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Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Varicocele Repair and Assisted Reproductive Technology

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Varicocele and Male Infertility

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Abstract

The association between varicocele and male infertility is well-established, although the exact mechanism by which varicoceles cause infertility in men is debated. Surgical correction of varicoceles in men with infertility and abnormal semen parameters has been shown to improve semen parameters in most men. Over the last few decades, assisted reproductive technology (ART), most notably, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), has become a highly utilized approach to achieve pregnancy for couples with infertility. With ART options available to many couples, one must consider the most cost-effective mode of achieving pregnancy in infertile couples. This chapter examines the relationship of varicocelectomy and ART from the cost perspective. Infertile men who undergo varicocelectomy are often candidates for less invasive and less costly forms of ART. Moreover, for those men who still require ICSI after varicocele repair, the pregnancy and live birth rates are improved compared to men who use ICSI without varicocele repair. Lastly, varicocelectomy in men with varicocele-associated infertility is more cost-effective than proceeding directly to ART for infertility management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Darren J. Bryk & Sarah C. Vij

Authors
  1. Darren J. Bryk
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  2. Sarah C. Vij
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah C. Vij .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. ANDROFERT, Andrology & Human Reproduction Clinic, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Sandro C Esteves

  2. S.H. Ho Urology Centre, Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Chak-Lam Cho

  3. Department of Urology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, Doha, Qatar

    Ahmad Majzoub

  4. Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Ashok Agarwal

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Bryk, D.J., Vij, S.C. (2019). Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Varicocele Repair and Assisted Reproductive Technology. In: Esteves, S., Cho, CL., Majzoub, A., Agarwal, A. (eds) Varicocele and Male Infertility. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-79102-9_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-79102-9_28

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-79102-9

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