Does fertility improvement after varicocele treatment justify preventive treatment at puberty?

Evolution of fertility parameters in 374 patients who underwent surgical intervention (Palomo technique) for varicocele was studied. Preoperative motility, morphology, and concentration of spermatocytes did not correlate with degree of varicocele. Statistically postoperative parameters all were significantly improved and the left testicle volume increased. However, improvement did not correlate with degree of varicocele, age at intervention, or pregnancy rate. Extrapolation of results to subclinical varicoceles and treatment of varicoceles in adolescents still remains questionable.