Impact of Varicocele on Pregnancy and Live Birth Outcomes in Men with Clinical Varicocele: Systematic Review of Controlled Studies

The relationship between varicocele and conception remains contentious, primarily due to the limited number of controlled studies available for analysis. Despite an extensive systematic search for controlled studies comparing pregnancy-related outcomes in men with and without clinical varicocele, only two studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies showed no significant differences in time to achieve pregnancy or previous conception rates between the two groups. However, men with varicocele exhibited a slightly lower, statistically significant, live birth rate compared to men without varicocele. This highlights the need for further research on this topic to provide evidence-based guidance on the impact of varicocele on fertility outcomes.