794 thoughts on “PREFACE”

1. thanks for the update jp
   keep us posted! and good luck

2. Update from me!

   Recovery going well. Took about a week for all the gas pain to go away and now walking completely fine. Still have to take it easy though with pace and impact. Also been very stiff due to not exercising yet but have been able to drive just fine. But after long car journeys I can’t stretch properly yet due to my incisions so I have to deal with stiffness for the time being but it’s not bad at all.

   Just hit the 2 week mark post operation and left testicle has been very swollen and tender. Spoke to my surgeon and he’s put me on antibiotics for the next 12 days as he suspects an infection of some sort but nothing to worry about. Got my follow up appointment with him next week in person. Will let you know how I get on!

   Best of luck lads

   JP

3. Hi sam
   depends on country etc but my guess is yes you could sue.. but you should probably consult with your local jurisdiction. i’d be happy to help in any way i can about that (testimony etc)
   keep us posted, best

4. Hi guys,

   Sam again here. Nice to see some other accounts since my post. I feared this website had been buried deep into google.

   JP and Carl, please keep us posted on your recovery.

   I would like some further opinions on whether it is worth getting my coils out. I don’t tend to get too much pain per se, but the impact of the coils is definitely clear such as affecting my pelvic floor, it gets tight very easily, and there is much more fullness down in that region. It seems to have made my whole body much tighter and I am getting tension headaches more often when before I barely ever got headaches. Also making eating more challenging and appetite is reduced. Running is not as enjoyable and don’t feel the same relaxation I used to afterwards.

   Is it possible to sue for this? I really just want to be able to recoup the cost of any corrective surgery I need, rather than getting a “payday” but this has caused me significant mental distress and I have been feeling depressed for the 6 months since my procedure.

5. hi jp
   good luck, keep us posted
   all info on my own recovery is posted on this website
   best
   ave

6. Hi everyone,

   Had my coils removed last week. The reason it was done so quickly was because I fortunately had it done privately and there was a cancellation. Also the coils had migrated into my renal vein so the doctor must have thought it was best to see me ASAP.

   Recovery is going well. Still some gas pain but I’m walking around fine at a normal walking pace. On day one I could barely walk faster than a tortoise. I have begun to notice that my left testicle is very swollen. Maybe hydrocele or just swelling as a result of the surgery?

   Please may other people tell me whether this is normal? I’m a bit worried about this.

   I’ve got a follow up appointment with the doctor in 2 weeks to check how recovery is going and I’ll ask him all my questions but I’m so happy the coil is out. I really feel like myself again despite still having testicle pain but that should subside as I continue to recover!

   My surgeon was Dr. Azhar Khan at London Bridge.

   I found out about this surgeon by reading through this website and finding JH’s story. So I really owe it do you admin for making this otherwise I’d still be suffering and the coil may have migrated further. God Bless

   JP

7. you’re welcome carl, glad i / we (everyone who has posted on this site) could help.
   what doctor did you use?
   kind regards
   ave

8. Dear againstvaricoceleembolization.org,

   I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the invaluable resource you have provided through your website. Because of your hard work and dedication, I was able to find a doctor who could remove my varicocele embolization coils, which I experienced an allergic reaction to just one week after implantation.

   Your efforts allowed me to quickly identify a solution before it was too late. Thanks to the information and guidance I found on your platform, I now have my life back and am on the path to recovery.

   Thank you for saving my life and making such a significant difference in my life and across the world may God bless you immensely.

   Yours sincerely,
   Carl

9. hi jp
   that was quick..!
   where did you have it removed?
   keep us posted
   cheers
   a

10. Just had my coils removed lads. Feeling great!

11. Hi ave, he is located in Birmingham UK. Mr John Parkin Consultant Urological Surgeon.

    It was hard to find someone willing and skilled enough to tackle this complex operation.

12. hi olly
    thanks for sharing. sorry to hear you’re not totally back to speed. i’ve removed your email address… bc you will get a lot of spam (like i do on this site) — but i am happy to put anyone in touch with you, they only need to post a message to that effect and i will forward your info
    could you say where john parkin is located?
    thanks good luck
    ave

13. Hi all, thought I’d share my story been following this forum for a while now. I have a photo of the coils/ vein removed for those interested but unable to post here.

    Please feel free to reach out I know how much speaking to people with the same issues helps you aren’t alone in this!

    I still have lower abdominal/ groin/ pelvic and behind testicle discomfort pain. Seen pain specialist etc and had more ct scans and ultrasounds everything is fine apparently, yet I’m still in discomfort.

    Was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences post coil removal?

    After my initial embolisation I was told the coils and pain would settle after a year when 6 weeks after they were put in I was in A&E in agony. They had to be taken out eventually proves the docs and ‘professionals’ actually do not know best!

    Less bad symptoms now they are out but not pain free or perfect yet.

    Timeline:
    Grade 3 varicocele diagnosed by interventional radiologist I presented with classic symptoms also worse on prolonged standing and hot due to extra blood flow plus walking funny. Thought the coils were low/ no risk and would fix my issues.

    Embolisation carried out June 2022 by Dr Paul Crowe
    Removed March 2023 by Mr John Parkin

14. I had a CT scan to assess the location of my coil. It appears that the top of the upper most coil slightly protrudes into my renal vein.

    I really want this coil removed. Anyone know about removal in my case?

15. to recent posters joe, and sam, both in uk : you may think of suing your doctors, as your embolization was recent. mine was too far back to pursue.

    to all: i would be happy to testify in such a court case. doctors really are crazy to continue performing embolizations without communicating the true, big risks

    a

16. hi joe
    all the doctors that i know are listed on the preface page… see Dr. Neil Barber, Nuffield Woking Hospital, Woking England (near London) (see JH’s post below) and Dr. Hugh Gilbert, Nuffield Health, UK.
    i dont really know how safe coil removal is, in an absolute sense. it has given many people relief, myself included. but there are definitely risks — a doctor will be cutting you open to remove the coils. also, the length of time the coils are in place may have an impact–for example, mine were removed 8years after placement.
    good luck
    a

17. Hi all,
    I had an embolisation done back in September after being told it was the best way to get rid of my painful varicocele. Fast forward 4 months, I am still in pain and have been experiencing shooting pains where the coil is located. I get left flank pain too.
    I had a CT scan done in November that showed that the upper tip of the coil slightly pertrudes into the renal vein, although no evidence of thrombus. However, this terrifies me because that gives the chance of it being an issue in the future. Getting this coil was the worse decison of my life as the varicocele pain was even that bad before the procedure. I need it removed.
    I live the UK. Is there anyone from the UK who can give some advice?
    Also admin, how safe is coil removal?
    Thanks

18. Hi guys.

    25 Male based in Scotland.

    Had an embolisation performed on the 30th July. 5 coils placed. Only coils used and no foam/glue. Varicocele was grade 3.

    Since then I seem to be having some not so enjoyable effects. Sometimes dull pain in testicle (there was none before – had the procedure done for fertility reasons), can feel pressure in abdomen (I have a GI condition but this seems to have exacerbated it). Exercise and sex/masturbation seems to worsen it.

    It seems to have really messed up my pelvic floor. Now when I try to masturbate, most of the time, I seem to start to lose my erection when I get closer to finishing, it does not take long for this to happen. Also I have decreased pleasure and there feels like a fullness down in my pelvic floor. Also feel more bloated and as a result my appetite has decreased. Furthermore, I have kind of this strange discomfort around my groin area and a kind of itchy feeling down there.

    Not going to lie this has got me feeling pretty depressed. I have some chronic health issues already and I was hoping that resolving my varicocele would improve things for me. It seems to have made the issues I had even worse.

    The issues I already had were gastrointestinal and very much related to my pelvic floor as well. Before the embolization however, if I really pushed hard (did intense exercise, eat very well + a number of other practices) I could feel like I was making improvement, and a hard run would make me feel more loose, especially in pelvic floor. Now, I still of course feel better for doing exercise, but that tightness is still present in pelvic floor after, and is maybe even more noticeable. It’s harder to achieve that euphoric feeling.

    I’m not going to lie, a significant percentage of my thoughts recently have been thinking about getting these coils out, and not really feeling that I can relax until I’ve got them out. But given my other health conditions I cannot risk any possible further damage. I saw a comment on reddit about a guy who got his out and is left with neuropathic pain from the removal procedure, although he had much more severe symptoms than me from the embolization. My symptoms are not absolutely horrific, but enough to really dull my life down and to really unsettle me especially combined with my other condition. I am feeling really depressed thinking about the possibility of being like this for the rest of my life.

    Just not sure what to do here. Given that I don’t think I can really feel relaxed until they are out, it seems that I will have to go down that route. However I need to take the time to find the absolute best surgeon for the job. If that means saving up for a year to afford the best care, alongside whatever costs associated with travel and accommodation – I will do that.

    I hate this situation, because sometimes I almost feel “normal” but I certainly am I aware that I am not. Given that reality, it would make the decision to get surgery a hard one. But I can’t imagine living rest of my like this. People may say I could “improve” and I would say that certain symptoms maybe have improved but I’m pretty confident that they won’t improve enough for me to feel completely “whole” and while my body may come to “get used” to the coils, I can’t bear the thoughts of never truly feeling myself again. Especially given I haven’t really felt fully myself for years as a result of my other condition bar some limited experiences where I’ve had a “window” into how my health could be if I could control for certain factors which I currently can’t due to life circumstances but believe I will be able to in the future.

    Sorry for the long post, it just feels somewhat nice to have found a place with other people who’ve had similar experiences to me. Pretty much everywhere else I’ve looked everyone saying it’s 100% safe with no downsides. Quite f’d up tbh.

    I welcome conversation and would be happy to go into more details and hear more experiences although I have spent a considerable amount of time reading through much of the comments on here.

19. not that i know of

20. Has anyone had the coils removed through open surgery instead of laproscopic?

21. hi HR
    i’m afraid the list on this site are all the doctors that have been known to do the removal, but i can’t speak to whether one is better than another. good luck, keep us posted!
    ps. messages sometimes take time to be posted bc i have to approve them. (lots of spam otherwise)

22. This is a CT scan of the coils for reference after I had the hernia repair surgery with mesh.
    http://puu.sh/KdZL2/c1ced1a083.png

23. I am in Florida and had 3 coils put in my left gonadal vein 2 years ago. I have had chronic pain ever since and been struggling to find a Doctor to help. I saw a hernia specialist who said the pain could be from a small inguinal hernia, so I had a Bard 3D Max put in to repair the hernia 1 year ago. That only made the chronic pain worse. All the doctors I’ve seen have echoed that it is not possible the coils are causing the pain.

    When I massage the area directly above where the coils were placed, I have excruciating pain shoot down my left groin, tip of penis, and leg even after 2 years. It is in the area of my psoas an inch below my hip bone.

    Who would be the best doctor to reach out to in the US? Would it be Dr Stein at Cleveland Clinic?
    I’m worried that these doctors may refuse me since I have a hernia mesh over that area now.

24. sorry to hear this robert. keep us posted, and good luck!
    ps. regarding that paper, yes i had read it before (see my note in the preface, saying that its claim to be the first removal operation was a bit disingenous. but at least it’s published!)

25. I wish I found this page earlier! I had a varicocele embolization last week. I only had mild pain and looking to have a child. Seemed like it was safe enough and thought they’d put in 1-3 coils at most. I learned they put in EIGHTEEN coils.

    NYC area. I’m in my earlier 40s. Never a health complication ever. Perfect health. I was in the best shape of my life and worried this procedure will be my downfall.

    I am an avid runner. I also figured the recovery time of one week to start running again was advantageous because I’m training for another marathon. Today was my first run after the embolization. I took it easy, but I still have discomfort in my lower abdomen and pelvic area. It seems I can feel pinches when I stretch and go into yoga positions.

    I regret voluntarily going for the embolization. If you only have mild pain and, even with lower than normal fertility metrics, I’d caution against getting this procedure done.

    I’m going to contact doctors on this site for the removal. If anyone has a doctor they know if in the NYC area, please let me know. I also found doctors in the link below as part of a coil removal…

    https://asrm.confex.com/asrm/2020/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/7365#:~:text=Metallic%20coils%20from%20embolization%20are,best%20option%20for%20varicocele%20repair.

26. @tadd
    i would avoid getting embolization at all costs

27. So would you get the laparoscopic surgery instead if you could do it over?

28. Yes a recovery time of a week or so would be fine. I saw the post about Dr Stein. I might reach out to him

29. hi kathryn
    thank you for your message, so glad to hear the good news. keep us posted!
    best
    ave

30. HI all! So thankful for this resource as it led me to Dr. Stein at the Cleveland Clinic. I’m exactly 2weeks post op and have already found relief from some symptoms and feel incredibly hopeful as I recover more symptoms will disappear.

    When I had my initial consult with Dr. Stein He mentioned that he first heard about coil complications from his colleague Dr. Antonio Finelli. He mentioned that “Tony” was sending all his cases to him and wasn’t’ super interested in doing this procedure. Which made sense because I had first tried contacting Dr. Finelli for the surgery with no success. I wanted to pass on this information in case any Canadians (or anyone else) were also struggling to contact him about coil removal. It may be wise to just see Dr. Stein if possible.

    Dr Stein is highly specialized and that became more and more apparent as I talked to countless individuals who have also been under his care for coil removal. He was incredibly kind and thorough documenting my symptoms for insurance purposes. My surgery was covered! He instructed me that if it was not, to contact him immediately and he would personally work on it with my insurance. He gave me his personal cell phone number to contact him if insurance rejected it. Thankfully it went through!

    I can personally highly recommend Dr. Stein. He uses the Da Vinci Robot which made me nervous. He told me this was the easiest surgery he performs and that was a relief. He’s performed over 3 thousand robotic surgeries so he is well versed with the Da Vinci. He also didn’t have to remove any anatomy along with the coils which I was so happy about. After other medical professionals telling me I would lose my ovary or uterus all together. Everything is still perfectly in tact!

    I hope this information helps anyone on the fence or needing more information about Dr Stein. He is truly a life saver and I’m so deeply grateful for this group and for Dr. Stein.
    Kathryn
    Charlotte, North Carolina

31. with laparoscopic surgery i was home next day. had to take it easy for a week or so but i wasnt bedridden

32. yes I meant laparoscopic……given I have spent the last 6 months recovering from hip surgery I am not looking to get laid up for any length anytime soon. At my age I don’t have the time unless the pain becomes unbearable

33. hi greg
    i am not sure about robotic surgery (you mean laparoscopic? that’s what i had) vs classic surgery…. i do not think i would go for classic surgery if it required 1 -3months of bedridden recovery. too much risk for all kinds of problems. also, it doesnt seem very cutting edge, no pun intended. but maybe i’m wrong

34. Following up on my comments in Aug 2023. In Sept I tripped/fell breaking my hip in 3 places. I just recently completed PT and should be close to 100%. Dr Peterson and I did connect last month as he might be coming out of retirement. He described his technique as having to cut open my abdomen to remove the coils followed by being bedridden for at least a month and after 2 or 3 months being able to move around. The entire procedure could take a year before 100%.

    We agreed given my age (71) current pain level of 3 to 4 out of 10and coming off of 6 months recovery for hip surgery/rehab to stay in touch. I was not aware of the recovery time involved but maybe robotic procedure would be less invasive ? Dr Peterson seems like a good guy.

    Any thoughts? As mentioned I live on the Philadelphia area. Thanks

35. @Peter I have experienced the same exact symptoms with these coils after embolization.

    ” Just a person who has a “routine” coil embolization to fix my sore nut/bag of worms and it pretty much ruined my quality of life. “

36. @Christian I also have angina like symptoms of pressure tightness left chest same symptom it’s all because of the coils !!!!

