What is a varicocele?

All boys have veins in the scrotum that take blood from the testicles up towards the heart. The blood that is slow to return to the heart can collect in the veins, which then causes the veins to get bigger, or become swollen. When this happens in the scrotum it is called a varicocele.

Although they don't happen to every boy, varicoceles are fairly common. About 17 percent of boys between the ages of 13-25 years old have varicoceles. More than 90 percent of the time, they appear on the left testicle and they mostly occur during or after puberty. 

Signs and symptoms

In most cases, boys have no symptoms at all and might not even know they have a varicocele. Usually, a varicocele is noticed by a doctor during a testicular exam.

The veins will feel like a “bag of worms” while your child is standing and may disappear while he is lying down.

Sometimes after heavy exercise, hot weather, or standing for a long time, your child may feel a heaviness or dull ache in his scrotum.

Testing and diagnosis

We will order hormonal labs, to be determined by your Urologist. We will compare the size of the left and right testicle to make sure they are growing appropriately. If there is any concern upon exam, we may order further testing. 

Treatments

An open surgical repair of the varicocele in the low inguinal area using an operating microscope has the highest success rate (95%) with lowest complications (<5%) compared to other surgical techniques (inguinal, retroperitoneal, or laparoscopic).

Reviewed by: Division of Urology