it doesn't need to affect both sides to cause poor sperm count and quality.I have to disagree. You only need one testicle to be fertile. Naturally 2 would be better but one is sufficient. I'm not sure how much the sperm count would be reduced by losing 1 testicle though.
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I seriously think I have a testicular problem, wow
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hi, i read this post and I think this may be something I've developed. I noticed back around november some issues, and since then it's been there but hasn't really changed much at all. It feels like a small lumpy mess of tubes close to my left testicle and then 1 large tube that goes up and into me somewhere, i can follow it up a few cm but then I lose it in everything else up there. I also noticed that the tube leading from my right testicle is much thinner then this one is, and it crosses to the left side under the base of the penis and up into my body along side the thicker tube.So my questions are, how do they develop? I've not had this my whole life or even 6 months. Also, focus said that he's had a surgery to fix it. Is it expensive, would a doctor be hisitant to reccomend it if it's not severe? are they cutting things? could there be things lost as a result? Also, do they just kinda drug you up, or do they like put you to sleep? I've never been examined by anyone and the closest thing to a surgery I've ever had was a filling on my tooth, so I've very doctor-phobic. Thanks for any input anyone.
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You really need to see a urologist - you will be examined and then advised what, if anything, needs to be done.
With modern medications, anesthesia is much safer and better tolerated nowadays - so don't be afraid to seek advice from a doctor. -
In reply to:
I have to disagree. You only need one testicle to be fertile. Naturally 2 would be better but one is sufficient. I'm not sure how much the sperm count would be reduced by losing 1 testicle though.
You can disagree all you want, and I understand where you are coming from (Lance Armstrong fathered children just fine with only 1 testicle). However, it is a FACT that a varicocele on just one side can cause a man to be infertile. In most infertile cases of a varicocele, there is just one varicocele on the left side. 80% of the time, the varicocele is on the left side, because the spermatic cord is much longer on that side. It is rare to have a varicocele on the right side, and very rare to have varicoceles on both testes.
The two major reasons as to why varicoceles are thought have negative impact on sperm count and quality are: higher temperatures of the testicle caused by the excess blood pooled in the varicocele, and poor blood flow in and out of the testicle caused by the varicocele, which means less oxygen and nutrients to the sperm producing cells in the testicle, and thus, less production.
Now, it is possible that the first issue, excess heat, spreads to the right testicle and affects sperm production there since it is right next to the left side varicocele. If this is the case, then in theory, a man with a large left side varicocele would have a lower sperm count and quality than a man with just one healthy testicle and no varicocele. I'm not sure if any studies have been done to compare the two, but I'm pretty certain this is the case.
Sperm concentrations below 20 million per mL is deemed infertile, and poor motility is also a fertility problem. Both poor concentration and motility are common problems with varicoceles, and can put a man in the infertile category.
Assuming a man has 2 healthy testicles with no varicocele that produce say 200 million sperm per day combined, and he loses one testicle, his sperm production would drop to 100 million per day, and he should still have plenty of sperm to be in the fertile category.
So I guess the bottom line is a varicocele can affect sperm counts more than losing a testicle.
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In reply to: It feels like a small lumpy mess of tubes close to my left testicle and then 1 large tube that goes up and into me somewhere, i can follow it up a few cm but then I lose it in everything else up there. What you described sounds like a varicocele, but a trip to the doctor is the only thing to confirm it. In reply to:So my questions are, how do they develop? Varicoceles are caused by the failure of tiny valves inside the veins that are designed to keep blood from flowing backwards with gravity in between heart beats. When these tiny valves fail, the blood flows backwards a little in between heart beats, and extra blood pools inside the vein, causing the vein to swell, and forces the vein to hold much more blood than it was designed to. The swelling causes the veins to develop bends and bulges since the vein walls are soft. Doctors aren't exactly sure what causes these veins to fail. They think there may be a hereditary factor there (i.e. your mother or father probably had weak veins too), but they are pretty certain there isn't any physical activity that causes a varicocele. So, there isn't anything you could have done to prevent a varicocele. It usually occurs on the left testicle because the spermatic cord (that tube your noticed going inside your body), is much longer than the right, and the blood in the veins on the left side have a much further distance to go to get to the heart, therefore the valves inside the veins are under more stress and are more likely to fail. In reply to: Also, focus said that he's had a surgery to fix it. Is it expensive, would a doctor be hisitant to reccomend it if it's not severe? Yes, it can be expensive. My insurance paid for it, so I don't know how much it costs. Most insurance will cover it, so long as it is not an elective surgery and the doctor says it is necessary. Most doctors will not recommend surgery for a varicocele, unless at least one of the following issues exist:1 - You are experiencing pain or discomfort from the varicocele2 - The varicocele is very large and causing your testicle to shrink in size3 - You are trying to father a child and sperm counts show you are infertile because of the varicocele. In reply to:are they cutting things? could there be things lost as a result?Yes, they make an incision in your groin, pull your testicle out through the incision so they can work on the veins in the open. Using a microscope, the surgeon identifies the varicose veins, cuts them, and ties them off with surgical string, then puts the testicle back in through the incision and into the scrotum. The blood that was carried by the cut off veins now gets carried by other veins that are already OK (there are more veins than are necessary). The varicose veins aren't cut out or removed - they are simply cut and tied off.There is a small risk that the surgeon cuts the wrong tube, and ends up cutting the vas deferens or part of the epidydimis, which collect the sperm from the testicle and carry them inside the body for ejaculation. This could have a negative effect on fertility, but it is not likely to cause you to be sterile, since the right side testicle is unaffected. This is a very rare risk. In reply to: Also, do they just kinda drug you up, or do they like put you to sleep? Both. I had a spinal (epidural) anesthetic, which numbs you from your waist down, but doesn't put you to sleep. They gave me a sedative too, to relax me, but the sedative put me to sleep anyway, so I don't remember anything of the surgery - I slept through it. In reply to:I've never been examined by anyone and the closest thing to a surgery I've ever had was a filling on my tooth, so I've very doctor-phobicNo need to be doctor-phobic. This is a common surgery, and a very safe surgery. It is also relatively minor, with a pretty quick recovery. I had knee surgery before this, and that was much more involved and painful. But only your doctor can recommend if you need surgery or not. Most guys with varicoceles do not need surgery. Again, 15 to 20% of all guys have a varicocele, but 15 to 20% of all guys have NOT had surgery to correct it. I would be surprised if it is more than 1 or 2 % have had the surgery.
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(Lance Armstrong fathered children just fine with only 1 testicle). And so did my hubby, he fell out of a tree when he was 7 or so, a twig went right through one of his testicles, and it kinda shrivelled up, no one knew if it would make a difference to him fathering kids, and apparently it didn't.
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OMG!Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!That had to be painful. I had a crawfish pinch one of mine when I was skinny dipping in the lake at summer camp when I was about 10...
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Well I went to the urologist today, and I have a pretty big varicocele in the bottom back region of my left testicle. They said they were surprised I had no pain with it being as big as it was. I got to see it on an ultra-sound, then they made me to a situp to watch how big it gets when I strain in my lower adbomen. I'm having surgery around May or June to remove it. Oh..boy..
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I'm glad you got it checked out by a professional. Don't worry about the surgery - it's really no big deal, and is a safe and common procedure, with very little pain involved. I survived it just fine Plus, think how nice it will be to have normal testicles again after the surgery! Then you'll have no worries and can get on with the rest of your life.
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They pull your testicle out in the open through like 5 inches in ur groin? ARE YOU SERIOUS? I had no idea...but I had the surgery done. It was causing my left testicle to shrink. Crap..i think this was a dead thread...
