r/varicocele

Hi all. 31M here.

I just got operated on 29th June and have been recovering since.

✅ Process: Varicocele Sclerotherapy process on left, with 2 ml of 3% Äthoxysklerol

Based on my report, here are some details:

➡️1-2 degree varicocele left

➡️OAT syndrome

➡️Left testicular volume: 7ml

➡️Right testicular volume: 12ml

🛏️ Bed rest: 3 weeks recommended with icing of testicles

💊 Medicine: Novaminsulfon Lichtenstein 500mg

🇩🇪 Surgery performed in: Germany

💲Cost: covered by insurance

So far, not much pain but taking 2-3 of the recommended med per day.

Yesterday my bandage on the testicle was a little dark brown. Other than that, nothing eventful happened so far.

Happy to answer any questions you might have.

Hello there,

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I am 25 y.o and had subinguinal surgery 10 days ago for a left side varicocele of 3 degree.

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The pain i almost totally gone, but the testicle is still swollen and it's like soft touch. I am really worry it is an hydrocele and I will need to get surgery again...

My urologist told me it should get back to the original size in 2 weeks, but I am anxious about that...did any have the same experience?

Hello, I’d like to ask if anyone has experience with varicocele in their partner.

Our story: I’m (29F) completely fine, all my results are good. My husband’s (30M) semen analysis, however, has been getting worse over time – first it was just a lower count, later the motility dropped, and now all parameters are poor. Our fertility clinic sent him to a urologist, where they found bilateral varicocele. The doctor said it’s not very large, but since everything keeps getting worse, they believe the varicocele is the cause.

My husband is already scheduled for embolization.

Do you have any experience with this procedure? Did your results improve after the surgery? Were you able to conceive naturally afterwards – and if so, how long did it take?

Right now we’re hoping that at least some parameters will improve, especially since he also has high DNA fragmentation. The doctor wants to try to reduce the fragmentation to give us better chances.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

45 M

I had subinguinal microsurgical repaired 6 months ago, my reason was for low testosterone.

Just got testosterone results, testosterone increased 42% and free testosterone increased 58%. I was already low, so my numbers aren't that high still, but it was a significant increase for me and I do feel the difference.

While surgery wasn't fun, it wasn't that bad and wish I would have done it sooner. Part of the reason I didn't was reading a lot of the negative reviews on here, so I wanted to post a positive one. Everyone do your own research and do what's right for you though.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice because I’m in a lot of pain from a varicocele. My urology clinic told me the earliest they can treat me is in 6 weeks, but the pain has become difficult to live with and I don’t think I can wait that long.
Does anyone know of any way to get treated sooner? For example:
A urologist or interventional radiologist with shorter wait times.

A hospital or clinic that can see urgent varicocele cases.

Any tips on getting an earlier appointment or being put on a cancellation list.

I’m in the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia area, but I’d be willing to travel if it means getting treated sooner.
I’d really appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences. Thank you.

Hi everyone,
23M I’m trying to understand what varicocele actually feels like and what changes after surgery.
Before treatment, what symptoms did you have (pain, heaviness, discomfort)? Did it affect your sex life (erections, libido, sensitivity)?
And after surgery (micro or embolization), what improved? Any changes in comfort or sexual function (including sensation/glans sensitivity)?
Was it worth it overall?
Thanks 🙏

I’m at 39 year-old male I’m going to have this surgery along with a circumcision same time. Thoughts on recovery time and pain management.

I (25M) got diagnosed with a left side Varicocele in 2023. About one year ago the pain got worse and more constant and I noticed a sudden drastic drop in libido and began having erectile issues (i.e. morning woods non-existent, erections significantly weaker). This led me to see my doctor again and ultimately I got the embolization done early this year.

Pain has gone away almost entirely and the veins have shrunk considerably. Temperature down there also seems much more controlled rather than the hot sagging that always came with the Varicocele.

However, I have seen little to no improvement with libido and ed. And no morning woods still which sucks! I got my testosterone tested recently and it was actually slightly lower than the test I did prior to the operation (albeit the more recent one was done a little later in the day than optimal). I know hormones can take time to rebalance, just feeling discouraged because I expected to begin seeing improvement by now.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone had a similar experience? Is it still likely my body recovering from the Varicocele? Or something unrelated at this point?

Also happy to answer questions for guys going through the same thing now. Thanks

Hii

Iam 26 M.

2025 feb subinguinal microscopic varicocle surgery

Left grade 4 right grade 2.

1.5 years go but veins not healing and awelling very heat. Soo sad.

Any suggestions .....

I have pain when standing, and the area becomes slightly swollen. I've seen two doctors, but the swelling wasn't present during either ultrasound, so the vein measured only 2.1 mm. One of the doctors said that a 2.1 mm vein is not big enough and it must be another thing...
My last post here I posted some pictures of it.

Has anyone had a similar experience? I see some guys here posting that theirs is 4 mm. I also don't think mine is that big.

Can somebody help me i have bilateral varicocele and after embolization can we restart sports and gym. Tell me you experience, i am addicted to gym and fitness. Also my left testicle is hanging more can that resolve?

hey all!

i (33M) have a varicocele on my left testicle. i don’t know what grade, my ultrasound came back unconfirmed, but my urologist said he can see and feel it clearly and suggested surgery.

what should i ask as the pre-op appointment today?

also, anyone have advice for things i can do over the next two weeks to help recovery?

testosterone was fine the one time i had it checked a couple years ago. i’m gay so fertility isn’t really an issue. my libido is fine, erections are good.

my main problem is pain that comes and goes. usually it’s dull, heavy, and constant, but sometimes it gets sharp and i have to sit down for awhile. supportive underwear helped a lot but i really hate how it feels, id love to go back to boxers someday.