37. My legs burn my abdomen burn I have some really bad symptoms I’m going to call my doctor and get a appointment for removal of coils after 15 years with the coils the last 8 days has been really bad for me with all kinds of paillpitstions in my belly button tigh leg stomache it’s just really bad psams all over the place nerve attacks I’m in hell right now pray for me guys

38. hi jeffrey
    i’m sorry i dont know anything about aortic aneurysms…
    good luck
    a

39. If I removed the coils do you think that the Abdominal aortic aneurysm will go away ???

40. jeffrey if you can, try visiting Dr Finelli in Toronto

41. Hi I am extremely worried because I have Pulsation in my abdomen belly button area these past days and from what Alex said in the comments it is called Abdominal aortic aneurysm I had Varicole Embolization 15 years ago these past days I’ve been having some really bad pulsations in my abdomen and left thigh what should I do ? This condition is extremely serious omg …..please someone help me

42. Thank you for this page nice to see that I am not alone every day since I had this embolization for the left Varicole I had some strange problems but these days I’m having palpitations and twitches in my thigh and down left side of the belly button it always happens when I lay on the left side to sleep also on the ride side or stomache I just don’t know what to do I went to the emergency and they took some x rays and prescribed me some anti inflammation and will call me back for more tests I regret doing this Embolization but my urologist was talking about it as if it was safe and without complications non surgical I should have never done this embolization.

43. my email was to the user “RE” (see previous messages)

44. I did not received the email

45. hi RE
    i sent you a direct email…. did you not receive it? please check spam. best, ave

46. I have the same problem like Daniel spasms and twitches on the left thigh heat in the big vein of the left leg thigh and some abdominal twitches and spasms but I also have palpitations it’s as if my stomache was boiling and inner leg at the same time its super scary when it happens i have to hold my stomache and tigh and press and breath calmly until it stops I can feel everything moving in my stomache it’s extremely scary when it happens I went to the emergency and told them my situation I’m going to have more follow up with some doctors the Varicole Embolization was a very bad choice for me and it didn’t help at all to get rid of the Varicole it only gave me new problems and really hate that the doctor presented it as a very safe procedure.

47. Hi Admin

    Would it be possible for you to pass on my email address to MV? It looks like embolisation has affected us in very similar ways and it would be great to get some advice from him.

    Many thanks.

48. Hi
    I am based in England and underwent a coil embolisation 2 months ago. I have since had symptoms that sound very similar to MV’s, i.e continuous testicular, groin and abdominal pain, which is particularly exacerbated by driving. I have seen a pain specialist who has diagnosed neuralgia of the genitofemoral nerve.

    I am considering coil removal. MV mentioned that the neuralgia complicated the situation. I would be interested in finding out more about this from MV if possible either via the site or directly.

49. Thank you Ave! Your work through this blog, alongside everyone’s input, was instrumental in my recovery and I don’t know what I would have done without it. This blog is literally saving lives.

50. hi MV
    thanks so much for your update. good luck in your recovery!!!

51. Just to add to the previous entry, in case you are wondering: Professor Rocco used the Da Vinci Robot to remove the gonadal vein containing the coils. I had to have 5 abdominal incisions, which healed well after a month or so. A hem-o-lok clip and prolene/Vicryl sutures were used to ligate the vein at the top, and prolene/Vicryl sutures to ligate it at the bottom, near my inguinal canal (no clip there). The first 4-5 weeks I had a lot of pain in my abdominal cavity. The bigger incision in my navel was particularly painful, but they are all fine now. I have been using a silicone-based cream to help the scars heal faster, which should also help decrease the redness. I have started doing some physio for my pelvic floor and mild physicale exercise. I really hope I’ll continue to improve over time.

52. Today is the 3-month mark following robotic removal of my spermatic vein that contained the coils. I can say that I have recovered about 75% of my pre-embolisation self, so overall I feel very fortunate. I had constant, excruciating pain in my genital, pelvic and abdominal areas. Recurrent genital infections, inability to fully empty my bladder, I was unable to sleep, walk, drive or do anything else without pain. I had painful irritation and pins and needless in the embolised area. These sensations have now almost completely disappeared and bother me very rarely and when they do are extremely mild (before they were constant and extremely painful). The coils were removed by Professor Bernardo Rocco in Italy (Milan). He explained that the coils were pressing against the psoas muscle “like paper clips”. Unfortunately I still have testicular pain, perineal pain and a nasty yeast infection that doesn’t seem to go away, BUT I am able to do most things pain-free. Sitting and driving can still bring on some perineal pain, but nothing like before removal. I am back at work now after 6 months of sick leave. The damage the coil embolisation did to me is simply unquantifiable, physically, financially and psychologically. I never heard from Dr Sebastian Chang again, who performed the embolisation at Lister Hospital, leaving me in chronic pain. I guess that’s what he does to people, leaving them in chronic pain to then run away. I have regretted trusting my urologist Dr Charlotte Foley, who referred me to Dr Chang, every single day since the embolisation. Trusting her and Dr Chang was by far the worst decision I have ever made. Luckily both Dr Khan in London and Professor Rocco in Milan offered removal surgery, but I decided to have it done in Italy as my parents live there, so they could look after me after surgery. I also very much trusted Professor Rocco and his team, and I am glad I did it. I consider myself lucky to have found him. As you all know, very few urologists are willing to perform these “repair procedures”. The urologists at Lister Hospital (where I had the embolisation) conveniently refused to do anything about the coils as apparently it was “too risky”. Funnily enough, no risks were highlighted to me prior to the embolisation though! Yet when it came to removing the coils, the risks were suddenly being considered. If you are reading this patient blog and wonder whether you should have an embolisation for your varicocele, I would urge you to NOT have it and seriously consider alternatives, including leaving it as it is. Over the past few months I have spoken to many, many guys and girls who have had their coils removed following this barbaric procedure. Personally, I think it should be banned. I encourage any sufferers to take legal action against your interventional radiologists/urologists, if appropriate. That’s the only way we have to change things.

53. Hi G
    Thanks for sharing!
    good luck.

54. Hi I wanted to share these publications that aren’t on here about pain following coil embolization. The second publication included below reports a number of patients with postoperative pain occurring from “protruding coils.” I may have a chronic issue with the coils located in my left gonadal vein in the inguinal area and the embolization was done over ten years ago. I’ve been having symptoms for over three years after occurrences of sharp abdominal pain during ejaculation and then an onset of ED and PE and burning sensations near the bladder on left side and eventually left back during sex.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7803188/

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9698320/#:~:text=3.5

55. A new update from me, 2 months post coil embolisation. I saw a pain specialist at a pain clinic, who confirmed genitofemoral and ilioinguinal neuralgias, as a result of the coils creating fibrosis, entrapping nerves. The constant pain, irritation and stimulation of the entire embolisation area, but also the base of the penis on the left, in my groin, testicle and internal thigh are absolutely diabolical. The only way I can describe is torture. After 2 months of pain, trauma and suffering, I still cannot believe how devastating that 20-minute procedure has been for me. It’s ruined my life. The catastrophic impact it has had on my body, leading to muscle and weight loss, back problems due to limping and unsteady gait, the issues when emptying my bowels and bladder, the pain after erections. To describe this procedure as a “non-invasive, low-risk” is absolutely criminal. To date, I still have not found any mention of chronic pain whatsoever associated with this barbarian, evil procedure. So many of us have experienced similar issues to those who have hernia operations, with the exception that they are FULLY informed about that possibility, and also, hernia is potentially a life-threatening condition, varicocele isn’t. Talking about the NHS, it is interesting to notice that they adopt conservative treatments for almost anything, even when really that shouldn’t be the case, yet urologists and radiologists do not hesitate to refer people for a “quick” embolisation with metal coils. I write all of this while in constant, debilitating pain in the most sensitive areas of my body.
    Luckily, I have been offered removal surgery (privately), but in my case the neuropathies complicate the situation massively. Despite this, I feel I will have to give it a go and hope that it will miraculously solve my issues, which could give me my life back, or something that looks like it. Meantime, I might try neuromodulation therapy to alleviate the pain and regain some quality of life.
    If you are coming across this forum and are considering varicocele embolisation, I would like you to know that you are really playing with your life, so please think extremely carefully, you might end up full of regrets like most of us here.

56. hi john, all removal surgeons that we know of are listed here on preface page. hope that helps, good luck,
    ave

57. I had emobolization in 2006. It is 2023 and I want the coils removed. I have lots of digestive issues and occasional shooting pain in the nether region.

    Can anyone recommend a surgeon in the eastern USA who has significant experience performing this procedure?

58. great, thanks, keep us posted

59. FYI I connected with Dr Peterson and he has retired. Dr Peterson was unable to recommend another Dr as he does not know anyone else doing this type of surgery but advised me to check with a vascular surgeon.. He is going to do a write up on his web site soon about this issue and he agreed this is a serious problem that the medical community is ignoring.

60. no prob
    people change their email addresses over the years, so hopefully he’s received the message. so far no response
    good luck, a presto

61. thanks for these studies… i will have a look when i have time. i havent heard back from davide yet.

62. Thanks for the follow up. A few reference points:

    9 years ago I had radiation for prostate cancer at the same hospital not sure if this factors into the current issue but the cancer is in remission

    I am not worried about being fertile at my age. However I still enjoy being intimate and so far the pain has not interfered yet.

    Sometimes I noticed swelling/pain after being in the pool but taking a long walk later the pain will ease and the swelling goes down (similar to a stiff muscle)

    Nothing in life is easy. Thanks again for the help

63. hi greg
    all the doctors are listed here on the preface page… my apologies i cant help more. removal carries risks but helps many people.
    good luck, keep us posted
    best
    ave

64. Hi I had varicocele embolization with coils about 2 years ago. The pain has been off and on ever since. The Dr told me they had to use a lot of metal as the varicocele was large (left side). The location of the pain is near my thigh and groin but will radiate into the scrotum. I do swim a few days a week and sometimes little or no pain. If I sit with my left crossed there is pain. So far sex has been ok.

    I have followed up with the Dr with not much help and I did see a Urologist who gave me gabapentin for the pain (I stopped taking it). This person said coils can take a while to settle down.

    I live near Philadelphia, Pa 70 years old. Any thoughts on my condition and or a recommendation of a DR for another opinion?

    Thanks

65. hi harry sorry cant help much… the vein is already blocked/dead from the embolization and the coil is embedded in the dead tissue… impossible to remove the coil without the dead vein/artery (i cant remember which it is)
    good luck

66. Hi I m harry from Delhi India, I underwent variococele embolization (left side) in 2014. After a week I started feeling numbness in my sexual organ and Weakness in entire body no matter what I eat still feeling weak . These metal coils are very dangerous it has ruined my life since I got the embolization. It’s very difficult to explain doctors your condition with coil.
    They say nothing can be done with the coil they can’t remove it.
    I am also little bit scared for removal of the entire testicular vein . Is there any way so that only the coil is removed not the entire vein . Thank you for this website

67. i will see what i can do

68. Hello admin I appreciate all of your help.
    Would you be able to give me the contact or email info of Rich who commented on

    Rich on July 17, 2017 at 8:36 pm said:

    I Iive in the U.K, near Southampton.

    He’s the only person I could find who has similar issues to mine and I want to see how he proceeded and how he is doing today. Thank you!

69. hi christian
    sorry to hear…
    1) sharp shooting pain that would slowly get better over time (months) but then i would do something and it would shoot up again, for example after sex, situps, running…. digestion troubles that led to believe there was a connection.
    2) i dont know. i think the surgeon just kinda pulls on it and cuts at the adherence to surrounding tissue until he gets coils out. probably veins maybe were a little hurt in the process, but they healed with major issue
    3) you have to find a good doctor. this website should help convincing any rational doctor. if they arent listening, you dont want them to operate on you anyways.
    4) maybe. some people have complained about metal allergies, which might imply something like your describing. the coils do affect blood flow, and can touch nerves and other tissue… so who knows the impact. some people have described brain fog. these coils could impact energy meridians, whose existance is basically ignored by western doctors

    good luck

70. Very well, we can keep the discussion public.
    I wanted to start by saying, I should have listened to you. I did a lot of research before I did the surgery including visiting this website. I was sold on the idea that complications from this surgery were very very rare and that it was minimally invasive. Most of my research was done at Reddit in the subreddit /varicocele. Looking back now, I think most of those comments were fake. When I posted a discussion post describing my negative side effects, the commenters attacked me to disagree, and the moderators banned me and removed my post from the public eye. I think those moderators are shilling for some surgical marketing advertisement scheme. The simple fact that they wouldn’t allow any form of criticism towards embolization, shows that they only want people to think and say one way.

    Here are my questions.
    1. You mentioned you had digestive issues, possibly due to the coils attaching or doing something to your colon. Did the coil like poke through the vein and stab your colon wall? Can you describe your abdominal pain?
    2. I am interested in getting these coils removed. I understand that the vein is no longer anything but dead scar tissue. How do they remove the dead scar tissue and coils without damaging the nearby healthy veins?
    3. How did you convince your doctors to believe you that it was the coils causing the problem?? Most of my doctors are defending the coils, and trying to gaslight me into thinking “its anxiety” or “all in my head”. I never had issues with my health until I did this procedure. It is torturing me everyday.
    4. Do you think these coils can cause chest pain? I am suffering from angina like symptoms of pressure tightness left chest, I have gone to the ER 40+ times, all my test results are coming back normal.

    Thanks again.

71. hi christian
    i prefer keeping chats more or less public, if you dont mind, as other people can learn from them. what are your questions/comments?
    best
    ave

72. Admin, could you possibly email me so I can talk to you more about your experience and recovery.
    I have a bunch of questions and comments.

    my email is christone1989@gmail.com

    Please and thank you.

73. removal, though there are risks not to be underestimated, could help greatly with issues of managing energy, vitality, and pain (it did for me and others). just personal experience; see a doctor to get a professional opinion.
    regarding fertility, unfortunately i have no idea. everyone is different, it’s linked to many different variables including your partner, and it’s difficult to test. so i am not sure you’ll get a clear response here. my suggestion: go see a doctor about removal for his opinon.
    good luck, keep us posted.

74. Have you heard stories similar to mine and removal helped? Thanks for your replies

75. hi daniel
    sorry to hear all that. look into removing it. see list of doctors on the preface page— Dr. Kozlowski and Dr. Brandenberger are probably the closest to you.
    best of luck
    ave

76. Hello, I am in desperate need for help. I got married and was having trouble conceiving with my wife close to two years. I found out I had a left sided varicocele and I was convinced that was the reason because of all the research I’ve done about infertility. I never had any noticeable discomfort, I only barely noticed it when running. Sex life, energy levels and eveything was great. I never took a sperm test, which I regret so so deeply, I was set on getting the varicocele fixed. I went through with the embolization since I was promised it was the safest method with low possible risks. In March of 2022, I went through with it. The IR embolized my left gonadal vein with coils and sclerosant. After that, my life has turned for the worst. I now have bilateral varicoceles, the original bag of worms on the left have gone but I have a new vein that is now at 3.2mm, before it was 3mm on the left. Right side has a larger bag of worms, not as bad as the left was prior to procedure. What scares me is I also have leg pain, heat in legs even at rest, heat in testes, greater pain back of left thigh, abdominal pain on right and left sides when I bear down, and muscle spasms/twitches in legs (mostly calves) and abdominal twitches as well. I have done every type of test and it looks like my inferior vena cava is mildly dilated, I have bilateral femoral reflux (more on left side) which might explain the leg pain, and possible increased venous pressures. I have met with the veinography department and they said everything looks normal, I might have dilated veins because I am a young healthy male. I am so hopeless because no one seems to believe me, they’re all treating me like this is all coincidence and making me feel like I am going insane. One doctor even told me this probably would be happening to me if I never got the procedure. It is so disheartening to hear that, I’m a healthy (was) 25 year old guy who didn’t need to go to the hospital for my entire life for anything serious. Now after this procedure I have all these problems, how could it not be related?? I am now always foggy brained, in pain, and hopeless. I pray that maybe some veins got left behind and I just need one more procedure to help me get my life back. Before I was living a perfect life, only with no kids. Now I am weak, unmotivated, with a low sex drive, and on top of that I feel like I completely killed my chances of having kids with the amount of heat I have in my testicles and bilateral varicoceles. I feel like the doctors all agreed on the same story and told me everything went according to plan because they are only looking out for themselves, they do anything to not accept the blame of a possible failed procedure. If anyone can relate please help me moving forward. I need help, I cant live my whole life like this

77. hi mike
    thanks for sharing!!
    “To our knowledge, this is the first case report demonstrating the surgical removal of the gonadal vein for treatment of chronic abdominal pain after varicocele embolization” hmm…… seems a bit of a stretch of faith, but regardless, good that they published!

