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Cannarella R, Shah R, Hamoda TAAAM, Boitrelle F, Saleh R, Gul M, Rambhatla A, Kavoussi P, Toprak T, Harraz AM, Ko E, Çeker G, Durairajanayagam D, Alkahidi N, Kuroda S, Crafa A, Henkel R, Salvio G, Hazir B, Darbandi M, Bendayan M, Darbandi S, Falcone M, Garrido N, Kosgi R, Sawaid Kaiyal R, Karna K, Phuoc NHV, Birowo P, Colpi GM, de la Rosette J, Pinggera GM, Nguyen Q, Zini A, Zohdy W, Singh R, Saini P, Glina S, Lin H, Mostafa T, Rojas-Cruz C, Arafa M, Calogero AE, Dimitriadis F, Kothari P, Karthikeyan VS, Okada K, Chiba K, Kadıoglu A, Altay B, Turunc T, Zilaitiene B, Gokalp F, Adamyan A, Katz D, Chung E, Mierzwa TC, Zylbersztejn DS, Paul GM, Sofikitis N, Sokolakis I, Malhotra V, Brodjonegoro SR, Adriansjah R, Tsujimura A, Amano T, Balercia G, Ziouziou I, Deswanto IA, Martinez M, Park HJ, Bakırcıoglu ME, Ceyhan E, Aydos K, Ramsay J, Minhas S, Al Hashimi M, Ghayda RA, Tadros N, Sindhwani P, Ho CC, Rachman RI, Rodriguez Pena M, Motawi A, Ponnusamy AK, Dipankar S, Amir A, Binsaleh S, Serefoglu EC, Banthia R, Khalafalla K, Basukarno A, Bac NH, Singla K, Ambar RF, Makarounis K, Priyadarshi S, Duarsa GWK, Atmoko W, Jindal S, Arianto E, Akhavizadegan H, El Bardisi H, Shoshany O, Busetto GM, Moussa M, Jamali M, Al-Marhoon MS, Ruzaev M, Farsi HMA, Mutambirwa S, Lee DS, Kulaksiz D, Cheng YS, Bouzouita A, Sarikaya S, Kandil H, Tsampoukas G, Farkouh A, Bowa K, Savira M, Mogharabian N, Le TV, Harjanggi M, Anh DT, Long TQT, Soebadi MA, Hakim L, Tanic M, Ari UC, Parikh FR, Calik G, KV V, Dorji G, Rezano A, Rajmil O, Tien DMB, Yuan Y, Lizarraga-Salas JF, Eze B, Ngoo KS, Lee J, Arslan U, Agarwal A. Does Varicocele Repair Improve Conventional Semen Parameters? A Meta-Analytic Study of Before-After Data. World J Mens Health 2024; 42:92-132. [PMID: 37382284 PMCID: PMC10782123 DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.230034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this meta-analysis is to study the impact of varicocele repair in the largest cohort of infertile males with clinical varicocele by including all available studies, with no language restrictions, comparing intra-person conventional semen parameters before and after the repair of varicoceles. MATERIALS AND METHODS The meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA-P and MOOSE guidelines. A systematic search was performed in Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases. Eligible studies were selected according to the PICOS model (Population: infertile male patients with clinical varicocele; Intervention: varicocele repair; Comparison: intra-person before-after varicocele repair; Outcome: conventional semen parameters; Study type: randomized controlled trials [RCTs], observational and case-control studies). RESULTS Out of 1,632 screened abstracts, 351 articles (23 RCTs, 292 observational, and 36 case-control studies) were included in the quantitative analysis. The before-and-after analysis showed significant improvements in all semen parameters after varicocele repair (except sperm vitality); semen volume: standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.203, 95% CI: 0.129-0.278; p<0.001; I²=83.62%, Egger's p=0.3329; sperm concentration: SMD 1.590, 95% CI: 1.474-1.706; p<0.001; I²=97.86%, Egger's p<0.0001; total sperm count: SMD 1.824, 95% CI: 1.526-2.121; p<0.001; I²=97.88%, Egger's p=0.0063; total motile sperm count: SMD 1.643, 95% CI: 1.318-1.968; p<0.001; I²=98.65%, Egger's p=0.0003; progressive sperm motility: SMD 1.845, 95% CI: 1.537%-2.153%; p<0.001; I²=98.97%, Egger's p<0.0001; total sperm motility: SMD 1.613, 95% CI 1.467%-1.759%; p<0.001; l2=97.98%, Egger's p<0.001; sperm morphology: SMD 1.066, 95% CI 0.992%-1.211%; p<0.001; I²=97.87%, Egger's p=0.1864. CONCLUSIONS The current meta-analysis is the largest to date using paired analysis on varicocele patients. In the current meta-analysis, almost all conventional semen parameters improved significantly following varicocele repair in infertile patients with clinical varicocele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Rupin Shah
- Department of Urology, Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
| | - Taha Abo-Almagd Abdel-Meguid Hamoda
- Department of Urology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Florence Boitrelle
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France
- Department of Biology, Reproduction, Epigenetics, Environment and Development, Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Ramadan Saleh
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Murat Gul
- Department of Urology, Selcuk University School of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
| | - Amarnath Rambhatla
- Department of Urology, Henry Ford Health System, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Parviz Kavoussi
- Department of Reproductive Urology, Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Tuncay Toprak
- Department of Urology, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmed M. Harraz
- Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- Department of Surgery, Urology Unit, Farwaniya Hospital, Farwaniya, Kuwait
- Department of Urology, Sabah Al Ahmad Urology Center, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Edmund Ko
- Department of Urology, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Gökhan Çeker
- Department of Urology, Başakşehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Damayanthi Durairajanayagam
