Do you have to have surgery for varicocele?

Patient's question:

Got left varicocele, generally no symptoms, occasionally mild pain in the testicle and abdomen

Doctor's answer:

Generally speaking, surgical treatment is not the best decision for varicocele, but currently, surgical treatment remains the primary approach for moderate to severe varicocele, mainly using high ligation of the internal spermatic vein. Patients with moderate varicocele often have poor vascular elasticity and incompetent valves. Without treatment, symptoms may tend to soften. Some have tested non-surgical treatments such as embolization therapy, but due to their high failure rate, they cannot replace surgery. For mild varicocele, a scrotal support can also be used to hold the scrotum, stabilizing the local blood clot condition.