78. Hey Admin,

    It’s Mike from Toronto.. The guy that got his coils removed by Tony Finelli.
    I found a useful pubmed article. This article is proof that coil removal can improve coil pain. Hopefully people.can use this as refference to get the help they need from the medical community..
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33457722/

79. hi christian, i removed the coils 6 years ago… i felt better (but not perfect) almost immediately and still feel the same today. BUT each person is different, you should ask the opinion of a professional willing to remove the coils. the removal surgery has risks too.

    good luck!

80. Admin, can you give us an update on how you are doing now?
    My story is very similar to yours and I am currently in the process of looking to get these coils removed.
    I want these coils removed but the thought of another surgery is terrifying.

81. I was performed a varicocele coil embolization in Málaga, Spain about 3 years ago and still have problems when I have sex. I would like to know a Surgeon in Spain which can remove the coils safely. Please, if anyone has any information about a doctor please send me de contact to kpv207@gmail.com

82. Thanks much for sharing Sag…. good luck and keep us posted! i’ll add avora to the list. best, ave

83. 7 day coil removal update from India.

    Dr Avanish Arora was my surgeon – he’s the director of urology at Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai. He performed a laparoscopic + open inguinal exploratory surgery on me. Total of 3 hour surgery, removed 8 coils.

    So far everything looks good. Original groin and testicle pain has vanished 2 days after surgery. Although the first 2 days were absolute hell. Could barely walk, today I’m back on my feet doing the basic things around my house. The open incision on my groin is about 5 Inches, which is still not healed and is causing quite a lot of pain, but on the bright side it is at least localised pain from the incision.

    My doctor while performing the open inguinal surgery to remove 3 coils in the inguinal & deep ring area – he found 5 more smaller varicoceles and obviously ligated and cut them off as well to ensure all possibilities of pain were resolved.

    Which has obviously led to swelling and inflammation of the testicle. It gets better everyday. I’m hoping in 2-3 weeks it will be resolved.

    The laparoscopy incisions healed in 3 days post the surgery. It’s only the big 5 inch open incision on my groin that’s taking long to heal along with my swollen testicle. Which will heal in a week or two.

    Although I think everyone suffering from pain specifically should take action and get it removed asap. It will resolve most of your problems within the coiling area.

    I’ll update again shortly! Stay safe.

84. Been 2 and a half years since removal now.

    Still doing great. Not much else to add. Scar tissue definitely still going down. Praying for anyone working on getting removal scheduled.

    Bless you admin.

    Anyone who needs help or just someone to talk to who has been through it, add my telegram @agentmcmuffin

85. thanks for sharing sag… good luck, keep us posted. make sure you really pick the absolute best surgeon for removal, as it (the removal) also carries risks.
    cheers

86. Hey guys, 29 year old here from India! – scheduled for a coil removal on Monday! This has been the worst 4 months of my life since those 8 coils have been jammed in my body. Can barely walk, wear tight jeans, run or do any kind of sport since then as the flare ups are just unbearable. Intense pain in the groin area and the testicle sack, I’m a pro squash player but these coils have ruined everything for me. Now I’m just lying down at home in the loosest pair of clothing to ensure there is less pain for the last 4 months. I like most of you – did the embo thinking it’s a minimally invasive procedure to cure scrotal discomfort cause due to grade 3 varicoceles. Little did I know I would be here today.

    I’ve met alll the top urologists in my city and a few think that the coils are the only reason for this pain. Anyway I’m going ahead with the removal, since I want my life back. This site has been of great help. We’re not alone, and hopefully I’ll be pain free after this laparoscopic surgery!

    I’m sure there are a lot of guys in India looking to get them removed, I’ll put in the name and details of my doctor once my surgery has been done successfully!

    Thank you admin for putting this together, it gives us all hope that we can get thru this and we’re not alone.

87. thanks so much for sharing your experience. keep us posted

88. Male 36 here.

    You get the embolization to block the flow of blood in the vein, and also the backflow of blood in the same vein which is “faulty”. When you get the coils/glue in the vein, it blocks the veins blood flow completely and the vein will effectively die. There are other veins in the area that blood also flows through and those veins pick up the flow instead. The vein dies, it no longer works, it’s sitting there with metal coils and glue completely plugging it. It doesn’t detach, it stays where it is so there’s no break in the vein when they coil it.

    When you get coils removed, they remove the entire dead vein where the coils are, and probably have to take a small piece off the end of the coiled section of the vein, so yes, there will be part of a vein at both ends that need to be “sealed”. They can do this with a machine that cauterizes the vein, effectively burning it shut. It’s called vein ablation i think. They also do this by use of hem o lok polymer clips that are small clamps that clip onto the vein, yes they remain inside you. The coils kill the vein, and then their job is done, they just stay in you because taking them out afterwards is not part of what they do. So you end up with coils in you, which are basically doing nothing after the vein dies.

    I write the above having had coils implanted (around 30 cm worth) and they caused me absolute hell for almost a year before i had to have them removed. It was just awful what happened after i had the coils in. I had to have laprascopic and open surgery to have them removed. I had the veins near my penis cauterized, and the vein up near my kidney was clamped with a hem o lok clip. They had to cut down very close to the penis to get all of the coils out, they put them in almost right down to the nut in the gonadal vein, it was borderline not going to be possible to take it all out, but the surgeon did it. I was warned that due to the area that needed to be cut into, there could be significant nerve damage and things may not “work as they did” before hand. I didn’t care, the issues i was having were really bad so i decided if i was going to be limp dick for the rest of my life, i would live with it over the coil pain.

    Everyone i spoke to advised me not to get the coils out, and told me it had nothing to do with my issues, none of which i had up until the first week after being coiled. 3 Physicians told me don’t do it, neurologist told me don’t do it, urologist told me don’t do it, and i listened to them for around 6 months. Things were just so bad and the pain was so bad and progressively getting worse, i didn’t care and decided to get them removed. I didn’t really want to live with the pain and issues i had after having had the coils put in and i wasn’t going to live on pain killers for the rest of my life to deal with it.

    I had the coils removed, around a 3 hour surgery, which went well. I knew the coils were gone within the first 24 hours, i could feel they weren’t there any more, hard to explain but i knew. The issues i was having did not just go away. Surgery pain lasted 2-3 months, and at times it was pretty intense, especially the first 2 weeks… and even now 6 months after surgery i still get pains where i had the cuts and in those areas, not bad pains, just minor pains. Sensitivity in the penis is decreased, i have a totally numb patch to the side where the vein came out, as i was advised due to the cutting in the area required to get everything out, sex is about half as good as it was before but i can still get there, it’s just much more difficult. The testicle is still paipnful, not bad pain, but it’s more painful all the time now that what i originally had with the varicocele. The issues i was experiencing have gradually started to go away, at the 6 month mark after surgery, i am living life happily again. The digestion issues, the incredible pains in the area and various other issues have settled down a lot, the strange change it does to you mentally and brain fog i had is basically gone, i’m not going to say entirely, but if things were at a level 10 when i had the coilis in, i would say they are at a level 1-3 now with the issues i was having, some thing having gone completely away. Unfortunately i am also now dealing with thyroid issues which only started a few months after coils were put in, and were most likely caused by the contrast they injected when the procedure was done.

    The irony in this entire fiasco i just wrote… I still have the varicocele….. after going through all of that. The pain i am in now is at least double what i originally had with the varicocele. I regret getting coils put in, easily one of the worst decisions of my life that i was advised by a doctor to do. I’m out of pocket around $16,000 as well as i had to pay for all of the above. But life for me now is much better.

    I have never had a lack of will to live before this, my life is very happy and i enjoy life. After being coiled things really changed, and i’ve never experienced such a thing before. I am now a lot more back to my normal self after removal.

    0/10 cannot recommend coil embolization unless it’s an absolute life threatening situation. This is only my experience, other people get coils and have no issues. No one has been able to advise in any way why the above occurred from coils. If you want to get coils, get it in writing from the person who is going to do it that it’s perfectly safe and won’t cause you any issues, so if they do, sue them and make them pay for hte removal.

    If you must get coils, don’t let them put them down into your ingunal canal, it will make removal so much more difficult and major.
    If you must get coiils, have a thyroid function test done before you get the procedure done, make sure your thyroid is working properly with even moderate low levels, contrast as used in this procedure is KNOWN to cause thyroid damage in some people, so if you have any kind of weakness in your thyroid, you are at a higher risk of developing problems and you won’t know this until a few months after you have the procedure done and your thyroid stops working properly a few months later. (google it and do your research)

    Sorry for the rant, but this is my experience. I’m not affiliated with any physicians/surgeon or any body. Just a person who had “routine” coil embolization to fix my sore nut/bag of worms and it pretty much ruined my quality of life, and then all the experts advised me not to get them removed as it wouldn’t resolve my issues…. places like this website helped me in deciding to go through with removal due to the many peopleposting their story of their issues. I’m back on track now and continually getting better… the tinitus that i developed a week after getting coils didn’t go away at all though…it hasn’t even eased up 6 months after removal *sigh*

89. as far as i understand, the point of the coil is to block the vein, so that the vein “dies” and stops blood from backflowing into the testicle. the goal is for it that particular vein to stop working. (the coil being the easiest and most non invasive way to stop blood flow)
    see posts around Mike’s Dec 18 2016 post : “the actual purpose of the embolization is to block the vein not the artery. The artery is what supplies blood flow to the testicle and the vein pumps deoxiginated blood away from the testicle back to the heart. The embolization is done because a faulty valve in the vein is causing blood to drain back down to the testicle causing pooling of blood and excess heat.”
    i have not fact checked this deeply but it makes sense and aligns with my understaning of the procedure.

90. Hello Admin,

    I haven’t had luck in finding a surgeon to directly speak to. I have seen a couple of urologist but they just state they wouldn’t have done an embolization to treat a varicocele. They don’t answer my Qs directly and if they do it’s very vague. After the coils are removed, along with a portion of the vein, how does the remaining vein heal? Does it just stay in the body and doesn’t work at all? Where does the vein then connect if its the cut off like that?

91. Hi Elias,
    You should ask your doctor but, speaking for myself, i had a kid after removal (i dont know if i had any fertility issues before or after coil placement and removal).
    best
    ave

92. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, I appreciate it. For the ones who had their coils removed, are there any side affects from removing the vein? My main concern is fertility issues. Has any one had fertility problems after the removal? I appreciate any insight.

    Thanks in advance.

93. hi elias
    i think you should talk to a surgeon about the details of removal… my understanding that it is not possible to remove the coils without also removing the (blocked) vein, because the coils are fused to the veins by microfibers and sclerosing agents.
    good luck, keep us posted
    best

94. For those who have had their embolization coils removed, which doctor can remove only the coils and not the entire vein? Like many of you, I had an embolization procedure done and regret it. I have coils below the inguinal ligament and above the inguinal ligament. I’m hoping I can find a doctor who can remove the coils and not the entire vein. Since my coils were placed in the gonadal vein and if the vein is to be removed that’s probably about 5inches. It scares me to have my vein completely cut off. Can anyone shed some light on my concerns? Has anyone had their coils placed similarly like mines? And if they were able to get the removal surgery, how was the extraction process?

95. Hey guys 29 y/o , got my embolisation done 6 weeks back for typical varicocele pain on my right testicle (was diagnosed with bilateral G3 varicocele but decided to operate only on my right since it caused pain) . It infact left me with another kind of constant burning pain right after the procedure until now. Any idea if it gets better ? I’m regretting this decision. Just need a ray of hope that it gets better. Any suggestions ??

96. (Dr finelli in Toronto is not far from you… but you’d have to see if your insurance covers it in canada)

97. Hi Joey
    i apologize, all the doctors that I (we;) are familiar with are listed on the preface page here for all to see. However, multiple people have showed this website to open minded urologists, who have been willing to do the surgery for the first time. My doctor, in France, for example performed this operation for the first time on me. It should be noted that the urologist must be very good and regardless it is a dangerous procedure even for a qualified surgeon. Success is not guaranteed but for me it changed my life (in a good way).

98. Hello my name is Joey and im 28 years old from Michigan, i had a varicocele embolization in April 2019
    and have dealt with lower abdomen /pelvic pain / side pain . My thighs are in severe pain and much more complications of sharp stabbing pain in the abdomen, also foggy brain and added anxiety which i believe is the cause of these coils. I wish I hadn’t went through with this procedure but it seemed to be a minimum recovery and i went ahead but wasn’t told about all these life changing complications it came with . I move forward because others have it worse but I’ve been dealing with it for past 3 years till i came miraculously came across this helpful page and many of us share the same symptom’s . I hope someone can let me know a doctor that removes these coils in the state of Michigan. It would much appreciated.

99. ————-COILS: WORST DECISION EVER—– PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT —-

    Hello everyone, this is my history, I will try to be concise. Hope you can help me
    I am 28 years old, male, suffering from testicular pain for nearly 4 years now. After being diagnosed a II varicocele, I had the following procedures:
    2019- Varicocele embolisation with spiral coils (I REGRET THIS CHOICE|!!!!!)
    2020- Coils removal through laparoscopy. The large bowel on the left side was stuck to the inguinal area completely covering the gonadal vein and therefore, adhesiolysis had to be performed to drop the large bowel.
    2020- I had some injection in the left hypogastric and ilioinguinal nerve, got some relief for 48 hours, thats all.
    In 2022 I am still having testicular pain and also abdomen pain, next to the iliac crest. Feel like something pulling inside between the left testicle and the lower abdome, exactly in the place where the shitty coild were placed. I have done many diagnostic test such as US scan, US scan doppler, semen test, urine test, test for specific bacteria.
    Recently I had a CT scan with contrast, they found some adhesions in the left abdomen. Currently looking for a surgeon in Italy who could help me. I have also met one of the surgeons in Italy but not entirely sure if he is willing to do a third laparoscopy surgery. I cannot continue living like this, I cannot do sport because it exacerbates the pain, quite a lot, especially in the abdomen and epididymis. I am sure there are some adhesions pulling something in there, but I am not an expert on this.
    Any help? Suggestions? I am literally exhausted about all of this. I thought that the removal of coils would solve the problem entirely, but it doesn’t seem to be.
    Feel free to Contact me through email if you wish, any help would be appreciated
    marcello.alba93@gmail.com

    Many thankssss 🙂

100. I did the Varicocele Embolization surgery on 5/9/2022.
     It is now 6/17/2022 and I am regretting it.
     I am now a 32 year old young man suffering from health problems after this surgery.
     They told me this procedure was “minimally invasive” and I was conned.
     They put 9 titanium coils with a special adhesive glue in my body.
     I was annoyed with a minor problem of having left scrotum pain that often annoyed me at night, and I thought I could safely get rid of a minor nuisance with a “non-invasive” surgery.
     I was wrong.
     They tried to tell me that those veins do not affect arteries or something to that line, but from my body and personal experience, I am telling you that they do.
     This surgery is literally about to kill me, I am so weak and on the verge of having heart failure now.
     Please do not get the surgery, you are better off just dealing with the annoying scrotum pain by taking a warm bath to relief the pain.
     I knew I shouldn’t have trusted those doctors, but somehow I was gullible to think that there might be a few good doctors and specialists out there.
     They are all a bunch of capitalistic snakes and financial predators just looking for the next fool so they can pillage their wallet and ruin their health.
     I don’t know how much time I have left to live,
     I am having constant chest pain, weakness, I cannot even walk 20 feet without being out of breath.
     I am literally dying and I feel so stupid and ashamed at myself for trusting these doctors.