Hello everyone, I'm 23M. For the past 10 months, I've been feeling this fatigue—like my legs are sometimes going to give out on me when I walk, along with low energy. And yes, I'm 100% sure I have a varicocele, though I'm not sure which grade. I have a feeling it's grade 3. My question is: do you guys feel what I feel? You know, the low energy and the feeling like your legs are going to give out?

his procedure has interested me because he actually removes the veins instead of putting something in or tying. ive only ever heard good things from his prior patients but i do want to do more research to see.

Hello, I 23M have had varicocele in both testicles, grade 4 on the left and grade 1 or 2 on the right but I didn't feel any pain. I have had surgery on the left one, which reduced it to grade 2, and then I had microsurgery (I'm not sure they call it like that) on both testicles. The post surgery report was very good and the test results showed good improvement.

Two years later, I noticed that the problem had returned in my left testicle no pain again but I started to feel something and it was way bigger then the right testicle, so I went to the doctor. He asked me to have a semen analysis, and go to a Radiologist and I found that the percentage of normal-shaped sperm had dropped to 12%, whereas it had been 21% after the surgery. I feel anxious and scared, especially since I've started exercising at the gym. I'm afraid the exercise might make things worse. I've also started to feel something in my right testicle too, and I don't know if I'm imagining it or not, because the radiologist didn't mention it, he told me that there is a grade 3 varicocele in the left one only.

And I also have an excessive porn addiction which I'm trying to quit, and I have read that it doesn't effect it but I have also heard that if you edge it might cause Varicocel.

Should I stay in the gym or quit?

And what if I delay the surgery until I consider having kids?

I am worried, especially since I have had two surgeries and I am still young.

For the last two weeks i started experiencing low libido and ED , i didn’t have these symptoms in the first month post operation

My next doctor appointment is at the Three months post operation

Any one had similar issues ? I returned to the gym 5 weeks post operation as per the doctor instructions, could that affected my condition?

Are any of you facing this problem alone, unsure of what to do? Let us join forces and succeed together. People from all states across India, please send a message. Let us help one another. None of you are alone. Unity is strength...

Hey everyone,

​I wanted to share my exact data and ongoing post-op recovery journey to get some feedback from anyone with a similar combat sports background or diagnostic baseline.

​My Background & Activity:

​Age: 27 years old.

​Activity Level: Very active, dedicated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) practitioner, and highly focused on a structured hypertrophy/fitness routine.

​Diagnosis: Bilateral Varicocele (Grade 2 on the Left, Grade 1 on the Right).

​Ultrasound (Echo-Doppler): Both testes showed excellent tissue structure, solid health, and normal volume with zero signs of atrophy.

​My Complete Pre-Op Lab Results

​Hormone Panel :

​Total Testosterone: 2.84\text{ ng/mL} (Reference range for men: 2.27 - 10.3\text{ ng/mL}) — Sitting at the very low end, causing noticeable fatigue and brain fog.

​FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone): 4.35\text{ mUI/mL} — Completely normal, indicating excellent signaling from the brain.

​Semen Analysis & Fertility :

​Semen Volume: 3.60\text{ ml} (Reference: > 1.5\text{ ml})

​Sperm Concentration: 85.00\text{ Million/ml} (Reference: > 15\text{ Million/ml})

​Total Sperm Count per Ejaculation: 306.00\text{ Million} (Reference: > 40\text{ Million})

​Vitality: 80\% of living sperm (Reference: > 56\%)

​Total Motility (1 Hour): 60\% (Progressive: 15\%, Slow/Sluggish: 25\%, Non-progressive: 20\%)

​Sperm Morphology : 11\% Normal Forms (Reference: > 4\% via Krugers criteria), with 89\% amorphous heads. Multiple Anomalies Index (IAM) is 1.41 (Reference: < 1.60).

​Conclusion: Spermogramme normal.

​Spermoculture & Infections (1000025152.jpg):

​Leucocytes: 0.10\text{ /ml} / Round Cells: 0.30\text{ /ml}

​Bacteriology & Mycology: Completely Negative for infections or yeast.

​My Logic & Current Recovery Stack:

Given that my total sperm count is incredibly high (306 Million), the "factory" itself is clearly robust and fully active. My theory was that the Leydig cells (responsible for testosterone production) were simply suffering from the localized heat and oxygen deprivation caused by the Grade 2/1 varicocele back-flow.

​I chose surgery to clear the vascular block, and I am currently tracking my recovery. To support tissue repair, reduce pelvic congestion, and optimize cellular physiology during this phase, I'm taking a clean daily supplement protocol:

​Omega-3 (Fish Oil): 3 capsules daily (1500\text{ mg} total fish oil providing 270\text{ mg} EPA and 180\text{ mg} DHA) to clear up any residual post-op inflammation.

​Vitamin E: 30\text{ mg} daily to serve as a strong antioxidant protecting the recovering testicular tissues.

​My Questions for the Subreddit:

​If you had a highly functional sperm count but low-end Testosterone due to bilateral varicocele, how long after surgery did it take for your energy, morning wood, and hormonal baseline to noticeably jump back up?

​For fellow MMA fighters, what was your exact timeline for safely stepping back into striking, light drilling, shadow boxing, or wrestling on the mats without provoking a vascular flare-up or aching in the scrotum?

​Thanks in advance for sharing your timelines and insights!

Could anyone please recommend best doctors in bangalore, India for the microscopic surgery ?

MODS, I will remove this post after few responses. Please don't remove it till then.