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Noora Alkahidi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Trinity Health/Mercy Health, Muskegon, MI, USA
| | - Shinnosuke Kuroda
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Urology, Reproduction Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ralf Henkel
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Gianmaria Salvio
- Department of Endocrinology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Berk Hazir
- Reproductive Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Mahsa Darbandi
- Fetal Health Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
- Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marion Bendayan
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France
- Department of Biology, Reproduction, Epigenetics, Environment and Development, Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sara Darbandi
- Fetal Health Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
- Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marco Falcone
- Department of Urology, Molinette Hospital, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Nicolas Garrido
- IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, IVI Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
| | - Raghavender Kosgi
- Department of Urology, Andrology and Renal Transplant, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, India
| | - Raneen Sawaid Kaiyal
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Keshab Karna
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Nguyen Ho Vinh Phuoc
- Department of Andrology, Binh Dan Hospital, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - Ponco Birowo
- Department of Urology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Giovanni M. Colpi
- Andrology and IVF Center, Next Fertility Procrea, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Jean de la Rosette
- Department of Urology, Istanbul Medipol Mega University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Quang Nguyen
- Center for Andrology and Sexual Medicine, Viet Duc University Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Department of Urology, Andrology and Sexual Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Armand Zini
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Wael Zohdy
- Department of Andrology, Sexology & STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rajender Singh
- Central Drug Research Institute, Male Reproductive Health Research Laboratory, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pallavi Saini
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Sidney Glina
- Division of Urology, Centro Universitario FMABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | - Haocheng Lin
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Taymour Mostafa
- Department of Andrology, Sexology & STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Cesar Rojas-Cruz
- Department of Urology, University Hospital of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Mohamed Arafa
- Department of Andrology, Sexology & STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Urology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Aldo E. Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Fotios Dimitriadis
- Department of Urology, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Priyank Kothari
- Department of Urology, Topiwala National Medical College, B.Y.L Nair Ch Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | | | - Keisuke Okada
- Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Koji Chiba
- Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ates Kadıoglu
- Department of Urology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Baris Altay
- Department of Urology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Birute Zilaitiene
- Institute of Endocrinology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania, Turkey
| | - Fatih Gokalp
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey
| | - Aram Adamyan
- Department of Urology, Astghik Medical Center, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Darren Katz
- Men’s Health Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Western Precinct, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Urology, Western Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Chung
- Department of Urology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Gustavo Marquesine Paul
- Department of Clinical Surgery, Health Sciences Sector of the Federal University of Parana (UFPR), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Nikolaos Sofikitis
- Department of Urology, Ioannina University School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Ioannis Sokolakis
- 2nd Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Sakti Ronggowardhana Brodjonegoro
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Prof. Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ricky Adriansjah
- Department of Urology, Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Medical Faculty of Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Akira Tsujimura
- Department of Urology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Toshiyasu Amano
- Department of Urology, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, Nagano, Japan
| | - Giancarlo Balercia
- Department of Endocrinology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Imad Ziouziou