101. but to be fair, you really shouldn’t be doing things like the cobra pose 3 days after.. coil mitigation can happen in the first 1-2 weeks that is why they tell you to refrain from any physical activities.

102. neither ultrasound or 3D scanner could confirm or deny the coils pinching the intestinal wall. they simply confirm their presence. you can “see” things but you cannot judge them

103. hi admin ,

     was it possible to do an ultrasound or x-ray to confirm if one of the coils was pinching the intestinal wall?

104. hi damien
     i dont know exactly what happened to me…. i felt like the nerves just turned off. at any rate, much of the pain and discomfort of coils stayed until i removed coils. removal of coils helped within a month or two (it is still surgery, which requires recovery which takes time)

105. Hi Admin, Hi All,

     I’m a french guy from Lyon, 31 years old, and had a varicocele coil embolization for left testicule one month and a week exactly today. Since then pain in the left bottom side of the belly and my groin. Echography and Scanner are all ok… But the pain is here.
     Since one week I saw an improvement in the pain, it start to be less but still there. I hope it will disapear soon but I’m full of uncertainty…
     Like most I came to the doctor for a light pain in my left testicule and now my life is completeling changed because of the embolization. Worst choise ever…

     I have a question to Admin : you talked about the pain fading away after year and a half. Can you give us more detail ? How you manage that ?
     A question for the community : do you guys experience positives pain resolution without the removal ? After how many time ?

106. hi dante
     could you please give me the name of the people on this forum from italy? i have found fabio, dario, davide, and riccardo.. are there others?

107. Cured a varicocele embolizing it, this was 1year ago circa; coils felt immediately weird, started noticing stinging when doing certain movement such as twisting the abdomen or contracting the muscles around that area, same disconfort seems to show up when lying down, the pain comes and goes really and when it does feels like it needs time to recover and subside. started icing frequentely and it helps.

     I was wondering if @admin could put me in contact with the other guys from Italy, as I’ve been bounching from my urologist and the IR for quite a while now obtaining nothing. Another radiologist visited me, he said the amount of coils used is significant and could easily be cause of the aching.

     thank you in advance

     thank you also for providing this website, didn’t find many other options online to discuss this issue, considering all the doctors i’ve seen thought it was fantasy that metal corps badly placed could be a problem, this was certainly a huge help to identify and give this problem an entity.

108. hi dwmm
     unfortunately i think everyone is totally different, depends on many things including the placement and number of coils as well as the quality of the intervention to remove them. you can find a detailed description of my own recovery but my advice is to be patient. in my own case it was a slowish but consistent feeling better.
     good luck

109. Hi all – so after a three-year wait I finally had my embolisation coils removed as these were causing continuous abdominal pain (lower left-hand side). My surgeon reported there was clear visual evidence (redness/swelling) that the coils had been a cause of irritation. It’s been 10-days since I had the (laparoscopic) procedure and I’m back on my feet. That said, I’m concerned that the abdominal pain caused by the coils has yet subsided. As such, I was wondering whether anyone could share their experience of the healing process – more specifically the period in which pain symptoms caused by coils subsided. Thanks in advance!

110. Bonjour admin,
     Diagnostiqué varicocèle bilatérale, je ne voulais pas me faire opérer mais cela altère la fertilité donc je vais devoir y passer. Connaissez vous un doc qui a opéré des gens et pour qui cela s’est bien passé ? Aussi j’aimerais être mis en relation avec Clément qui à posté très récemment.

     Cdt

111. thanks for the update ryan! good to hear

112. Hello admin and other visitors,

     I’m coming up on two years since removal soon. I haven’t posted in a very long time. I’m happy to report that I’m still problem free since the removal.

     It still feels “off” in comparison to my natural state before originally getting the coils, and I am still squeamish about having any pressure on the lower left abdomen, but I almost never feel pain, and when I do it’s a 1/10. Never keeps me up at night like the coils did.

     I do have slight anxiety from time to time about having the plastic ligation clip left over in the body. I’m thinking of going for a follow up with Dr Rutkowski, hopefully he even remembers me. Maybe an X-ray and a brief discussion about it can set my mind at ease.

     Thank you admin for this great website, I owe you my peace of mind.

     Good luck to anyone who is suffering, help is out there.

     -Ryan

113. yes my coils were only placed on the left side about 7cm to the left and 7cm below belly button

114. Hello, thank you for this site and your sharing. I would have liked to find this site before.
     I would like to know, please, where did your coils position ? Because for me he blocked the whole vein from the bottom to up. While you They look like only below. Thank you very much

115. Hi lexignot

     Sorry for the late response, this email slipped by me.
     the risks are the same for any surgery i guess… mostly that he could damage something in the surrounding region of the intervention. his contact info is the same that is on google, i would just call his office to arrange an appointment

     best of luck
     ave

116. Hi Admin,

     Thanks for your message and for sharing your experience. I understand you have already asked the right questions to Attignac, so could you please share with me the risks of such a surgery?

     Lastly could you please share with me his contact information?

     Please DM me if you are not comfortable sharing the risks and the contact information here.

     Thanks in advance for your response.

     Best,
     Lexignot

117. Hi lex
     sorry i dont have any experience with Beley so i cant speak to that. attignac worked on me…. he’s not the best in communication (i saw him in person, we did the tests, i saw him again to confirm stuff but then had questions that were impossible to get a response about before my surgery date…. i was forced to refuse to go into surgery before he spoke with me the day of surgery (which he did))
     but attignac was a good surgeon for me. it must be said, this surgery is not easy and there are risks regardless. there are stories on this website of people that tried to remove coils and it went poorly. each person’s situation is different.
     my suggestion is to see beley and attignac, then choose which you prefer
     i was the first coil removal for attignac but since then he has done many, i have heard
     best

118. Hi there,

     I wanted to share some updates. I am living in Toronto and I don’t know how you guys here in Toronto got your coils removed by Dr Finelli because this guy seems to specialize in urologic oncology now. I tried everything to get an appointment with him (i.e. call his secretary three times a day, be referred twice by my family doctor) but nothing worked for me. I pushed so hard that my referral was transferred to another urologist, Dr Hassouna, who has no idea about the surgery to remove coils. Funny enough, in the medical report that Dr Hassouna wrote online on the myUHN portal (Toronto Hospital’s online patient portal), he cc Dr Finelli who apparently knows how to remove coils…

     Anyway, I am not sure if I will receive a response from Dr Finelli one day, but in the meantime, I was referred to Dr Beecroft (Interventional Radiologist in Toronto) who referred me to urologist Dr Jarvi who apparently knows how to remove coils but via micro surgery instead of laparoscopy. Dr. Beecroft appears to be aware of the issues with coils and confirmed that Dr Finelli has removed coils via laparoscopy in the past. For information, all these doctors know each other more or less as they are part of the same consortium in urology linked to the University of Toronto.

     The point is, because of Covid (or not), in Canada it takes months just to have a 30min phone call with these doctors. Having this pain since April and being frustrated by the situation, I decided to take a flight back to France for a week and take several exams. In 5 days, I was able to physically see a vascular specialist (angiologist), an osteopath and the interventional radiologist who inserted the coils in 2019. Conclusion, the angiologist did an ultrasound and an MRI with contrast and did not notice anything about the functionality of my veins but confirmed that the coils can create adhesions between body tissues specifically for thin people doing sport (I am not aware of any exams that could show tissu adhesions to be honest). The osteopath also confirmed that my tissues on the left side of my abdomen are irritated and inflamed (this is where I have the pain) compared to the right side. The radiologist confirmed that coils can create irritations and adherences with the tissues but in my case, apparently the coils seem well positioned so he’d be surprised if my pain is due to the coils…

     Bottom line, I will try to see Dr Attignac and/or Beley in the next few weeks to get their opinion. If you can let me know which one is the best to remove coils via laparoscopic, that’d be much appreciated. What is the best way to reach them?

     Same in Canada, if anyone can recommend the best way to get an appointment with Dr Finelli, that’d be appreciated and would save me a flight to Paris… Lastly, anyone in Toronto knows a good osteopath who knows how to manipulate and deeply massage tissues and muscle insertions in the abdomen to relieve pain?

     Thanks in advance for your help guys and hope my experience/feedback will be beneficial for some of you!

     Best,
     Lexignot

119. Hi Admin,
     Thank you so much for your answer, and congrats for your kid !!
     Best to you as well

120. hi clément
     everything post operation is fine now. nothing in terms of sensation absence etc that i didnt have before the removal. but others have had lasting pain issues (from removal), so do not take the removal procedure lightly. depends on the coils’ exact location and how many and how good the surgeon is, i guess. i play soccer all the time now, and have no sexual problems, i’ve had a kid since the removal
     best, good luck

121. Bonjour Admin,
     J’ai mon opération de planifiée avec le Dr. Beley dans 1 mois pour retirer les coils (et aussi faire la microchirurgie de la varicocèle récidivante).
     Il m’a donc expliqué que pour retirer les coils, il allait retirer la veine gonadique/spermatique.
     C’est exactement ce qu’a fait Attignac quand il t’a opéré il me semble.
     Je voulais donc te demander, depuis que cette veine t’a été retirée, est-ce que tu sens des sensations inconfortables à cet endroit de ton corps ou à un autre endroit, dans ta vie de tous les jours, mais aussi dans ta vie intime, pendant l’acte sexuel… ?
     Ou, peut-être pire encore, as-tu une absence de sensation, à cet endroit de ton corps ou à un autre endroit, depuis que la veine a été retirée ?
     Ou, je l’espère pour toi, tout est nickel et tu sens aucune différence, comme si tu ne saurais même pas dire qu’on l’avait enlevé ?
     Merci pour ton retour Admin, c’est quand même une opération majeure, et j’espère que ça va bien se passer…
     Bonne journée
     Clément

122. bonjour
     désolé le retour lent, j’essaie de vous mettre en relation
     bien à vous
     ave

123. Bonjour,
     Je m’appelle David. J’ai 18 ans et on m’a posé 4 plugs lors d’une embolisation. Je voudrais bien être mis en contact avec “Clément” qui est français et qui dit avoir vu 2 urologues (docteur Attignac et docteur Belley). Cela m’intéresse vraiment ! Merci pour le site !

124. Hi Lexignot
     sorry i cant help to advise about ctscan/mri…. i did an mri and it showed nothing.
     best
     a

125. Hi there,

     Some updates on my side. I spoke with my family doctor to be referred to Dr Finelli, so hopefully I will have a chance to see him. I am pushing for a CT Scan or an MRI because the pain on my left hip is increasing and sometimes I feel a congestion in me left leg… Do you know what is the best exam (CT scan vs MRI) to examine varicocele and vein thrombosis in general? Are the coils compatible with MRI?

     Quick question, maybe to Zgr, what is the drug (Brand/name) you take for the varicocele natural treatment? I can’t find one pill that contains all these herbal extracts: horse chestnut, rutin extract, gotu kola, grape seed extract, omega 3 and butchers broom. Or do you take one pill of each everyday (i.e. 6 pills per day)?

     Thanks in advance for your help!

     Cheers!

126. bonjour Clément
     sorry i can’t advise to treatment of varicoceles. i doubt that the varicocele is causing your depression. i advise to treat the varicocele only if it is very painful or causing fertility issues… from your message it doesnt seem that this is the case.
     best of luck
     ave

127. Salut Admin,

     J’espère que tu vas bien.
     Je sais que tu n’es pas médecin, mais si tu veux bien, j’aimerais te demander un avis. Ca pourrait m’aider d’avoir un avis extérieur, en particulier le tien vu que tu vois passer pas mal de témoignages.
     Alors voilà, j’hésite entre Attignac et Belley.
     Dans mon cas, je voudrais retirer les 2 coils qui m’ont été posés lors de 2 embolisations différentes. Mais je voudrais aussi me débarrasser de cette énorme varicocèle de grade 3 que j’ai sur le testicule gauche (qui n’est pas du tout partie suite aux 2 embolisations, mais qui s’est au contraire aggravée…), car au delà du fait que c’est vraiment moche (…) je suspecte vraiment cette varice de m’affecter sur le plan émotionnel car je souffre depuis longtemps de dépression, de manque d’envie, de manque de libido etc. J’ai fait des tests pour la testosterone et un spermogramme ces jours-ci et j’attends les résultats.
     Donc comme je te dis je voudrais 1. me débarrasser des coils 2. me débarrasser de la varicocèle.
     Et je voudrais faire d’une pierre 2 coups, pour n’avoir à faire qu’une seule opération…
     Et c’est là que j’hésite entre Attignac et Belley (j’ai consulté les 2):
     Car Attignac m’a dit qu’il avait retiré plus d’une centaine de coils, alors que Belley m’a dit qu’il n’en avait enlevé “qu’une petite dizaine”.
     Donc Attignac a BEAUCOUP plus d’expérience que Belley pour ce qui est du retrait des coils (10x plus c’est énorme).
     Mais seulement pour ce qui est de retirer la varicocèle Attignac pratique la chirurgie classique, tandis que Belley pratique la micro chirurgie qui, de ce que je comprends dans mes lectures, est plus précise et a plus de chance de neutraliser la varicocèle et faire en sorte qu’elle ne revienne pas.
     Donc tu vois j’ai un peu le cul entre 2 chaises…..
     Attignac est en congé jusque début septembre, je vais surement lui avouer franchement que je préférais faire la micro chirurgie mais que je préférais que ce soit lui qui me retire les coils
     Voilà Admin, si tu as le moindre commentaire intéressant, le moindre éclairage ou conseil pertinent ça pourrait p-ê m’aider dans cette démarche solitaire……….
     Merci et bonne soirée
     Clément

128. I would def go see Dr. Antonio Finelli, in Toronto, who has removed coils before (see list in preface).
     best
     ave

129. hi lex
     thanks for your thoughtful post. answers in CAPS:

     1. I’d like to check if my coils have moved. Which exam is better: X-Ray, CT Scan or MRI? THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF THEY HAVE MOVED. ALL OF THESE TESTS PROVED WORTHLESS FOR ME. THE PAIN IS THE WAY TO KNOW. I TOLD MY SURGEON THAT I THOUGHT THE COILS WERE ATTACHED TO MY COLON, AND HE DIDNT BELIEVE ME. THEN, AFTER THE SURGERY HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS RIGHT, IT TOOK 10 MINUTES TO DETACH THE COILS FROM MY COLON. A MAJOR SOURCE OF PAIN, IN MY CASE, WAS THIS ATTACHMENT. BUT FOR YOU PERHAPS IT’S NOT THE COLON, BUT OTHER TISSUE OR NERVES.
     2. In your opinion, does it make sense to check the blood circulation in my lower part of my gut? What are the exams to do it: venogram, phlebography, other? What are the benefits and the risks? I DONT KNOW.
     3. Does a metal sensitivity test or chelation make sense in my situation? Who do that? What are the benefits and risks of this exam? PERHAPS. BUT I DONT KNOW DETAILS BC I’VE NEVER DONE IT
     4. Does it make sense to see a gastroenterologist? … PROBABLY NOT, THEY WOULDNT UNDERSTAND; I SAW MULTIPLE WHO DIDNT UNDERSTAND A THING.
     5. I’d like to try natural treatments but I don’t know where to start. FOR THE VARICOCELE? I DONT THINK IT IS THE VARICOCELE CAUSING THE PAIN, BUT PROBABLY THE COILS. BUT I AM NOT A DOCTOR, OF COURSE;;; Should I see a homeopath, a naturopath or a holistic health practitioner? Any names to recommend in Toronto? What works best: homeopathy vs natural herbal treatments? I WOULD TRY TO FIND A VERY GOOD OSTEOPATH AND A VERY GOOD MASSAGE THERAPIST. THE ONLY THING THAT HELPED ME. PERHAPS AN ENERGY HEALER OF SOME SORT COULD HELP BUT I’VE NEVER DONE THAT.
     6. Any feedback to share on Kegel exercises? I don’t understand how it can relieve/heal varicocele? I DONT KNOW. MY VARICOCELE WENT AWAY AFTER THE EMBOLIZATION, FOR GOOD.

