r/postvasectomypain

A question for my fellow PVPS sufferers:

Who among you has experienced positive effects from TRT, and who hasn't noticed any improvement or has actually felt worse?

For those who have tried it, what changes did you notice in your pain levels and overall symptoms?

And what advice would you give to others in the PVPS community who are considering starting TRT? Anything you wish you had known before beginning treatment?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences, both positive and negative.

Vasectomy is usually explained as a little cut*, you may have some pain and swelling afterward.”* But calling pain, swelling or chronic discomfort a “side effect” doesn’t explain what is actually happening inside the body.
The vas is permanently obstructed while the testicles continue producing sperm. That means the reproductive system is now dealing with a permanent obstruction: sperm and pressure remain upstream, sperm can leak into surrounding tissue and form granulomas, the epididymis can become congested, thickened or inflamed, and fibrosis, scarring and chronic inflammatory changes can develop. The disruption can also lead to antisperm antibodies and, in many men, chronic pain involving serious inflammation, altered tissue and or nerves.
That is the part men need to understand.
Not just “you might have pain.” — Why might you have pain? What physically changed? What happens to the sperm? What happens to the epididymis? What happens immunologically if the immune privileged barrier gets broken? What happens if the anatomy becomes chronically altered?
A vasectomy isn’t simply removing fertility. It permanently changes the physiology of the reproductive system.
Clinics should be obligated to explain that before consent. Because an informed decision is only actually informed when the person understands the underlying logic and consequences of what is being done to his body — not merely a list of postoperative symptoms.

I’m 24M and wanted to share my situation and hear from anyone who has gone through something similar.

About 2 years ago, I had left-sided Grade 3 varicocele microsurgery. Unfortunately, it recurred about 3 months later, and the recurrence was actually worse and more painful than before the surgery.

After the microsurgery, I also developed:

Very low libido
Erectile dysfunction
Low testosterone
High LH
High prolactin
Other abnormalities on my hormonal panel

I waited about 2 years and eventually decided to try embolization instead.

Before the procedure, ultrasound showed that I still had a Grade 3 varicocele on the left, and I was also found to have a Grade 1 varicocele on the right, which I hadn’t previously known about. So I decided to have bilateral embolization.

What was done during the embolization

My interventional radiologist spent around 2.5 hours on the procedure because he was carefully looking for collateral veins and reflux.

On the left, he used Azur CX 18 detachable coils, which he described as a newer-generation detachable coil, with glue above the coils.

On the right, he used coils from the lower part upward and then 3% polidocanol foam at the upper edge.

The final venography reportedly showed complete occlusion with no residual reflux.

Now, 5 days later

Right side: basically no pain at all.
Left side: around 2–3/10 pain/discomfort, especially with touching.
Libido: still very low.
Erections: still basically absent.

Has anyone here experienced low libido/ED immediately after varicocele embolization and then improved later?

If so, how long did it take before you noticed a meaningful improvement in:

Libido
Spontaneous/morning erections
Erectile quality
Testosterone/LH/prolactin
Overall energy

I’m particularly interested in experiences from people who had recurrent Grade 3 varicocele after failed microsurgery and then underwent embolization.

Thanks.