ArticleAndrology2026
Live Birth Rates After Varicocele Embolization in Patients After Failed In Vitro Fertilization With Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.
Article in Andrology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesWhile in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) bypasses abnormalities in sperm concentration, motility, and morphology, it still has a significant failure rate. We report our experience on the effect of varicocele embolization (VE) on couples with varicocele related primary male factor infertility in whom IVF/ICSI failed to result in a live birth (LB). MATERIAL AND
methodsThis single center retrospective cohort study documents 42 couples who had failed to have a LB after single or multiple IVF/ICSI cycles and in whom the male partner subsequently had left or bilateral varicoceles treated by transcatheter embolization. Other inclusion criteria were maternal age of 35 or less at the time of VE and at least 24 months follow up after embolization. The end point was LB by natural conception or by IVF-ICSI. Pre-procedure data was documented at the time of referral for varicocele embolization. Images of the procedures were reviewed, and post VE data was collected by telephone questionnaire from one of the partners.
resultsPrior to varicocele embolization, the 42 couples had undergone 151 oocyte retrievals (median 2, range 1-21) and 200 embryo transfers (median 3, range 1-26) with no LB. During a median follow up period of 54 months (range 25-111) following VE, there were 60 LB (65 children) amongst 36 of the 42 couples (86%). Thirty-four couples underwent a total of 119 oocyte retrievals and 149 embryo transfer procedures with 28 achieving 36 LB (41 children). Fifteen couples had 23 LB (23 children) from natural conceptions. One couple had an LB after intrauterine insemination.
conclusionVE in this challenging patient population may treat varicocele associated sperm function problems not addressed by ICSI and could be beneficial before assisted reproductive techniques in varicocele related male factor infertility.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.