     GOOD LUCK!

130. Hi everyone,

     I am new to this website but all your comments and testimonies make perfect sense to me. Many thanks to the Admin for the website and for putting all this great information together.

     As far as I’m concerned, I had an embolization for a left varicocele in April 2019, on my 30th birthday. I did the intervention in Perpignan (France) at the Clinique Saint Pierre. The interventional radiologist did the “Sandwich” method: coil – glue – coil. He was satisfied with the surgery by positioning the coils low enough in the gonadal vein. I had a grad 3 varicocele which went totally away in less than 2 days. The pain associated with it also disappeared. I had the procedure in 2019 but my left varicocele was discovered in 2012 and I think the first symptoms started in 2006 with hindsight. At that time, I was playing soccer competitively and I remember quite a few times a strong abdominal pain in the lower left part and it was not muscular…

     Post-surgery I had abdominal pain (lower left side) for 7-10 days. I did a follow up ultrasound with the Doctor and for him everything was fine, this was due to the blocked vein thrombosis. A month later, no more pain, the varicocele was gone and I was able to practice physical activities like before: 4-5 times a week doing bodyweight workout (Lafay methodology for those who know) and cardio (splits running on treadmill). I felt a few times a discomfort in the left pelvic area but nothing major; I was able to continue my exercise with no issues.

     In March 2020, I had discomfort, feeling a strong pressure in “the pipe” connecting my heart to the lower left part of my abdomen. I went to the emergency room, saw a cardiologist and they couldn’t find anything. I guess this was due to hair loss treatments with vasodilating effects: Minoxidil and Reichi mushrooms. I stopped the Minoxidil and continued with the Reichi mushrooms and the pain was gone within a month. I am not sure if these symptoms could be related to the coils…

     Everything was perfect then until March 2021, where I felt abdominal pain to the left of the belly button. Since the surgery in 2019, I sometimes had the same pain but in general it was gone in 3-7 days. This time, it does not go away. I still have this pain today and I have found it is amplified after physical activities (usually 1h after the physical activity during recovery), or when I sit long hours due to my job or when I have to have a bowel movement. For the moment, I am not bothered in my sleep by the pain and I can practice sport on a regular basis. However, there are clearly ups and downs: sometime I really feel the pain (it lasts 15-30min) and then it decreases and goes away as like I have no pain at all. After running, I feel a pain on the left side of my left hip, almost in my lower back. The pain usually goes away after 1-2 days.

     I live in Toronto (Canada)but I am from Perpignan (France). This summer I did a check up with a urologist and an interventional radiologist who did an ultrasound. For the urologist, everything is OK and the pain imay be related to my digestive system. As for the radiologist, he did an ultrasound and noted a recurrence of varicocele on the left side and noted that the left testicle is quite small compared to the one on the right. According to his comments, a testicle should increase in size if a varicocele is fully healed. I am not sure about that since my left testicle has always been smaller than my right… So, he immediately offers me a second embolization but I don’t think that’s the solution…

     I have an appointment with my family doctor this Monday and I would like your thoughts on the points below:
     1. I’d like to check if my coils have moved. Which exam is better: X-Ray, CT Scan or MRI?
     2. In your opinion, does it make sense to check the blood circulation in my lower part of my gut? What are the exams to do it: venogram, phlebography, other? What are the benefits and the risks?
     3. Does a metal sensitivity test or chelation make sense in my situation? Who do that? What are the benefits and risks of this exam?
     4. Does it make sense to see a gastroenterologist?
     5. I’d like to try natural treatments but I don’t know where to start. Should I see a homeopath, a naturopath or a holistic health practitioner? Any names to recommend in Toronto? What works best: homeopathy vs natural herbal treatments?
     6. Any feedback to share on Kegel exercises? I don’t understand how it can relieve/heal varicocele?

     Any feedback, comments and suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance for your help and happy to share any additional feedback or answers any questions!

     Thanks!

131. no metal clips were left in my body during the procedure. i think he uses the clips during the surgery but after takes them out.
     i felt much better immediately, but you can read about my full recovery on the recovery page. all good now.
     best

132. Salut Admin,

     Merci pour ta réponse précieuse, comme tout le reste de ton site.

     Attignac m’a dit qu’il mettait 2 “clips” sur la veine lors de l’ablation. J’imagine qu’il voulait dire sur les parties de la veine qui reste dans le corps.
     Est-ce qu’il t’a mis ces “clips” à toi ? il m’a dit “c’est minuscule, vous ne sentirez rien”.
     Car j’ai pas envie d’enlever ces corps étrangers si c’est pour en mettre d’autre à la place… J’imagine que tu vois ce que je veux dire…
     Notamment parce que je m’interroge si, même si ça paraît surprenant, ces coils/plugs ne sont pas en lien avec des soucis d’anxiété, de pas vraiment se sentir soi-même que d’autres ont décrit dans les commentaires…
     Donc en gros est-ce qu’il t’a mis ces “clips” lors de l’opération et si oui est-ce que t’as senti une quelconque incidence sur comment tu te sens mentalement et physiquement ?
     Bonne journée,
     Clément

133. clement
     someone also recommended DR. Quazza in Bizet Hospital in Paris. essaie le si Attignac ne t’inspire pas la confiance
     bon courage

134. hello clément
     i do not think it is possible to remove the coils without removing the vein… they are now linked by scar tissue and a zillion microscopic fibers.
     good luck

135. Hello,
     Can you help me ?
     I would like to remove the 2 stents that have been placed within my left gonadic vein during 2 varicocele embolizations.
     However, I would like the surgeon NOT TO REMOVE THE VEIN as he removes the stents.
     Even though the vein is very likely not to function anymore because it has been blocked, I simply do not want it to be removed.
     Do you know if coils removal is possible while not removing the gonadic vein ?
     Thank you

136. Hi Kai
     Thans for the update. I had a similar story with Yoga, I stopped enjoying Yoga due to the ‘buzziness’ felt in backwards bends. I had my coils out in October 2018 thanks to Dr Azar Khan in London and had immediate relief. You are the best advocate for your own body, for sure. My stamina and strength is WAY better than during the time I had the coils in. Good luck with the surgery.

137. Hello everyone, I am going to tell you my story, I live in Seattle,I had
     my Inguinal Hernia SHOULDICE Repair done in 2010.
     Since the varicocele embolization in 2016 I still have back pain problems,
     on the hips, and now for 2 weeks my testicles and groin hurt. I went to see Dr. Kozlowski at Virginia Masson and ask him to remove the coils, but he refused to do so, so I don’t know what to do.

     Thank You

138. Bonjour Admin,

     Effectivement désolé j’ai mal lu et j’ai confondu le post de “Adam” avec le tien “Admin” (“I mentioned the potential causes because I’m a man who notices patterns (I even do it for a living now) and I have studied internal holistic health for over 7 years”).

     J’ai envoyé mon dossier par mail au Dr. Attignac et attends une réponse pour voir s’il peut faire quelque chose pour moi. J’ai eu 2 embolisations, en 2010 et 2017, de la veine gonadique/spermatique avec coil la 1ère fois, et avec plug Amplatzer la 2ème fois.

     En revanche, j’ai bien lu que tu faisais du yoga et tes posts me laissent penser que tu es à l’écoute de ton corps et réceptif à l’énergie qui y circule.
     Je considère aussi le corps humain comme un temple sacré, un microcosme (au sens de micro cosmos).
     Et je t’avoue que si j’espère qu’il pourra me délivrer de ces corps étrangers, j’ai quand même peur aussi…
     Je me demande : si le coil ou le plug est à l’intérieur de la veine, comment il fait pour y accéder et le retirer ? Il coupe la veine… ? Est-ce que la veine se régénère ensuite ou est-ce qu’elle est “morte”……….. ?
     Tout est sacré dans le corps humain et tout a son importance et sa place, mais là on parle quand même de la veine spermatique….
     Est-ce que tu as des infos sur tout ça Admin ? Et as- tu senti toi même des effets secondaires, comme si l’énergie ne circulait plus… ?
     Je te remercie d’avance,
     Clément

139. thanks for the update Kai.
     Good luck! keep us posted

140. I would like to make an update.

     I have approached Dr Peter Burke, a surgical urologist who has done this procedure before in Brisbane, Australia. As I am also a health care professional we both agreed that embolisation coils have the potential to cause inflammatory responses in the body. This is actually backed up by supporting evidence which I also provided my surgeon.

     My pain correlates with the position of the coils and previous varicolectomy (open surgery), inflammation around the muscles in this area confirmed by ultrasound, MRI and CT. I have also have functional stabbing pain when doing yoga – this has stopped me from doing yoga. As usual no one can completely rule out the multi – complex causes of chronic groin pain. It’s an elimination process and sometimes even that may not help. I am the owner off this body and I live in it. I am mindfully aware of what is going on. I suspect the coils are interfering/moving functionally possible near adhesions and or a nerve.

     I would just like to add that no Doctor, Specialist or Health Care Professional can tell you that embolisation and or varicolectomy wont result in post surgical pain. Why? Because they are not living in your body. Your body is often the best source of information in particular with pain. Your body is complex and everybody is different. A Doctor who understands this and is empathetic with your situation, willing to trial different options will be the best person to see.

     The Doctor who wrote correlation doesn’t imply causation on this forum might consider a new job. As someone who is a professional himself, knowledgeable in evidence based practice (P.S. the majority of surgical procedures in the world have little to no evidence to support them by the way) ,experienced two different surgical procedures for varicocele and have ongoing adverse effects from those procedures I am in a great position to voice why you should consider the pro’s and con’s to any surgical procedures.

     Thus I have carefully weighed up the options for myself and have chosen to have the coils removed. I am due for coil removal in July. 13 coils will be removed through two surgical methods. Laparoscopic for the gonadal vessels and an open approach just like my previous variicolectomy. This is a rather radical surgery as two approaches will need to be used given the extensive nature of the coils. I understand the risks associated with these procedures, like anything this surgery could potentially lead to further chronic pain unless managed effectively pre-operatively and post operatively (analgesia, nerve blocks etc), as soon as practicable movement will be one of the keys to healing quickly with great nutritional support.

     My reasons for this are simple: ongoing chronic pain, reduce the use of pain medications, the limitations of my functional movement due to pain, to investigate what is occurring inside of me, to eliminate one of the potential sources of pain, two understand if these have been causing pain.

     Thank you for reading. Happy to update the forum in a couple of months time regarding my progress.

141. bonjour Clément

     très désolé, je ne sais pas où tu as lu que je travaille dans la santé, mais cela est loin d’être vrai. donc malheuseusement je ne suis pas la bonne personne pour une consultation. il faut mieux parler directement avec Attignac

     bien à toi

142. Hi Abod

     I dont know if glue instead of coils is safe, sorry….

     best of luck

143. Bonjour Admin !
     Merci infiniment pour la création de ce site !!!!!!!
     Grâce à toi j’ai pu contacter le Dr. Attignac.
     J’ai lu dans l’un de tes commentaires que tu exerçais dans le domaine de la santé holistique. J’aimerais bien te contacter dans le cadre d’une consultation en rapport avec les coils, la varicocele etc. mais je ne trouve aucun mail ni téléphone, site web etc.
     Merci d’avance
     Clément

144. Bonjour “Admin”, merci pour la création de ce blog !
     Je m’appelle Clément, je suis du nord (Valenciennes-Lille), j’ai 29 ans et j’ai été embolisé 2 fois (en 2010, puis en 2017), pour une varicocèle au testicule gauche, mais malheureusement la varicocèle est revenue et est même bien pire qu’avant… c’est horrible, et ça me gêne tellement…
     Le premier a été posé par un radiologue (c’était un coil), le 2ème par un chirurgien vasculaire (c’était un “plug”).
     Comme toi, je suis très sportif, et je fais de la musculation par exemple, et j’ai remarqué qu’après avoir soulevé lourd, cela rend ma varicocèle encore plus prononcée…
     Comme toi également, je fais du yoga et je fais des exercises de respiration avec des phases prolongées en apnée (poumons vides et pleins, mais surtout poumons vides), mais j’ai toujours peur que ces foutus corps étrangers sautent et migrent dans mon corps.
     Le corps humain est une telle merveille, tu fais confiance aux toubibs aveuglément et voilà le résultat, ils te mettent cette saloperie dans ton corps, dans ton être…. Pour moi c’est des plombiers ces mecs… qui voient le corps humain comme une machine… c’est tellement triste, mais c’est la vision que j’ai d’eux… enfin bref… dsl j’exprime mon désarroi…
     Je ressens une gêne dans mon ventre (à gauche comme par hasard) depuis la 2ème intervention de 2017, j’ai revu le chirurgien vasculaire qui m’a embolisé, mais pour lui il n’y a rien, le dossier est clos… quelle frustration…. quelle solitude…. et quel embarras de potentiellement devoir vivre avec ça toute sa vie.
     Grâce à toi je vais contacter demain matin les 2 médecins sur Paris. Sais-tu lequel a le plus d’expérience pour l’ablation des coils et des “plugs” ?
     D’après les photos l’un a l’air plus vieux que l’autre, je ne sais pas si ça joue au niveau de l’expérience….
     Merci à toi “Admin”….
     Clément

145. Hi admin, i have to ask you, is the problem form the coils or the procedure? I mean if the doctor use the glue instead of coils, is it safe?

146. hi nate
     i am not sure if there is a correlation, but it is definitely worth looking into. have you tried metal sensitivity tests or chelation?
     good luck
     a

147. hi dario i will do what i can

148. I am 38 and completely healthy. I’m located in America (Arkansas). I had the left embolization surgery in 2016. I had burning in the testes and difficulty riding motorcycles. The procedure went well and I haven’t experienced pain post recovery. Still to this date, I have no burning sensation or pain whatsoever.

     I do however have noticed a rash development over the years that I could not understand. It started roughly in 2018 with a small concentration of itchy red clusters on my torso. If scratching they wod crust over and leave dark spots that have still to vanish. If left untouched, they would disappear with virtually no blemishes behind. After some time, they would go away and come back in random places spaced months apart. Until 6-8 months ago, the intensity and large amounts of clusters started popping up in groups. I now have them on my entire public bone the spans up to my bellybutton. It wraps around both hips to the sides and also a patch in the inner left side of my leg next to my testes. I also have a few patches on my torso.

