A procedure using a tiny platinum coil has given couples significantly better chances of having a baby.

A new study published in the August issue of Radiology revealed that a minimally invasive operation can improve the function of sperm in male patients.

By inserting a small catheter through a nick in the skin, doctors can use x-ray guidance to find a varicocele.

The varicocele, a network of tangled vessels in the scrotum, occurs when valves that regulate the blood flow to the testes become defective.

Sometimes they can cause pain, shrinkage or fertility problems and they were traditionally cured with open surgery.

But a tiny platinum coil can now be inserted into the gonadic vein through the catheter to ensure blood flow is restored.

In a survey of 223 infertile males aged 18-50 with at least one varicocele, 226 of the total 228 varioceles were treated successfully.

Sebastian Flacke, Associate Professor of Radiology at the Tufts University School of Medicine, said the treatment allowed more than one-quarter of "their healthy partners" to become pregnant.



Source:

Minimally invasive treatment improves male fertility, 22/07/08
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/rson-mit071508.php