VERICOSE VEIN IN SCROTUM

[ANA__0__0]

  Please give me some information. My husband has a vericose vein in the scrotum, and the Dr thinks he should have surgery. We have been trying to get pregnant for 3 yrs and all along Dr thought it was me. Well finally I suggested my husband be tested and his sperm count is very very low and vericose vein in scrotum.
       Now he has a hard time keepin an erection if he doesnt consetrate and usually cant go for a second round, it just dies. Does all this tie into vericose veins or should something else be looked into. Oh ya he is 33 yr and has had blood in the stool for along time and had it checked one time and the Dr said its a little hemmeroid. But as much blood there is in the toilet seems abnormal. Please give me some insight as to our chances of conceiving with all thats going.
  
                                          Thanks
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Dear Ana,
Your questions are good ones.
Varicocele is the name given to the condition of having varicose veins draining blood from the testicle. Approximately  15% of men have these and 15% of those with them have decreased fertility as a result. There are several surgical methods to treat this condition and at least one method that uses x-ray to guide an object into position to block the excess flow of blood. The results of such surgery are good with improvement in semen quality in 50% of patients. Pregnancy rates are also significant (see previous varicocele answer by MS in this Forum). Varicoceles are not physical causes of erectile difficulties and your husband’s urologist will need to evaluate him separately for this. The number of times that a male is able to or interested in having sexual intercourse in a given period of time is quite variable and does not by itself indicate any abnormality.
Infertility is a “couple” issue and the finding of a problem in one does not mean that the other member does not have to be evaluated and treated so as to maximize their potential. It takes two.
Blood in the stool is not related to varicoceles but certainly demands evaluation. Given the amount of blood that you describe, it sounds like he may need a look into his rectum (sigmoidoscopy) and treatment. If he is loosing enough blood, he may be tired  and not very sexually aroused on the basis of anemia! Urologists do not treat hemorrhoid or evaluate for rectal bleeding. General and colorectal surgeons do.
I hope that this has given you some insights.
This information is provided for general medical information purposes only. Please consult  your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. Dr. Fleming at our institution has experience in infertility and I would highly recommend that you see him for your problem. If you would like to make an appointment  [for a second opinion], please call us at  (1-800-653-6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is  your need. Please bring any physicians’ notes and lab test results that you may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
        
        HFHS SAL
        Keyword: Varicocele, Infertility
K

[mendikuro]

A related discussion, Vericocele was started.