     I was evaluated by a western medicine doctor and the only option was to have a biopsy and try a steroid cream. I brought up the fact that others in this site have experienced similar rashes but it was discounted as unlikely to be an immune response to the platinum coils.

     I asked for a referral back to the interventional radiology clinic who did the procedure but it was denied as not having more serious complications to warrant it.

     I will accept anyone whom wants to contact me to discuss similar issues.

149. Hi Guys,
     i have been going through years to see doctors for my symptoms(confusion, IBS, parasites).
     i had 3 embolization in 2008-2009 with 5-6 spirals in Italy(Napoli)
     i have found a doctor who diagnosed me for heavy metal.
     i m currently doing a chelation but my pain and symptoms are always there.
     @admin please can you provide me with some italian guys email, so we can help each other to find a doctor in Italy that can help us.
     many thanks for your help.
     Dario

150. embolization closes the veins, so basically it did remove the varicocele and the associated pain (but creates a lot more horrible pain).
     the varicocele came back just a tiny little bit for me, with no pain, after the embolization was removed

151. So I do not understand the timeline of your story, you said your varicocele gave you pain before embolization but now that the coils are removed did the original pain or the varicocele ever return? For some the problem is that leaving a varicocele alone can create other problems down the line and the pain never resolves not even with yoga or natural treatments

152. Hi ICS
     sorry to hear about your ordeal.
     there is a facebook group but i am not involved : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913431375624304/
     best of luck

153. I have done a Coil Embolation 2.5 weeks ago and I regret it.
     I live in Israel.
     I went to medic who did it and he said I should take NSAIDS for 7 days.
     I have pain the stomac since.
     I don’t know what to do and where to find a doc to remove those coils.
     Any people from Israel here?
     Any facebook group etc. to chat?

154. @BAM.
     I normally don’t allow negative comments to be posted, but in this case i feel the need to respond to certain parts of BAM’s message:
     1) This site is not claiming that embolization is 100% risky. This site is claiming that doctors are not properly explaining the true (and sometimes very serious) risks to their patients. This happened to me, and countless others on this site. What we need is the documentation of *true* statistics of *side effects* (i am not talking about varicocele suppression success). I guarantee you that if you asked the radiologists that inserted the coils in me, he would say that my operation went perfectly and without issues—nothing could be farther from the truth.
     2) How can you possibly say that some disorders described here “clearly” have nothing to do with the embolization. Later you posit that everything you have “stated is true”. Not only are these statements very pretentious, they lack precision because who knows which posts and symptoms you are referring to. At any rate, i do not agree. It is my belief that the insertion of metal coils may in some cases cause some kind of autoimmune reaction as experienced by numerous people here. It is true that correlation does not imply causation. but ignoring these symptoms, from so many people, is contrary to true science and equally insulting. True scientific studies about the risks need to be performed and in the meantime anecdotal evidence cannot be discarded.

155. This site needs some perspective… No surgery is 100% free of potential complications. Varicocele embolization may be performed by Interventional Radiologists (these are not radiologists who report x-rays), but make no mistake it is a minimally invasive surgery. The concept that embolization carries no risk is ridiculous and anyone who believes that is unrealistic. Varicocele embolization is LOW risk, but not NO risk. For those of you who are confused by the conflict between the stories you read here and the professional advice you receive, don’t be – having a bad outcome is a risk you take when you choose to have surgery, even when the complications are rare. So it is not weird to have stories emerge of people who have had genuine operative complications following even the lowest risk procedures. Confusing this however are a number of replies that describe disorders that clearly have nothing to do with the original operation. Just because two issue arise in the same body doesn’t mean that they are connected – to coin an old phrase ‘Correlation does not equal (or imply) causation’. I do however agree with the original author that if your symptoms are mild, then you have to ponder your risk / benefit ratio and decide what is best for you. As a doctor I’m sure I’ll be accused of vested interest, but everything I have just stated is true.

156. Hello, I am 40. Had a Grade 3 Varicocele with debilitating pain. My urologist suggested ligation. This was unsuccessful resulting in pain and swelling for months. I was then referred for embiolisation. 1st attempt unsuccessful. A 2nd round of coils was inserted. This was unsuccessful. A total of 13 coils were inserted. I had ongoing pain from the ligation but years after embolisation I get diffused pain in the pelvic hip, illiac creast and inguinal region. Can be debilitating. Every Doctor and Specialist I have gone to in Australia has disregarded the coils being a problem. I have noticed there is a surgeon in Brisbane that you have mentioned that removes coils? Are you able to provide me with further details about them? Thanking you.

157. good question
     to which i do not know the answer

158. dear admin if embolization is not successful than why they are saying every where, in the news on google and on YouTube that embolization is better than surgery. if this embolization is so bad than why 100 of embolization procedure being done on daily baises . its totally confusion

159. Echo what the admin said. I had mine done and regretted it straight away! Had to have them taken out in the end after 18 months. Please explore other options, such as the microsurgery!

160. obviously dont do it

161. dear admin, Well know radiologist suggest bilateral coil embolization to me for left side grade 3 and right side grade 2 varicocele , i have appointment for embolization procedure in next week due to fertility issue , but I saw this website and confused now. please advise me what should I have to do now .

162. thanks for your comment sam. Interesting. i will check out the book, i have friends with MS. good luck.

163. I had the Varicocele Coils in 2015 in Montreal, Since then I started to have back pain, In 2017 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which is an autoimmune disease that I wish that no one experience it!
     During the Covide 19 (Pandemic) quarantine I was doing some physiotherapy exercises with a specialist on Zoom and I had this unbelievable abdominal pain and back pain, then I noticed that there is swelling in the Testicles (both) and some kind of burning inside the abdominal, it was like a needle left on fire and inserted inside your body, 1,2,3 days and BOOOOM!!!!! an MS attack that had me half paralyzed (Trust me you don’t need details).
     I was reading a book about Autoimmune diseases cause Called ‘Solving the MS Mystery) by doctor Hal Huggins and what the 371 pages were telling that ALL Autoimmune diseases are caused by Mercury fillings, Root canals, and a foreign objects inside the body that does not belong to the body and the immune system keep fighting it day and night until they get overwhelmed and start attacking the body tissues, He talked about Stainless steel, Nickel, platinum, titanium ..etc.
     Why root canal!!!? Because when the dealers operate the root canal the kill the teeth and the teeth become a dead body(Foreign body) inside the body. imagine my body has 5 coils in the bloodstream and these coils are releasing toxins and ions in the bloodstream and when I go to see the Urologist he tells me NAAAAH nothing is wrong with you and it is impossible to have immune disease from pain in the abdominal and also there is no migration to the coils (What a genius!!) the solution is taking pain killers and sleep well and say a hail mary. then you leave after you pay him 300$ for his stunning help.
     I called another urologist and he told me that there might be a migration and I need a CT scan, I will remove those coils sooner or later.
     Thank you for this site Admin, you’ve helped me a lot.

164. Hi matthew
     i dont know how health insurance works in canada…. perhaps contact finelli’s office and ask his suggestion of how to proceed? it seems that most of the doctors on the list are very communicative. i hope Dr Finelli is the same. good luck, keep us posted

165. Hey admin,
     Thank you for your response and I understand what you said.

     I have one question at the moment but when I have more free time I’ll post about complications after the procedure happened.
     How should I go about getting in contact with one of the surgeons to see if they would remove the coils? The closest surgeon to me probably is Dr. Antonio Finelli. What would I need to do? What I ask my General Practitioner/Family Doctor to refer me to him? Would I tell my urologist that I want them removed and that Dr. Antonio Finelli has done it before and ask him to refer me to him? How does this work?

166. i cannot make a recommendation as to surgery but i would definitely not do embolization. because of the inherent risks, i would not do surgery either unless you have very good reasons to need to do so.
     good luck

167. Hello admin,

     I’m very glad I found this website as I was about to get an embolization in about 3 weeks. This will definitely make me reconsider. I have a grade 3 varicocele and have been noticing a reduction of size of the testicle and feel a dull pain from time to time. As I’m only 19 I want to have it treated so I won’t experience fertility or hormone problems in the future. Would you recommend getting it surgically repaired? does this also have any sideeffects that my urologist doesn’t tell me? (like the complications you and other men have experienced with the coils)

168. Hi matthew, i wish the best of luck but i do not do phone calls or zoom etc. mostly because i prefer that all information to be public so as many people can learn from others problems and successes as possible. for those times when i have reached out directly to people posting via email, it has been almost exclusively to put different posters in contact with other posters, or similar confidential situations. i hope you understand. i think you will find all the information you need directly on this website; at any rate, i dont have more information in my head that i have not posted here. feel free to post specific questions and i (and others) will do our best to answer.
     best of luck, keep us posted
     ave

169. Hello admin,

     I hope you’re doing well! I’m sorry to hear about everything you have went through with the embolization, but I’m very glad you were able to get them removed and have started feeling better since! I also like to say a big thank you for this website on behalf of anyone that ever comes by it as I’m sure it has helped people turn away from this procedure, give more information regarding it, and help people know that they are not the only ones, so again, thank you!

     Here is some back story of my situation:

     I think I had started developing a left sided varicocele roughly around the age of 13 or 14. Being at a young age, and Google being a thing, I got very worried it could of been cancer or any other bad thing that popped up on Google (not to say a varicocele isn’t bad though) so I spoke with my father and we went to the doctors. At that time, the doctor told me it was nothing to worry about and that I was just growing/becoming more of a man -_- .

     Fast forward to when I was 16 maybe 17 the left side of my sac was so much bigger than the right side and anytime anything even lightly hit my testicles, it would be like I full on got kicked in the balls. At the point, I went back to the doctors, a different doctor than I originally saw and he said he thought it was a varicocele and would send me for an ultrasound.

     The ultrasound showed either a grade 2 or 3 varicocele on the left side and a grade 1 varicocele on the right side to my knowledge.

     From that point on he referred me to a urologist who I then saw and spoke to about treatments for it. He advised the embolization procedure to start with and if it reoccurs possibly a surgical option. However, I believe the procedure wasn’t needed and I was something that I just wanted. I hated the feeling of having this huge bag of worms in my sac and the pain that would come from little things sometimes. I was also sexual active which played a role in it, but not a large role as when I wasn’t sexually active it was something that still bothered me.

     I got setup for the procedure which was going to take place in July 2019. I am very keen to research literally everything, I’m certain I have OCD and I am still waiting on an official diagnoses for it but that may contribute to me always researching something as much as I possibly can sometimes lol.

     The thing is, I don’t ever recall finding this website until AFTER my procedure took place! I may have a faint memory of seeing the website MAYBE ONCE but I’m sure if I even saw the website, not one part of me would of went through the procedure. I did read somewhere on here that this website was possibly blacklisted for some reason, that is VERY UNFORTUATNATE, especially at the time when I was trying to find legit ANYTHING negative about the procedure other than the ‘possibly an infection or migration of the coils but very low risk.’

     Soon after my procedure, many problems began to set in, all of which my urologist would dismiss after ultrasounds and x-ray’s showed nothing wrong.

     I was wondering if I could possibly chat with you over the phone, or some sort of audio call on say Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc, if that would be better for you, to explain more about the things I’ve felt over the past year and a bit since my procedure and what my options are and how to go about everything? I’ve thought about writing this whole thing to you for quite sometime now, multiple times even, but I just keep putting it off ‘until it is just too much’ or just making an excuse in my head, most likely subconsciously avoiding talking about it because I know it’s not good, but now I need to stop that and that’s why I’m reaching out to you.

     I feel lost and I really need to talk to someone that has gone through it and has an idea about.

     Could you please send me an email whenever is best for you to let me know if we could possibly have a call at some point? It can be based entirely off your schedule I can wait as long as you need to have free time to talk, even if that’s weeks away. I’m currently a college student doing my classes online so I have some flexibility talking but I would like to point out that I am on Eastern time just so you’re aware.

     I saw that some more recent comments someone asked to be reached out privately so I’m sure you have many other people asking the same as me. I also understand you have other responsibilities in your life to take care of. So if you really can’t find the time over the next few weeks or even months then I understand, but if you’re able to speak with me for sometime on someday, I would be extremely grateful!

     Thank you for taking the time to read all this over!
     I hope to hear back from you.

     – Matthew

170. Hello,
     I’m 23, french, my urologist planned embolization for my left varicocele grade II.
     After reading all your comments I don’t know what to do. I think I’ll book an appointment with Dr. Attignac in Paris to get a different point of view.

     I’ve tried many allopathic techniques and supplements, as mentioned in this kind of books:
     https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1514124459
     But it did nothing.

     @admin can we get in touch in private (email) as you seems to be french too. Thx

     Thank you for this website and all your feedbacks

171. @Interventionalist, awaiting your reply to my 9/19 comment

172. Yes, i had this exact experience— pain worse after sexual activities. (that said, for me it came on immediately after the embolization, not seven years later. but perhaps the coil migrated)

173. Had an embolization done in 2013 and in the last few weeks I’ve been experiencing pains along the left side of my groin that seem to get worse after sexual activities. Walking and standing with a somewhat stretched out pelvis are now starting to bring the pain on more.

     I had no issues relating to the surgery before this time and have no health issues currently that I know of that could be causing this.

     Is this common for those who have experienced problems with emobolization?

174. Hi Doctor
     Thanks for finding the time to write. But what do you have to say to all of the pains and side effects that people are discussing here? Saying that the radiologist that performed the operation on me is incompetent seems ridiculous–he lectures all over the world on the subject (at least he did twelve years ago when i had the operation).
     asking whether the operation is “doomed to fail or have a recurrence” is missing the point — many of us, myself included, had a perfectly “successful” operation, ie the varicocele disappeared, but it was then followed by years of agony and pain, until the coils were removed. what do you have to say to this?

175. As a physician who performs varicocele embolizations, the procedure needs to be done with the appropriate embolic materials and by an expert. This is not a simple procedure and those performing it without understanding why a combination of coils and sclerosant is very important are doomed to fail or have a recurrence. Please ask your physician how many they’re performed and what success they’ve had before deciding on embolization or surgery. Embolization is a highly successful procedure for varicocele.

176. Hi Jay Jay – It was Dr Azar Khan at the King’s Hospital in London. I think a common theme is that specialists ‘outside’ of the sphere of radiologists who put coils in are far more likely to listen and be empathetic to the problems that coils can cause in some people.

177. hi jj
     i’m so very sorry
     i still cant believe doctors continue to perform these operations
     i dont know about time but i would say that the time it takes for you to find a doctor to remove the coils and deal with all of the insurance issues and pricing etc you will be able to perform it
     good luck

178. I had coil embolisation of my ovarian veins two months ago and have been in terrible pain and discomfort since. My doctor says to ‘give it 6 months,’ but I’m effectively bedbound at this point. Any idea how long one must wait to approach someone to remove the coils? Many thanks.

179. Jason H., can you share where you had the coil removal done?

180. Hi Robert,
     I noticed some pretty visible varicoceles in April 2016 and was feeling very lethargic and exercise didn’t seem to be paying dividends. Had the embolization via coils in October 2016. All manner of central nervous issues kicked in, strange electrical sensations. Had them taken out in October 2018 along with gonadal vein. Instant relief. Since then I’ve built up lots of muscle mass and have stamina/strength I never had in my 20s/30s (Am now 47) I would urge great caution around embolisation with coils. They worked as they killed off the varicocele, but I ‘felt’ them in my body permanently. I can’t speak for those who’ve had microsurgery, but I’m certainly one of those who would speak out loudly against coils as a solution.

