Abstract:
Fifty Ghanaian males of infertile marriages found on
clinical examination to have varicoceles underwent
varicocelectomy. Their mean age was 34.2 years
(range 24 to 47 years). The varicocele was left-sided
in 36 patients (72%), bilateral in 13 (26%) and right sided
in 1 (2%). The mean of 3 preoperative semen
analysis showed 9 patients (18%) had azoospermia
while 26 (52%) had counts of 5 million/ml or less.
The rest had counts between 6 and 20 million/ml.
Normal sperm motility (50% or more motile sperms)
and morphology (50% or more with normal morphology)
were seen in 36% and 22% of cases respectively.
Following varicocelectomy 26 (52%) obtained an
overall improvement in semen quality. Of these 15
(30%) had mean sperm counts above 20 million/ml
None of the patients with azoospermia obtained any
benefit. A conception rate of 18% (9/50) was obtained.