Esta página se tradujo automáticamente y no se garantiza la precisión de la traducción. por favor refiérase a versión inglesa para un texto fuente.

Selective Extended Venous Stripping Versus Standard Microsurgical Varicocelectomy for Varicocele-Related Male Infertility

18 de mayo de 2026 actualizado por: Ahmed Ebrahim Zahran, Benha University

Selective Extended Microsurgical Venous Stripping Versus Standard Microsurgical Subinguinal Varicocelectomy in Infertile Men With Abnormal Semen Parameters: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Varicocele is a common correctable cause of male infertility and may be associated with abnormal semen parameters, impaired testicular function, and scrotal discomfort. Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy is a commonly used surgical approach because it allows careful preservation of the testicular artery, lymphatic channels, vas deferens, and vasal vessels under magnification. However, persistent or recurrent varicocele may still occur after surgery, possibly because of missed or persistent venous channels.

This randomized controlled trial will compare two surgical techniques in infertile men with clinically palpable varicocele and abnormal semen parameters. Participants will be randomly assigned to either microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy with selective extended venous stripping or standard microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy with conventional vein ligation and division.

The main purpose of the study is to determine whether selective extended venous stripping reduces the rate of clinically and Doppler-confirmed persistent or recurrent varicocele at 12 months after surgery compared with the standard microsurgical technique. The study will also compare semen parameter improvement, pain improvement in participants with baseline pain, pregnancy outcomes, operative time, postoperative complications, and the need for additional treatment during 12 months of follow-up.

Descripción general del estudio

Estado

Aún no reclutando

Condiciones

Intervención / Tratamiento

Tipo de estudio

Intervencionista

Inscripción (Estimado)

160

Fase

  • No aplica

Contactos y Ubicaciones

Esta sección proporciona los datos de contacto de quienes realizan el estudio e información sobre dónde se lleva a cabo este estudio.

Estudio Contacto

Ubicaciones de estudio

  • Egipto
    • Qalyubia Governorate
      • Banhā, Qalyubia Governorate, Egipto, 13511
        • Benha University Hospital
        • Contacto:

Criterios de participación

Los investigadores buscan personas que se ajusten a una determinada descripción, denominada criterio de elegibilidad. Algunos ejemplos de estos criterios son el estado de salud general de una persona o tratamientos previos.

Criterio de elegibilidad

Edades elegibles para estudiar

  • Adulto

Acepta Voluntarios Saludables

No

Descripción

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male patients aged 18 to 50 years.
  • Couple infertility for at least 12 months.
  • Clinically palpable grade I to III varicocele confirmed by physical examination.
  • Abnormal semen parameters documented on at least two semen analyses performed 2 to 4 weeks apart according to World Health Organization laboratory standards.
  • Female partner evaluation completed or planned, with no untreated severe female factor that would make natural conception impossible.
  • Willingness to comply with postoperative follow-up at 3, 6, and 12 months.
  • Written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Azoospermia or cryptozoospermia, defined as absence of sperm in the native ejaculate on at least two baseline semen analyses, including cases in which sperm are detected only after centrifugation.
  • Known clinically significant chromosomal or genetic abnormality that independently explains severe male infertility, when identified before enrollment.
  • Previous varicocelectomy of the index side.
  • Previous inguinal, scrotal, or retroperitoneal surgery that may alter spermatic cord anatomy.
  • Subclinical varicocele only.
  • Isolated scrotal pain with normal semen parameters.
  • Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism requiring hormonal induction therapy.
  • Testosterone therapy within the previous 6 months.
  • Use of anti-estrogens, gonadotropins, or aromatase inhibitors within the previous 3 months.
  • Active genitourinary infection.
  • Testicular tumor or history of testicular cancer.
  • Severe systemic disease contraindicating surgery or anesthesia.
  • Inability to provide informed consent.
  • Inability or unwillingness to complete follow-up.

Plan de estudios

Esta sección proporciona detalles del plan de estudio, incluido cómo está diseñado el estudio y qué mide el estudio.

¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?

Detalles de diseño

  • Propósito principal: Tratamiento
  • Asignación: Aleatorizado
  • Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación paralela
  • Enmascaramiento: Doble

Armas e Intervenciones

Grupo de participantes/brazo
Intervención / Tratamiento
Experimental: Microsurgical Varicocelectomy With Selective Extended Venous
Participants randomized to this arm will undergo microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy with selective extended venous stripping. Suitable clinically relevant dilated veins will be circumferentially dissected, mobilized, stripped over a defined segment, ligated, and divided when predefined safety criteria are met. Veins unsuitable for safe stripping will be treated by standard ligation and division, with documentation of the reason for non-stripping.
Procedimiento: Microsurgical Subinguinal Varicocelectomy With Selective Extended Venous Stripping
Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy performed under magnification with preservation of the testicular artery, lymphatic channels, vas deferens, and vasal vessels. Favorable clinically relevant dilated veins will be dissected, mobilized, stripped over a defined segment, ligated, and divided. Veins not suitable for safe stripping will be treated by standard ligation and division.
Comparador activo: Standard Microsurgical Subinguinal Varicocelectomy
Participants randomized to this arm will undergo standard microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy with conventional ligation and division of identified veins requiring treatment under microscopic magnification. No venous stripping will be performed.
Procedimiento: Standard Microsurgical Subinguinal Varicocelectomy With Conventional Vein Ligation
Standard microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy performed under magnification. Identified veins requiring treatment will be isolated, ligated, and divided while preserving the testicular artery, lymphatic channels, vas deferens, and vasal vessels. Venous stripping will not be performed.