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco
| | | | - Marlon Martinez
- Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines
| | - Hyun Jun Park
- Department of Urology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
- Medical Research Institute of Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea
| | | | - Erman Ceyhan
- Department of Urology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kaan Aydos
- Department of Urology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jonathan Ramsay
- Department of Andrology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial, London, UK
| | - Suks Minhas
- Department of Urology, Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
| | - Manaf Al Hashimi
- Department of Urology, Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Clinical Urology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Ramy Abou Ghayda
- Institute of Urology, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nicholas Tadros
- Division of Urology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Puneet Sindhwani
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Christopher C.K. Ho
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Rinaldo Indra Rachman
- Department of Urology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Marcelo Rodriguez Pena
- Instituto de Ginecología y Fertilidad (IFER) y Universidad Barcelo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ahmad Motawi
- Department of Andrology, Sexology & STIs, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Satish Dipankar
- Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Mangalagiri, Mangalagiri, India
| | - Azwar Amir
- Department of Urology, Dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Saleh Binsaleh
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ege Can Serefoglu
- Department of Urology, Biruni University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ravi Banthia
- Department of Urology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kareim Khalafalla
- Department of Urology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Urology Department, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Urology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ari Basukarno
- Department of Urology, Dr. Dradjat Hospital, Serang, Indonesia
| | - Nguyen Hoai Bac
- Department of Andrology and Sexual Medicine, Hanoi Medical University’s Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | - Rafael F. Ambar
- Division of Urology, Centro Universitario FMABC, Santo André, Brazil
- Andrology Department at Ideia Fertil Institute, Santo Andre, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Shivam Priyadarshi
- Department of Urology, Sawai Man Singh Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Gede Wirya Kusuma Duarsa
- Department of Urology, Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G Ngoerah General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia
| | - Widi Atmoko
- Department of Urology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Sunil Jindal
- Department of Andrology & Reproductive Medicine, Jindal Hospital & Fertility Center, Meerut, India
| | - Eko Arianto
- Department of Urology, Prof R.D. Kandou Hospital, Manado, Indonesia
| | | | - Haitham El Bardisi
- Department of Urology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ohad Shoshany
- Department of Urology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gian Maria Busetto
- Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Univeristy of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Mohamad Moussa
- Department of Urology, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mounir Jamali
- Department of Urology, Military Teaching Hospital, Rabat, Morocco
| | | | | | - Hasan M. A. Farsi
- Department of Urology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shingai Mutambirwa
- Department of Urology, Dr. George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Medunsa, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa
| | - Dong Sup Lee
- Department of Urology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Deniz Kulaksiz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Health Sciences, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Yu-Sheng Cheng
- Department of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | - Selcuk Sarikaya
- Department of Urology, Gulhane Research and Training Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Kasonde Bowa
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Missy Savira
- Department of Urology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Nasser Mogharabian
- Sexual Health and Fertility Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Tan V. Le
- Department of Andrology, Binh Dan Hospital, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | | | - Dang Tuan Anh
- Tam Anh IVF Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tran Quang Tien Long
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hanoi Obstetric and Gynecology Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Mohammad Ayodhia Soebadi
- Department of Urology, Soetomo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Lukman Hakim
- Department of Urology, Universitas Airlangga Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Marko Tanic
- Department of Urology, General Hospital, Cuprija, Serbia
| | - Umut Cagin Ari
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey
| | - Firuza R. Parikh