181. Hi Robert, I’m in a similiar situation to you. Reading this website and hearing people have difficulties with both micro surgery and embolization has really put me off. I found the reddit community on varicocele support and imformation pages quite useful. Lots of people sharing their experiences with how to deal with it conservatively. It might be worth a look if it means you can avoid these procedures, https://www.reddit.com/r/varicocele/

182. Hi, all. I’ve had varicocele for a long time, i believe. I’m 31 now. Starting around age 19 I had noticeable changes in my erections. At that time the varicocele were not something I knew about until around age 26, when they became visible (grade 3 I guess) and then around 29 I believe it became bilateral and pretty much anything associated with low T, i deal with. Depression, anxiety and erecrions have become very bad lately. PCP diagnosed me yesterday with bilateral varicocele, my appointment with a urologist is in 3 weeks. I was hell bent on embolization over surgery but these comments on this page have me concerned bc I’m pretty hypersensitive to many things. I assume I would be one of the people to have bad side effects, honestly. I’m curious, with these varicocele unequivocally affecting my life in terrible ways…what would you guys, from your experience, recommend for me?90% success rate seems appealing but the issues people speak about here have me skeptical. Thanks for any feedback

183. Great to hear Ryan!!! keep us posted

184. It’s been 4 months since my removal procedure. No pain. Scars are essentially just red sharpie marks on my skin. No pain. Feeling amazing, like myself again. There is definitely still tightness from all the contraction I was in while fighting the pain of the coils, but slowly it is going away with good posture habits and stretching.

     At first I was paranoid about the hem o lok clip (PTSD from recent foreign bodies I suppose :P) but I no longer even think about it. I’ve been doing plenty of heavy lifting with no real issues. If anything changes down the line I will definitely make a post. I wish everyone luck and if you need someone to talk to, please email me: brainshock@airmail.cc

     God bless
     -R

185. hi alan
     i am not in direct contact with the surgeons… their names were given by the dozens of patients who have posted on this website. at any rate, it doesnt really matter bc there is a lot of anecdotal evidence here that supports the view that embolizations are dangerous. to such an extent that, were i researching pre-surgery, i would never take the risk of getting an embolization done

186. Phenomenal work in creating this website for the benefit of others.
     A list of surgeons that see first hand the danger’s of coils,
     But not one surgeon backing you up and warning of their danger, and advising people not to use them.
     Can only assume that the surgeons that remove coils, will also recommend them,

     You don’t know what they think, you couldn’t be bothered to ask them ? did you have to ask permission to list their names here ?

     Your surgeon is adamantly against them I think that should be highlighted ,
     Please give his name and location if not listed above.
     Thank you for all the time and effort in maintaining this site. Alan

187. i dont know what all of the listed surgeons think about embolizations…. i only know that my surgeon (attignac) is adamantly against them.

     yes, there is a lot of misinformation out there…. but if you read these posts, i think you can hear the truth in the words.

188. The listed surgeons here that will remove coils
     What are their opinions on Embolization ? as their opinions would carry a lot of weight

     Reddit Website a lot on there promoting Embolization, with false and misleading information.
     And making false derogatory comments about this site.

189. As it goes, both options seem risky, according to posts here. best of luck

190. Hi there, Doing research on embolization. I have not read every post but it sounds like the coils vs sclerosing the vein is what a number of people have had trouble with. Were u given the option of coils vs foam? I believe there are also other materials besides coils that can be used today as well.

191. Yeah I agree, but based on the model of medicine we have, it is not likely or feasible to expect such a case study to occur since $$$ flows from maintaining treatment protocols rather than research cures—this is a very sad and frustrating reality we have to deal with. I have gathered information from various healers and sources over the years, and based on both my experience thus far and what I have deduced from the experiences of others in various groups across the internet, it is a logical and intuitive bet for me. However, yes, it is not scientifically proven as of now.

     I actually did reach out to the radiologist who performed the procedure, and his short answer was that endoscopic removal would not be possible. What you shared makes sense, so I can see why that is the case. Either way, I’m going to meet with him next week to discuss my options and what his thoughts are. I’ll most likely be active on here and keep you guys updated with my journey with this.

     I mentioned the potential causes because I’m a man who notices patterns (I even do it for a living now) and I have studied internal holistic health for over 7 years, very diligently, because I refused to accept the regular bs answers from docs about how “normal” having chronic symptoms is, and i also refused their prescriptions drugs. I have tripled my testosterone, solely from liver flushing (with zero supplementation), and I am making progress on my joint pain, arthritis and soft tissue generated scoliosis, restoring homeostasis with my microbiome, ridding myself of anxiety and depression, etc, all pending this chelation therapy I am doing and finishing up liver cleansing. There is a lot of anecdotal and also some limited scientific research to suggest that liver dysfunction and heavy metal toxicity (both of which are clearly related) can cause varicose veins, but again, I understand that wording is important in discussing these things. I’ll post again after I see the radiologist.

192. Hi adam
     i would be wary of being confident about causes and effects, as really this requires a proper scentific case study. we can read so much different info on the internet. and even in peer reviewed scientific journals, opinions change all the time.
     i would speak more in terms of “current best guess” or “best estimated causes/effects” based on x y z etc.
     removing the coils via embolization does not seem logical to me, though it would be best to consult a radiologist, because the coils adhere to the sides of the veins using sclerosing agents and clotting and tiny fibers. so the material to remove is actually much bigger than the coil material initally inserted before adherence. i dont think it would fit back the way it came, plus i dont know how you would cut it out like that.
     best ave

193. I had a varicocele embolizaton about 4 years ago. I was having erectile dysfunction for a period after the onset of pain, which was one of the driving forces of me rushing the embolization. After learning loads about internal health, and pushing forward with both liver flushes and now an effective passive chelation protocol with nano zeolite, I feel confident that the liver congestion and heavy metal toxicity is what caused my varicocele in the first place.

     Regardless of all that, I’m wondering if it is possible to remove the coils from the embolization the same way they were implanted. It seems intuitive to me that a catheter could go back on and pull them out if it went in and dropped them off, but i haven’t heard anyone mention that. I don’t have any noticable symptoms persay, besides some occasional light pain reminiscent of the original pain I felt before the embolization, and there are a couple points where I can *feel* that a coil is there and is a bit of an inflammatoryblockage of energy.. but honestly I know these foreign objects do not belong, and as i mentioned i think I’m getting to the root cause of the varicocele in the first place!! I imagine that not only will it be a source of chronic low grade inflammation, but will also be a source of platinum toxicity (and I think others mentioned tungsten—I have platinum nester coils in there, and I’m not sure what all they are made of besides the obvious), and even if it isn’t impacting my ability to exercise or live I wanna get em out. Down the road, if I find the right dox for it and can’t get them out via endoscopy, I’ll do it… but I just figured I’d mention this and see if anyone has any thoughts.

194. hi jan
     sorry i dont know exactly where my coils were and if they were in the iliac

195. 8 years ago I had the embolization done for the left side, a few months later my right side was also in pain. My urologist said that the right side would need to be performed as an open surgery because of physiological reasons. I agreed and had the surgery. After a 2 days the pain and swelling were unbearable. I went to the emergency room and they did an ultrasound. The radiologist told me that there was very little blood flow and I should be seen immediately or risk losing my right testicle. I called my urologist and was told that I could be seen in a few days. After expressing my concerns, she agreed to see me the next day. We then scheduled a follow-up, exploratory surgery to make sure what she thought about the blood flow was accurate. I was told that the blood supply was fine after a Doppler test. For months after my testicle shrank and was still painful. I lost 6 months of work, spending time with my family, etc. I finally tried a different urologist who told me that the testicle was dead and should be removed. Now 8 years later I am having problems again on the left side as I no longer have a right testicle. I am one of the few that can say I tried both types of surgeries and would not recommend either. I know that all of our bodies are different, but I am 8 years and 1 removed testicle into this and am still dealing the problem on my embolization side. Since I have had the embolization done, I have developed a headache condition called Hemicrania Continua, Celiac disease, and a series of other pains. I am calling my urologist tomorrow after 2 more emergency room visits in the last 4 days and asking about removal of the coils. I have already told my wife that at this point if they have to remove my only testicle, so be it. I am so sick of dealing with this. Obviously as a 43 year old I would rather keep the testicle, but the constant pain and time lost from work and family are terrible. Luckily my employer seems to actually care about me and are willing to help however they can. Again, if you are doing any research on this site prior to a surgery let me be the scary story to make you rethink your options. Thank you to all of you that have posted on here as it is nice to know that we are not alone or crazy.

196. Hello everybody,
     I have 3 coils together inside pelvis. One in spermatic vein and 2 more in internal Iliac veins which looks to be rare. Now nobody wants to remove it saying the risks are very high. Is anybody here who also had coils placed in iliac? Symptoms are the same like others and it very frustrating. Also searching for help in other countries already but I’m not sure who to contact now. I’m from the Czech Republic but no one here seems to do it.
     Thank you very much and thanks admin for this website. I wish you all the best and to be healthy again without coils in our bodies.

197. I think that coils, implants, surgical clips, mesh implants and stents can cause pain to someone.

198. i dont know. i seem to remember someone having so many coils that it was quite complicated to remove… but you would need to go through all the posts. even if it hasnt happened before, it could happen to you. any surgical intervention carries risks.

199. Thanks – I managed to locate the conference by urologist mentioned. It was the 2019 BAUS (British Association of Urological Surgeons) symposium. There are two videos, one advocating micro-surgery treatment: https://youtu.be/wfMXUbN8Cxo The second is a general Q&A about treatment, they discuss pain and side effects around 16-20 minutes in: https://youtu.be/ZDxqkMhat3k

     Can I ask whether anyone has had a negative outcome from coil removal?

200. sorry to hear your story, and yes all of this is true. embolization with glue also doesnt seem to be better

201. In February 2017 I developed a dull ache in my left testis which was diagnosed as a varicocele. My doctor referred me to a consultant urologist at my local NHS hospital who recommended I undergo an embolization procedure using coils. The urologist stated that there would be no side effects other than secondary infection, the worst that could happen is it simply doesn’t work. With those odds, I elected to have the procedure.

     The procedure was carried out in August 2018 which involved implanting seven coils. This was very straight forward, carried out under local anaesthetic, and completed in around 30 minutes. I was at home within a couple of hours and back to work the following day. I was informed that it may take a while for the pain to settle down, so I was not immediately concerned when the pain persisted… several months later I came to realise the procedure didn’t work – Indeed I still experience pain in my left testis.

     A couple of months later, around October 2018, I began to develop a pain in my lower left abdomen (left lower quadrant). This wasn’t a sharp pain, more like someone pushing a couple of fingers very firmly into my abdomen. I initially thought it was food poisoning but as the pain persisted, I returned to my doctor who referred me to a gastroenterologist who couldn’t find any probable cause for the pain. After various consultations the cause of the pain has been whittled down to the coils – the location of which (seen on an x-ray) aligns with the pain. I might add that the pain appears to be more acute when I’m tired/run down. Similarly, the location (near the colon) means than an upset stomach will result in a flare-up where the pain is more pronounced (due to bloating putting pressure on the coils).

     My consultant urologist was initially sceptic that the coils were the cause of pain. However, they had a change of heart after attending a conference where the side effects of embolization coils were discussed. I have now been referred to another urologist who has experience in removing coils (laparoscopy) – this is currently on hold due to Covid. In the interim, I’ve been referred to a pain clinic to mitigate the pain whilst I await surgery.

     Pain aside, the procedure has had an impact on my general health and wellbeing. For a year I wasn’t able to exercise, I have also experienced periods of low mood. I also find myself having to adjust how I sit and sleep as certain positions prove uncomfortable. There are some nights that the pain appears to flare up, which impacts sleep. It has also affected my relationship with my partner, as my libido has crashed through the floor, and sex can sometimes prove uncomfortable… which isn’t terribly romantic!

     My advice to anyone looking to undergo embolization is to avoid coils. It’s clear the technology is in its relative infancy and the scope of potential side effects is not clearly known. Research is slowly coming to the fore, which seems to acknowledge side effects – the scope of which I doubt will be fully known for some years yet. Although speculative, I wouldn’t be surprised to see further scrutiny of coils as seen here in the UK with regard to mesh implants.

202. roberto the real question is: do you really have such a bad situation that you need the operation?
     coil embolization and glue embolization should be avoided bc they can leave you in a much worse situation than you started.
     i cant speak to classic surgery.

203. so after reading a million posts, i still cant understand
     Whats the best operation type?
     Obviously its not the coils or embolization…
     So whats the best type and the worst type?

204. exactly. unless it’s ruining your life and youre not able to have kids in the current condition, i wouldnt think about doing it

205. Reading a couple posts up- sounds like all surgery is unfavorable

206. Holy shit. I’ve been thinking about doing this procedure for a month. I can’t believe we’re here in June 2020. This is incredible. It’s 7 am and I started reading this thread at 3. I have a grade 3 varicocele and I’m 28. It’s hard to say if I have low T levels but I do have some pain here and there in my balls. and my urologist gave me a Lab order for getting serum T checked out. If it ends up being low I’d rather take supplements or anabolic steroids than undergo this surgery after reading this horror. I’ll deal with the pain. As long as I can have kids one day, does the traditional varicocele invasive surgery have similar horror stories??

     PS my gf doesn’t even know it exists. She looks at my balls and goes “boys have weird looking sacks” I’m like I agree..

     Awesome thread,

     You are the unsung hero

207. Hi Rick, I completely agree with you. I had a procedure called microsurgical varicocelectomy and I was left in worse pain after. I think things are just best left alone and only consider surgery as a last resort.

208. Hi guys, (sorry my english is not as good as admin)

     I came here today, because i’m full of regrets. In 2003, i had right epididymal pain, they told me it was a begnin cyst. Then 6 months after i began to have varicoceles, which became unbearable and stupidly i had surgery. Bilateral inguinal varicocelectomy but not sure(two 4cm incisions), no metal clip can be seen on xray or mri. Gave me fever and epididymitis.

     I regreted not to have embolization instead, but from what i read here, i just regret to have done something for it.

     I think in some cases varicoceles aren’t the cause of pain of discomfort, but an inflammation of the area instead.

     All began for me with epididymal pain, i should have been treated with a long course of antibiotics. I think i had low grade infection.

     I’m sure the inflammation/pain/discomfort made me contract my pelvis and cremaster as a reflex, which caused bad venous flow and varicocele overtime (i can contract a part of my cremaster on demand as many). Also inflammation/infection increase blood flow down. So if you have varicocele or fragile veins, it puts pressure on it and increase the problem…

     I still have some enlarged veins, some urologist told me not to do anything more, himself having a varicocele for years.

     My conclusion is to always have surgery or embolization as a last resort.

     Surgical varicocelectomy is risky too : nerve/vas deferens/artery damage.

     Be sure to try everything before any decision.

209. so sorry bhs, keep us posted.

210. I’m South Korean. Unfortunately, I had a varicocele embolization on April 21 here in South Korea. Platinum coils were inserted below and above my testicular vein. And liquid glue was injected into my testicular vein. I’m suffering from constricting blood vessels because of liquid glue. Thank you very much for sharing the information. Unfortunately, my varicocele recurred in just one month. It’s so painful. My stomach hurts and feels uncomfortable under my ribs. I’m considering removing platinum coils and testicular veins because I need to get a re-surgical testicular vein anyway. I’m planning to do laparoscopic robotic surgery. I think I am the first in Korea. Good luck to everyone. My testicular vein seems to have hardened. I get pain whenever I move.It’s so painful. The consent form for the procedure did not contain this information. I haven’t heard such a warning from my doctor either. I’ll keep you posted when I get a chance. Thank you, fellas. Good luck. I’m sorry I’m using a translator.

