If you’re one of the 15% of adult men with varicoceles, you may wonder what kind of treatments could relieve your aching pain. Maybe you’ve tried icing the area or over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or other NSAIDs. While these at-home options may work well for a short time, they don’t provide lasting relief.

Even if you don’t feel pain or even see the varicoceles, you may be struggling with other symptoms. A lot of men with this condition notice that it affects their fertility.

At Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center, our varicocele treatment in Benton County offers a quick and effective solution to this vascular scrotum disorder.

From start to finish, we keep this process as streamlined as possible. We begin with a consultation to determine whether you have varicoceles. Before we explain the process, let’s talk about how to identify this condition.

What Are Varicoceles?

Varicoceles, a specific type of varicose veins, are swollen and enlarged veins in your scrotum. Sometimes, they remain painless, and you may not even realize you have them. However, varicoceles can cause pain and discomfort, often when you lie down.

Even with uncomfortable symptoms, varicoceles are not dangerous, and they don’t indicate other internal issues that would require treatment. It’s not clearly understood what causes these enlarged veins, we just know that they form due to improper blood flow. That means that anyone with testicles can notice varicoceles at any age. They may even be present from birth.

What Do Varicoceles Look Like?

Even if you don’t have specific symptoms, a visible scrotal mass that looks like a bag of worms or spaghetti could indicate a varicocele. However, some may be too small to see or feel—you just notice the effects.

Is Treatment Necessary?

If these veins do not pose a threat, why would you need varicocele treatment in Benton County? Whether or not you have uncomfortable symptoms, we recommend coming to Ozark Vein & Artery Center for a noninvasive treatment for the following reasons.

Varicoceles Affect Fertility

If you have always dreamed of being a father, or you are currently trying to conceive, varicoceles may stand in your way. Researchers don’t fully understand why varicoceles are one of the most common causes of male infertility, but some believe that the bulge of veins may raise the temperature inside your scrotum and damage sperm production.

Varicoceles Affect Testosterone

Testosterone, the primary male hormone, plays a role in sexual development, including libido, penis and testes growth, and muscle size.

A male physician in blue scrubs, a mask, and a blue cap that looks like a swim cap and says in white letters 'Give me a Mullet' is working on a patient who isn't in the photo.

Varicoceles may decrease testosterone production, possibly due to the same reason a varicocele may cause infertility: a higher testicular temperature. Reduced testosterone also impacts sperm production, contributing to potential infertility.

Varicoceles Affect Testicular Health

Varicoceles can cause testicular atrophy (shrinkage), due to loss of tissues. Boys going through puberty may notice that one testicle appears noticeably smaller than the other. Researchers also believe that varicoceles may progress if left untreated. So even if they do not cause pain in the present, a dull, aching pain may arise in the future.

Start the Process for Varicocele Treatment

In Benton County, you don’t need surgery or highly invasive procedures to take care of these varicose veins. Instead, at Ozark Vein & Artery Center, we have a few less-invasive procedures to promote testicular health and fertility. To get started, you meet with a provider for a consultation.

Consultation

During your consultation, we discuss your medical history and perform a physical exam of the affected area. If your varicoceles are small, we may perform a pelvic ultrasound to better see the veins inside your testicles. We can also determine the grade of your varicocele, which allows us to pair you with the right treatment option.

Varicocele Grading System

This grading system helps us understand the severity of your varicoceles.

Grade 0: Smallest varicocele. Your provider can only see it with an ultrasound.
Grade I: Your provider cannot see the varicocele, but they can feel it when you perform the Valsalva maneuver.
Grade II: Your provider can feel the varicocele even without the Valsalva maneuver, but it’s still not visible.
Grade III: This large varicocele is clearly visible and easy to feel.

Before Your Treatment

To streamline your procedure and recovery process, we have a few preparation instructions before your varicocele treatment in Benton County. We will ask you to avoid certain over-the-counter medications, like aspirin or other blood thinners, since those can prolong bleeding and inhibit blood clotting. Our other instructions may contain information more personalized to your specific varicocele grade.

Our Preferred Treatment: Embolization

We have a range of nonsurgical options for your varicocele treatment, but we prefer the method of embolization. This minimally invasive procedure redirects blood away from the varicocele to a healthier vein.

