr Goldstein), it gives you the latest information about the pros & cons of the surgery and their success rates.......

Let me know if you have any questions...

Good luck!! It is not the end of the world!!

Message edited 4/27/2007 8:45:37 AM.

Re: Back from the urologist...

If the variscole is only affecting motility, do you think IUI would have a chance of success?