Getting varicocele ligation, do you think it could restore my T levels?

Hi,
I am diagnosed with hypogonadism due to varicoceles. I have a grade 2+ on the right side. It causes a lot of pain and a grade 1 on the left side, that had no pain. I've had testicular pain since 2001 and I was diagnosed with chronic prostatitis and chronic eipdidymitis but, my new doctor did a sonogram and said I've been misdiagnosed for the past 15 years. I also have low sperm count and the sperm is misshapen, etc. The doc said that the varicocele surgery could fix that.

Here's the problem. The doc's been telling me for a couple of years to get the surgery but I've been scared. I finally got he courage to do it but I asked him if the surgery could get my testosterone level back. He showed me studies where t levels came back up 100-150 point after surgery but he said that it's unlikely that I'll go from 270 to 550 or above.

What do you guys think? He said I'm primary because of the varicoceles but my LH and FSH are in low normal range. I told him that I read that if it were primary, I would have high LH and FSH but he said no. He scanned my brain, thyroid, did blood work and saw nothing else to point to low t besides the varicoceles.

Thanks for any advice

We were identical except my varicocele was a grade 3 and I had it for years. I had 4 kids so my GP didnt think anything of it. Then I started feeling like crap and found out my T was low. I had the surgery. It was easy and a quick recovery. My T level was 200 before the surgery and after (45 days) went to 275. I was put on TRT at my request and have been on it ever since (about 5 years ago). I think it depends on the grade and how long you have had it. Everyone is different and you may have a different result. I always wonder if I had waited longer if it woulf have come back higher, but I was so tired of feeling like crap.

That's what my doc said too. He said if I had it treated back in 2001, when I first started feeling symptoms, there was a chance it could turn out better, but he doubts I'll recover. He also said that I've been on TRT for the past 3 years so that makes a difference too. He said that even if you take HCG, you never really recover from years of TRT. I had a daughter about 13 years ago, but that was it. It's been problematic since then. The doc also diagnosed me with secondary infertility and I banked sperm in case.

If I could, I would have been treated back then, but I didn't know. I was just given pain pills and antibiotics. They all thought I was getting infections.

whats the difference between varicoclele and a spermatocele ?

I tend to agree with your thinking that if your LH and FSH are low then it's likely secondary but the varicocele certainly doesn't help. I too have varicocele and doc said I may get a 50 point TT boost with surgery. I'm not in pain and I've had it since I was 14 years old, 44 now, so I decided to leave it alone. From what I've read, it just doesn't seem like the surgery will increase your testosterone level to the point you'll be happy with. But I'm sure there's other benefits to having the surgery.

Bama Boy said:

whats the difference between varicoclele and a spermatocele ?

Click to expand...

Varicocele is an enlarged vein, like a varicose vein in your spermatic cord. Can be painful, can cause fertility problems, testosterone problems, etc. or, you might have it and never have a problem.

A spermatocele is something else I also have. It's a cyst in your epididymis. Right now, we're not sure if the pain is caused by the varicocele or the spermatocele. They would rather operate on the varicocele because there's less likely a chance that surgery on the varicocele can sterilize me like surgery on the spermatocele might.