The Day of Your Varicocele Treatment

For your comfort, we provide you with a sedative IV to keep you relaxed during the procedure. Next, we will use local anesthesia to numb the treatment area before making a small incision into the swollen vein.

A bald male physician in black scrubs conducts an ultrasound of the treatment area, checking the screen for any concerns.

Using imaging guidance, your provider places a catheter into the area and uses a thin coil to block the vein. Once they seal the vein, your body naturally redirects blood flow to other veins.

To end this procedure, we stop the bleeding and bandage the affected area. You should expect the entire process to last only 30 minutes. After your varicocele treatment in Benton County, we give you recovery instructions.

Recovery

Fortunately, this procedure requires minimal recovery time. Once we bandage the affected area, you can return home to comfortably recline and apply ice. You’ll notice some pain and irritation, which should resolve itself over a short period of time, possibly only lasting a few days.

For optimal recovery, please avoid any activity during the first 24 hours. You may also need to refrain from sexual and strenuous activities for a few weeks after your treatment. Your provider can give you more clear instructions specific to your treatment.

If you have any questions during your recovery, please do not hesitate to call our office.

Other Services Provided By Ozark Vein & Artery Center

As vein and artery specialists, we treat more than varicoceles. We offer the following services for aesthetic and/or medical purposes.

Varicose Vein Treatment

Varicose veins can form in your legs, causing feelings of heaviness, itching, and pain. They also take a toll on your self-esteem, even sometimes making you feel the need to “cover up.” We offer minimally to non-invasive vein ablation treatments. These use tools from radiofrequency energy to specialized foam to redirect blood flow to healthier veins.

Hemorrhoid Artery Embolization

Hemorrhoid artery embolization works similarly to a varicocele treatment in Benton County. However, this procedure targets internal hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins that develop on your anus and lower rectum. Although these enlarged veins may begin with little to no pain, that can change over time. Hemorrhoid artery embolization is a quick and streamlined process that shrinks the hemorrhoidals tissue and blocks the blood supply. You can notice relief from pain and bleeding within days.

Spider Vein Treatment

Spider veins are small, colored veins that appear in a cobweb pattern near the skin’s surface. Although they don’t cause any physical pain or pose a threat to your health, they take a toll on your self-esteem. Our non-invasive effective treatments help minimize the appearance of these veins.

Financing at Ozark Vein & Artery Center

We accept most major insurance companies, including, but not limited to:

Medicare
Medicaid (Arkansas only)
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Cigna
UnitedHealthcare
Aetna

You can call our office to confirm your insurance before your consultation. However, varicocele treatment should be accessible to everyone, regardless of whether you have insurance or not. We also have financing options through Care Credit and Compassionate Finance that offer you low and affordable monthly payments.

Men’s Health at The Edge

If varicocele treatment does not improve sperm or testosterone production, our services at The Edge might. As an affiliate clinic of Ozark Vein & Regional Center, The Edge focuses on men’s health, including hormone optimization and erectile dysfunction treatments. During your varicocele treatment in Benton County, we can assess if these services might benefit you.

Hormone Optimization

As you age, your testosterone levels decrease, causing a myriad of issues and affecting your mood, libido, and energy. Testosterone optimization replenishes your hormone levels through pellets, creams, or injections to help you feel like yourself so you can perform at peak performance.

Erectile Dysfunction Treatments

One study found a link between varicoceles and erectile dysfunction, so embolization could potentially improve this condition. However, ED often stems from lack of blood flow to the penis or from low testosterone. If either of those conditions affect you, our treatments at The Edge, like GAINSWave or the P-Shot, can restore your sex life by targeting the cause of your ED.

B12 & Lipo-B Shots

For overall health management, we offer B12 & Lipo-B Shots to accelerate weight loss, boost your energy, and improve your mood. These intramuscular injections are recommended once a week to maintain a greater feeling of well-being and help fuel a healthier, more active lifestyle.

A bald male physician in black scrubs answers his patient's questions. The male patient is wearing a checkered blue shirt and blue shorts and is sitting on the patient table.

Start the Conversation

You may not feel comfortable yet talking about your experience with varicoceles. If that’s the case, we suggest starting with our treatment planning tool. Once we receive your submission, a member of our team will reach out with possible treatment options.

Am I a Candidate?

If you would prefer to discuss varicocele treatment in Benton County face-to-face, you can request an appointment.

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What to Expect From Varicocele Treatment in Benton County