- FertilTree-Jaslok International Fertility Centre, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Gokhan Calik
- Department of Urology, Istanbul Medipol Mega University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Vinod KV
- Cure & SK Hospital, Trivandrum, India
| | - Gyem Dorji
- Department of Anatomy, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | - Andri Rezano
- Andrology Study Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Osvaldo Rajmil
- Department of Andrology, Fundacio Puigvert, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dung Mai Ba Tien
- Department of Andrology, Binh Dan Hospital, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - Yiming Yuan
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Balantine Eze
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria
| | - Kay Seong Ngoo
- Urology Unit, Department of Surgery, Hospital Angkatan Tentera Tuanku Mizan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Joe Lee
- Department of Urology, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Umut Arslan
- Department of Urology, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ashok Agarwal
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia
- Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Agarwal A, Cannarella R, Saleh R, Boitrelle F, Gül M, Toprak T, Salvio G, Arafa M, Russo GI, Harraz AM, Singh R, Garrido N, Hamoda TAAAM, Rambhatla A, Kavoussi P, Kuroda S, Çalik G, Saini P, Ceyhan E, Dimitriadis F, Henkel R, Crafa A, Palani A, Duran MB, Maziotis E, Saïs É, Bendayan M, Darbandi M, Le TV, Gunes S, Tsioulou P, Sengupta P, Hazir B, Çeker G, Darbandi S, Durairajanayagam D, Aghamajidi A, Alkhalidi N, Sogutdelen E, Leisegang K, Alarbid A, Ho CCK, Malhotra V, Finocchi F, Crisóstomo L, Kosgi R, ElBardisi H, Zini A, Birowo P, Colpi G, Park HJ, Serefoglu EC, Nguyen Q, Ko E, de la Rosette J, Pinggera GM, Nguyen HVP, Kandil H, Shah R. Impact of Varicocele Repair on Semen Parameters in Infertile Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. World J Mens Health 2023; 41:289-310. [PMID: 36326166 PMCID: PMC10042659 DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.220142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite the significant role of varicocele in the pathogenesis of male infertility, the impact of varicocele repair (VR) on conventional semen parameters remains controversial. Only a few systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) have evaluated the impact of VR on sperm concentration, total motility, and progressive motility, mostly using a before-after analytic approach. No SRMA to date has evaluated the change in conventional semen parameters after VR compared to untreated controls. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of VR on conventional semen parameters in infertile patients with clinical varicocele compared to untreated controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search was performed using Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases following the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICOS) model (Population: infertile patients with clinical varicocele; Intervention: VR [any technique]; Comparison: infertile patients with clinical varicocele that were untreated; Outcome: sperm concentration, sperm total count, progressive sperm motility, total sperm motility, sperm morphology, and semen volume; Study type: randomized controlled trials and observational studies). RESULTS A total of 1,632 abstracts were initially assessed for eligibility. Sixteen studies were finally included with a total of 2,420 infertile men with clinical varicocele (1,424 patients treated with VR vs. 996 untreated controls). The analysis showed significantly improved post-operative semen parameters in patients compared to controls with regards to sperm concentration (standardized mean difference [SMD] 1.739; 95% CI 1.129 to 2.349; p<0.001; I²=97.6%), total sperm count (SMD 1.894; 95% CI 0.566 to 3.222; p<0.05; I²=97.8%), progressive sperm motility (SMD 3.301; 95% CI 2.164 to 4.437; p<0.01; I²=98.5%), total sperm motility (SMD 0.887; 95% CI 0.036 to 1.738; p=0.04; I²=97.3%) and normal sperm morphology (SMD 1.673; 95% CI 0.876 to 2.470; p<0.05; I²=98.5%). All the outcomes showed a high inter-study heterogeneity, but the sensitivity analysis showed that no study was sensitive enough to change these results. Publication bias was present only in the analysis of the sperm concentration and progressive motility. No significant difference was found for the semen volume (SMD 0.313; 95% CI -0.242 to 0.868; I²=89.7%). CONCLUSIONS This study provides a high level of evidence in favor of a positive effect of VR to improve conventional semen parameters in infertile men with clinical varicocele. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first SRMA to compare changes in conventional semen parameters after VR with changes in parameters of a control group over the same period. This is in contrast to other SRMAs which have compared semen parameters before and after VR, without reference to a control group. Our findings strengthen the available evidence and have a potential to upgrade professional societies' practice recommendations favoring VR to improve conventional semen parameters in infertile men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Agarwal
- Global Andrology Forum, American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Moreland Hills, OH, USA.
| | - Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ramadan Saleh
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Florence Boitrelle
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France
- Department of Biology, Reproduction, Epigenetics, Environment and Development, Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Murat Gül
- Department of Urology, Selcuk University School of Medicine, Konya, Türkiye
| | - Tuncay Toprak
- Department of Urology, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Gianmaria Salvio
- Department of Endocrinology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Mohamed Arafa
- Department of Urology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Ahmed M Harraz
- Mansoura University Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura, Egypt
- Department of Surgery, Urology Unit, Farwaniya Hospital, Farwaniya, Kuwait
- Department of Urology, Sabah Al Ahmad Urology Center, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Rajender Singh
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Nicolas Garrido
- IVI Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
| | - Taha Abo-Almagd Abdel-Meguid Hamoda
- Department of Urology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Amarnath Rambhatla
- Department of Urology, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Parviz Kavoussi
- Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Shinnosuke Kuroda
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Gökhan Çalik
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Pallavi Saini
- Division of Endocrinology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Erman Ceyhan
- Department of Urology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Fotios Dimitriadis
- Department of Urology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ralf Henkel
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
- LogixX Pharma, Theale, Berkshire, UK
| | - Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ayad Palani
- Research Centre, University of Garmian, Kalar, Iraq
| | - Mesut Berkan Duran
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Türkiye
| | - Evangelos Maziotis
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieion Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Émine Saïs
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France
- Department of Biology, Reproduction, Epigenetics, Environment and Development, Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Marion Bendayan
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France
- Department of Biology, Reproduction, Epigenetics, Environment and Development, Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Mahsa Darbandi
- Fetal Health Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
- Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tan V Le
- Department of Andrology, Binh Dan Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Sezgin Gunes
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Türkiye
| | - Petroula Tsioulou
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Pallav Sengupta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE
| | - Berk Hazir
- Reproductive Medicine, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Gökhan Çeker
- Department of Urology, Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Department of Embryology and Histology, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Institute of Health Sciences, Zonguldak, Türkiye
| | - Sara Darbandi
- Fetal Health Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
- Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | - Damayanthi Durairajanayagam
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Azin Aghamajidi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Noora Alkhalidi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Trinity Health/Mercy Health, Muskegon, MI, USA
| | | | - Kristian Leisegang
- School of Natural Medicine, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Abdullah Alarbid
- Department of Surgery, Urology Unit, Farwaniya Hospital, Farwaniya, Kuwait
| | - Christopher C K Ho
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Vineet Malhotra
- Department of Urology and Andrology, VNA Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Federica Finocchi
- Department of Endocrinology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Luís Crisóstomo
- Unidade Multidisciplinar de Investigação Biomédica (UMIB), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Raghavender Kosgi
- Department of Urology and Andrology, AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, India
| | - Haitham ElBardisi
- Department of Urology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Armand Zini
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ponco Birowo
- Department of Urology, Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Giovanni Colpi
- Andrology and IVF Center, Next Fertility Procrea, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Hyun Jun Park
- Department of Urology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
- Medical Research Institute of Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea
| | - Ege Can Serefoglu
- Department of Urology, Biruni University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Quang Nguyen
- Center for Andrology and Sexual Medicine, Viet Duc University Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Department of Urology, Andrology and Sexual Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Edmund Ko
- Department of Urology, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Jean de la Rosette
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol Mega University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Germar M Pinggera
- Department of Urology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ho Vinh Phuoc Nguyen
- Department of Andrology, Binh Dan Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | | | - Rupin Shah
- Division of Andrology, Department of Urology, Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, India
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