¿Qué mide el estudio?

Medidas de resultado primarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Persistent or Recurrent Varicocele on the Operated Side
Periodo de tiempo: 12 months after surgery
Persistent or recurrent varicocele will be defined as a palpable varicocele on standing physical examination confirmed by color Doppler ultrasound showing pampiniform plexus vein diameter of at least 3.0 millimeters with reflux lasting more than 2 seconds during Valsalva maneuver. For bilateral surgery, recurrence on either operated side will be counted as recurrence.
12 months after surgery

Medidas de resultado secundarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Change in Total Motile Sperm Count
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline and 6 months after surgery
Total motile sperm count will be calculated as semen volume multiplied by sperm concentration multiplied by total motility percentage. The mean of two baseline semen analyses will be used for baseline assessment.
Baseline and 6 months after surgery
Change in Sperm Concentration
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Sperm concentration will be measured by semen analysis according to World Health Organization laboratory standards.
Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Change in Total Sperm Count
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Total sperm count will be measured by semen analysis according to World Health Organization laboratory standards.
Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Change in Progressive Sperm Motility
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Progressive sperm motility will be measured as the percentage of sperm showing progressive movement on semen analysis.
Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Change in Total Sperm Motility
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Total sperm motility will be measured as the percentage of motile sperm on semen analysis.
Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Change in Normal Sperm Morphology
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Normal sperm morphology will be measured as the percentage of sperm with normal morphology on semen analysis.
Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Change in Scrotal Pain Visual Analog Scale Score Among Participants with Baseline Pain
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Scrotal pain will be assessed using a 0 to 10 visual analog scale among participants who report baseline varicocele-related scrotal pain. A score of 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain.
Baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery
Number of Couples Achieving Spontaneous Pregnancy
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 12 months after surgery
Spontaneous pregnancy in the female partner will be recorded during follow-up and reported separately from assisted reproductive technology-related pregnancy.
Up to 12 months after surgery
Number of Couples Achieving Assisted Reproductive Technology-Related Pregnancy
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 12 months after surgery
Pregnancy achieved using assisted reproductive technology will be recorded during follow-up and reported separately from spontaneous pregnancy.
Up to 12 months after surgery
Operative time
Periodo de tiempo: Intraoperatively
Operative time will be measured from skin incision to completion of wound closure.
Intraoperatively
Number of Participants Requiring Additional Intervention for Persistent or Recurrent Varicocele
Periodo de tiempo: 12 months after surgery
Any additional surgical, radiologic, or other intervention for persistent or recurrent varicocele will be recorded.
12 months after surgery
Number of Participants with Postoperative Complications
Periodo de tiempo: Up to 12 months after surgery
Postoperative complications will be recored after surgery. Complications will be graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification of postoperative surgical complications, which classifies complications based on the treatment required, ranging from Grade I for minor deviations from normal recovery to Grade V for death.
Up to 12 months after surgery

Colaboradores e Investigadores

Aquí es donde encontrará personas y organizaciones involucradas en este estudio.

Patrocinador

Benha University

Fechas de registro del estudio

Estas fechas rastrean el progreso del registro del estudio y los envíos de resultados resumidos a ClinicalTrials.gov. Los registros del estudio y los resultados informados son revisados ​​por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (NLM) para asegurarse de que cumplan con los estándares de control de calidad específicos antes de publicarlos en el sitio web público.

Fechas importantes del estudio

Inicio del estudio (Estimado)

15 de junio de 2026

Finalización primaria (Estimado)

15 de junio de 2028

Finalización del estudio (Estimado)

15 de junio de 2028

Fechas de registro del estudio

Enviado por primera vez

18 de mayo de 2026

Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

18 de mayo de 2026

Publicado por primera vez (Actual)

22 de mayo de 2026

Actualizaciones de registros de estudio

Última actualización publicada (Actual)

22 de mayo de 2026

Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

18 de mayo de 2026

Última verificación

1 de mayo de 2026

Más información

Términos relacionados con este estudio

Palabras clave

Términos MeSH relevantes adicionales

Otros números de identificación del estudio

  • RC 12-4-2025

Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)

¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?

SÍ

Descripción del plan IPD

Deidentified individual participant data supporting the main study results may be shared upon reasonable request. Shared data may include baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment allocation, operative variables, semen analysis parameters, pain scores, Doppler ultrasound findings, pregnancy outcomes, recurrence outcomes, and postoperative complications. No directly identifying participant information will be shared.

Marco de tiempo para compartir IPD

Data will be available beginning 6 months after publication of the main study results and will remain available for 3 years.

Criterios de acceso compartido de IPD

Data will be shared with qualified researchers who submit a scientifically sound research proposal. Requests will be reviewed by the principal investigator and study investigators. Data will be provided only after approval of the request and, when required, completion of a data sharing agreement.

Tipo de información de apoyo para compartir IPD

  • PROTOCOLO DE ESTUDIO
  • SAVIA
  • CIF

Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio

Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Esta información se obtuvo directamente del sitio web clinicaltrials.gov sin cambios. Si tiene alguna solicitud para cambiar, eliminar o actualizar los detalles de su estudio, comuníquese con register@clinicaltrials.gov. Tan pronto como se implemente un cambio en clinicaltrials.gov, también se actualizará automáticamente en nuestro sitio web. .

Suscribir