The Effect of Age on Semen Quality and Spontaneous Pregnancy Rates in Patients who Treated with Microsurgical Inguinal Varicocelectomy

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 12; no. 4; p. e7744
• Main Authors: Fırat, Fatih, Erdemir, Fikret
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 20-04-2020; Cureus
• Subjects: Age groups; Infertility; Microsurgery; Motility; Postoperative period; Pregnancy; Sperm; Testosterone; Urology; Variance analysis; infertility; varicocelectomy; age; male; pregnancy
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.7744

Introduction The aim of this study is to evaluate whether pregnancy rates or semen parameters are affected due to male or female age after microsurgical varicocelectomy. Methods A total of 293 infertile men who underwent microsurgical inguinal varicocelectomy were divided into three groups according to age: group 1, patients and their spouses ≥35 years old (n = 46); group 2, patients ≥35 years old and their spouses <35 years old (n = 34); and group 3, patients and their spouses <35 years old (n = 213). Preoperative and postoperative semen parameters and pregnancy rates were compared. Results The median ages of the patients in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 41, 35.50, and 28 years, respectively. The median ages of the spouses were 36 (35-38 years), 30 (21-34 years), and 25 (18-32 years) years, in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Total motile sperm count (TMC) significantly increased in all groups after varicocelectomy (P < 0.05). Pregnancy rates after varicocelectomy was higher in group 3 compared to groups 2 and 3, but the differences were not significant (P = 0.133). Conclusions According to these results we can say that male and female ages were not negative factors in terms of pregnancy rates.