MP19-20 RECURRENCE RATES OF RADIOLOGICAL EMBOLIZATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF VARICOCELE ARE COMPARABLE TO SURGICAL INTERVENTION: A DECADE LONG STUDY

RESULTS: We collected data for 131 patients who had varicocele embolization treatment. Of these, we were able to gather complete follow up data for 83 patients. We found an abandonment rate of 4.8%, and a complication rate of 6.1% although all of these complications were minor and did not result in abandonment. In terms of follow up data, we found recurrences in five patients (6.0%). These results were comparable to similar studies published in the literature, although we demonstrated a smaller recurrence rate, possibly due to the lack of a learning curve with our interventional radiology unit. A summary of our patient demographics is presented in the table attached. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that radiological embolization is an effective modality for the treatment of varicoceles. We were able to demonstrate comparable results in terms of completion rate, complication rate and recurrence rate versus surgical treatment options. Furthermore, the fact that embolization is a day procedure that can be completed under local anaesthesia make it an effective option comparable to surgery for the treatment of varicoceles.