211. Thank you so much and really appreciate all of your help.

212. hi ross. tough situation… i have contacted the people who have posted from australia to see if i can get a name for you. hopefully those docs can give you advice
     best
     ave

213. This is a great resource, and I wish I found it sooner.

     I’m from Melbourne, Australia and hoping an admin can send the specialist/surgeon details to me.

     My story is slightly different in that I’ve experienced ED for a very very very long time, and also have a large varicocle. I eventually found a doctor who diagnosed me with a venous leak through ultrasound. I was referred to a hospital where they have an interventional radiology clinic, and had a cavernosogram with vein embolizaction in order to overcome the venous leak. It was indicated to me as a 50% success rate, and didn’t have the desired effects after the surgery – although it was mentioned that they found a large leak. I was absolutely gutted. This led to a second surgery with more blocking agents and more coils inserted (Nitinol coils) and ended up with the same negative result. I started noticing occasional pinching in the pelvic area several months later, and also unsure if I’m allergic to the material. I guess I just want them out as they didn’t work, and don’t know if this is possible, and if this will cause more negative effects. In hindsight, I should have pressed for a T increase to see if it would resolve it. I was awake for both surgeries and felt my nerves affected in the surrounding areas almost like when you have dental surgery and you can feel all nerves around the area that is affected. I’m not sure what to do now, and hoping someone can offer any advice. I’m also in my early thirties.

214. ~2 weeks after removal:

     Scars are healing up well. Gas is almost completely gone, although if I bend backwards and breathe deeply into my pelvic floor I get this weird noisy gas movement sensation near the abdominal incisions. Hopefully that will go away.I’ve been stretching to help the varicocele which returned, I think it’s working.

     It’s not exactly night and day difference yet, but I feel a bit more like myself, more present. On the body level I still have some inflammation in the area, but on the mind level I have more peace of mind. Although I am a bit paranoid about stretching my lower abdominal because I feel like it could restore blood flow to the “dead” vein and bust the ligation clip right off and make me internally bleed out. It could be completely schizophrenic but hopefully the doc can shed some light on that when I see him. I have my follow up with Dr Rutkowski later this week.

215. Just to let you know, i spoke to my GP yesterday

     He has asked to see the list of Drs who perform the operation 😁

     He didn’t realise as was guided by specialists here and believed their view “it cannot be removed”

     I’ll update you all of my outcome once the pandemic is over

     Much love to you all and TY so much

216. Jessica, I wish you luck. That sounds awful.

217. I’m a mother of disabled children and support worker who’s fighting to find a solution to what I’ve been told is nothing to do with my coils…

     I had many coils inserted in 2012 into a huge left ovarian vein, into the vein running from the kidney to ovary (doctors who aren’t skilled in this believe at first it’s the vein from the ovary to womb, in reality I wish it was as I have actually felt these shunt my kidney up at times in certain positions)

     The next day was when the hell started, my heart couldn’t rhythm properly I went from being able to do things with my kids before op, ok only minimal but still….to not even being able to stand without shaking. I felt the dramatic change in bp my body didnt like, they had blocked off many varicose veins this I could see on screen as I watched my op.

     I wasnt frightened as I’ve been through quite a lot….to me this operation was nothing…..so I thought 😔

     Because of your site which my awesome Brother found hes my hero right now because this literally could save my life, I have hope

     When my children are at school to take myself away from my own pain, i concentrate in others. I’m so grateful to be able to do that ….but times now running out, my family can see this as can I. I’m trying to find a solution so I can be everything I can possibly be in order to help as much as I can, but first and foremost not hide from my children in pain.

     I want to thank you for this website xxx

     In such times, when others so much darkness, you’ve just given me the extra light to fight even harder.

     Oh and my symptoms are similar to colitis etc but if you haven’t heard of extreme slow transition time, look it up. I believe this operation effects bowels and causes other issues

     I’m sending you all the highest hug in the world, the best thing I’ve found for pain is baths and controlled breathing xx

     I’m showing this to my doctor, so he can refer me in order to have removal.

     Thank you all

     Admin note : i have edited this post heavily for brevity, sorry.

218. the gas pains… suck, it just takes a little time. but goes away, dont worry. i dont remember what helps… maybe moving around as much as possible? look in my post op description.
     really, at this point it’s too early to analyse the success bc the operation pains are still there.
     keep us posted!
     best

219. Also my varicocele is already back in all its ugliness…yikes!

220. Just had my operation around 7:30 this morning. First thing is wow….the co2 pains are quite bad, I feel them more than the incisions in fact.

     Dr Rutkowski said he used dissolving clips to ligate the cut vein, so they will dissolve and be absorbed by the body and the vein will apparently “shrivel up”. I tried to ask him for a ligasure cauterization instead so I wouldn’t have plastic being absorbed into my bloodstream, but he said in the past people have lost blood from doing that, so I guess this is what I get.

     Can’t really say I notice a positive difference yet, mainly because there’s so much pain localized in the area where the coils were. I feel like in a few days I will really notice a difference.

     I’m staying the night in the hospital and leaving in the morning…any tips for the gas pain?

221. @marcello,
     i personally didnt have testicle pain after the removal operation ; all my recovery and associated pain is described on the COIL REMOVAL SURGERY AND RECOVERY page
     keep us posted, good luck

222. Hi Ryan
     no clips were left inside me from the removal operation ; not sure what you are referring to

223. Ok. Also I just read from posts above that the vein has to be ligated with clips…???? So there will still be a foreign object in the body? Who is to say this will not cause problems later down the line? Should we register the domain against-ligation-clips.com in advance? I mean this is ridiculous…there’s no way to fix this and bring my body back to just having no weird shit inside of it? Can’t we cauterize the veins or something?

224. @ryan
     no idea what the procedure should be called, i imagine everyone calls it differently. as i did mine in france, the name of my op wouldnt be of much help

225. Thanks 🙂

     Dr Rutkowski with WNY Urology

     The procedure is described as “left gonadal vein excision”. That’s correct, right?

226. @admin I just want to share my experience, and thanks a lot for this amazing website. You are a legend!!!
     What you will find here is purely based on my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I just created this post in order to help other sharing valuable information to this community. I hope you can appreciate that.

     More than a year ago I have been diagnosed for a testicular varicocele on the left side, which has been treated with an embolisation ( using some metal coils) in May 2019. After the procedure I started accusing pain in different areas such as lower abdomen, low back pain (in the kidney area) and left testicle and the groin too. At the beginning I thought it was normal after the procedure. The pain didn’t go away, and I was treating him with different pain killer such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen and amytryptiline. The conclusion of this story is that I found a lovely urologist In London who was happy to remove these spiral coils and fix the varicocele with laparoscopic surgery. This procedure was carried on the 17th March 2020 at London Bridge Hospital. So far, the abdomen pain is so much better and I do not feel these external materials inside the body anymore. However, I am still experiencing pain in the left testicle (approximately in the epididymis area). I m more than a month away from the last surgery and I am still experiencing this testicular pain (left side) but no swelling to be reported.

     Thats what I am doing right now: 1)Antiinflammatory (naproxen) for 7 days 2)Ice pack twice a day 3)Wearing scrotal support when walking or standing for long period of time

     Is anyone in this group who has this procedure done and has experiences testicular pain after that? It would be nice to share and compare our experience. I am super happy to help and also receive further advice or recommendations.

227. good luck!! and take all the necessary precautions with covid around

     the veins were long dead for me (8 yrs after coils put in). take it very easy after the surgery, try not to laugh… that’s what hurt me 😉

     which surgeon is removing them?

228. My removal surgery is scheduled for next Monday! I’m so excited to finally have this thing out! It seems like it’ll be a tough surgery, I’ve never quite been cut open before, but I will go through whatever pain it takes to be able to enjoy my life again.

     After the operation I will update with my recovery progress and I will give the name of the doctor as well so others may get help.

     @admin – when you got your removal done did the veins work again since he pulled the metal out? Or are they just dead veins?

229. hi tony
     to answer your question, i have not received too many positive outcome posts..
     it’s not that i remove them, it’s just that i havent received many pro-embolization posts from people that have actually undergone surgery. in fact none, i remember correctly. there is a doctor below that made a comment and i left his remarks up. See Steven J Smith’s response on May 29, 2018 at 12:56 am, and my response.

     people who find this website *after an embolization* are most likely people that have had problems… otherwise you wouldnt spend time googling such obscure subjects.

     obviously i wouldnt recommend the embolization, even if there was only a 10% chance of having any of the problems described here

230. Hey, I’m in Las Vegas & seriously thinking about doing an embolization. Does this site remove any or all the positive outcomes from this site?

231. hello ZGR, I wanted to follow up to see if you can provide an update on your natural supplement experience. Are you still taking them or have you eased off them. Are the results lasting? Also, do you take all of the supplements you listed and in what doses/frequency? Any information would be helpful.

232. ah drats, yeah the covid has made a mess for everybody
     stay safe, people

233. I had removal scheduled for early april as I said in an earlier comment, however the hospital has postponed it until Coronavirus is less severe. I cannot even express how disappointed I was to find out I would have to wait even longer. I hope we get out of quarantine soon.

234. I don’t think it was embolization as far as i know, i was really young that time. but i still have multiple staples on my abdomen that showed on the X-rays, they don’t look like coils!
     but still had all the symptoms!

235. it wasnt an embolization? ie: were there coils?

236. Hey guys,
     I had in 2010 varicocele surgery in both sides. My surgery i think was Laparoscopic.
     post surgery pain, numbness and chills spreaded all over my body!! it got worse and worse by time, we are in 2020 now and i cant find viable reasoning for what has been going on with my body??!!
     I did an xray weeks ago and showed staples look-like in my lower abdominal!! what are those? are those the reason??
     I just need a clue!!

237. Sorry Krotus, i cannot advise on this. just dont get a coil embolization, for sure, and i probably wouldnt get a glue embolization either just to stay on safe side.
     best of luck

238. I am confused now. So what is the way to go ?
     I’ve read reddit varicocele thread and see many people had improvements both after microsurgery and embolization (I saw mostly with glue). There were some people who didn’t have significant improvements, but the first group of people was much more.
     I have grade 3 on my left side and probably grade 1 on my right side. I have left testicular atrophy. I experience premature ejaculation and rarely experienced ED. (maybe 1 in 12-15 times)
     I have tried supplements but it seems like they don’t work.
     Do you have any advice, what can I do in this situation ?

239. Hi, I’ve had a varicocele for 16 years, I’m now 32. Like most of you it’s only on my left side and I only have mild pain from time to time. My concern is that I have low sperm count and iI’ve been trying to have a baby with my wife now for over a year. After reading this forum I will not do embolization or varicolectemy. Besides APT stretches and changing diet is there any other recommendations. Thanks and good luck to everyone who had those coils inserted. My prayers are with you all.

240. Hi,

     I’ve recently been scheduled in for a varicolcele embolisation on the NHS in the UK, i’m 32 years old. After initially being relieved at finally getting some resolution on a frustrating couple of years of on and off pain and trips back and forth to the urologist, i’ve done a lot more research into the procedure and it’s becoming apparent that a lot of people don’t have any success – specifically it seems with the metal coils technique

     Has anyone here had any experience with the glue solution? Is it specifically the metal coils that people seem to have issues with? My conclusion based off of what i’ve read here would be to try and find somewhere that provides the glue solution.

     Ultimately I believe I need to get this treated as it’s affecting my day to day to life and i don’t want to go on like this forever, but clearly, understanding as much as possible before going forwards is going to be important.

     Thanks

     S

241. Hi,

     I had two operations for vein embolization through interventional radiology in order to overcome a venous leak which was the suspected cause with long standing erectile dysfunction.

     Nitinol coils were used along with a liquid agent in some areas ( schlerosing agent possibly).

     What symptoms can one expect from this type of operation?

     Is there anyone in Melbourne, Australia who can assist with diagnosing symptoms and possibly removal without further side effects and further damage into that area?

     Thanks,

     J

242. I consulted with the surgeon in my town. My surgery is scheduled for early April. I do not want to release the name of the doctor until I have had the procedure and confirmed that it went well.
     He told me that despite him never seeing an issue like this before, he is willing to remove them because there is seemingly no other possible source for my pain than the coils (he checked out my xray and ultrasound results). I also directed him to check out this website and to contact Dr Stein if he needed any help with the procedure.
     He gave me a procedure appointment paper that refers to the procedure as a “robotic left gonadal vein excision” so hopefully that will not create red flags for my insurance company and cause them to deny me again (when i tried going out-of-network they denied coverage saying the procedure is “experimental”).

     I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot wait to get my life back and can’t believe how badly this one decision has caused so much suffering. As soon as this thing is out and I’ve recovered enough, I’m gonna start doing some yoga to get my core and pelvic floor right.

     Anyone struggling to get help with this, KEEP TRYING. There could be doctors in your area willing to remove the coils, you just have to make many appointments and tell your story over and over. It fucking sucks, but what other choice is there?

     get moving

243. This board is amazing and thank you all for posting your stories. I have been on a journey for several months to find the source of my testicular and pelvic pain. I had varicocele surgery about 5 years ago with metal surgical clips. The pain started about 5 months ago first in my left testicle then localizing more around the surgical clips. At times I feel pressure on my hip, pelvis and lower abdomen. It’s seems to be radiating from the area where the clips are. It’s a consent dull to sharp pain. After seeing several doctors and imaging, the most recent urologist diagnosed my as having scar tissue around the surgical clips causing the discomfort. He advised against surgery and had no treatment plan to improve my quality of life. I have three young child and I’m only 40 so there is no slowing down just yet. Has any one had any success with acupuncture, cold laser, ultrasound therapy to break up the scar tissue? Looking for any type of alternative therapy to ease the discomfort. Also, any doctors in the New York Metro Area that would consider removing the clips? Looking for any and all treatment options.

244. @bj, have you had the procedure yet?

245. Hi frenchy, I’m from the UK, I was meant to have the varicocele embolization using coils, but I cancelled the procedure in favour of having a micro-surgical varicocelelectomy instead (they cut and tie off the veins using stitches).

246. Hi guys, im from france. My doctor said me to do embolization but I’m not ready to do it. My varicocele are big both sides, sometimes it’s very uncomfortable, i would like to try to get it smaller. Is here someone who can advise other method then embolization? Like microsurgery or something else? Thanks for warning about this “quick and safe” medical intervention..

247. good to hear
     i remember reading a new yorker article about the davinci robot https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/paging-dr-robot

248. It’s been a while since my last update. Nothing has changed in terms of my symptoms and I’ve continued to struggle with insurance.

     I went back to the radiologist again and this time he was willing to admit that procedures don’t always go as planned and he is going to help me get these things removed. He managed to find a doctor in my local area of Buffalo NY who has expressed willingness to do the removal procedure for me, so I no longer need to go to Cleveland or France, and now it is in my insurance network, so there is less reason for me to be turned down for coverage (they were refusing to cover me if I went outside of my network).

     The guy uses a Davinci Robot to do the surgery, so I’m gonna look it up and make sure that is comfortable for me. I will update again after my consultation with him.

249. Has anyone here had their testicle removed due to varicocele or epididymitis pain?
     I am so ready to have mine removed, I have already told my urologist if these procedures don’t work, that he is to remove my testicle. I hear of so many men having their testicle/testicles removed due to cancer, and you never hear of them having ongoing pain problems afterwards.

250. @Zac, I have a few questions… Did they say why you are in worst pain? Are you still in pain now? When did you have the microsurgery done?

251. @BJ I had micro surgery first and it left me in worse pain then the varicocle was to begin with. I would think twice about having the surgery too.

252. Hey Luke, What part of the UK are you? Did you have the procedure done on the NHS or done privately? Before the operation, were you suffering testicle pain, any leg pain at all? I live in the UK and was going to have the embolization done, but changed my mine last minute, I’m now going to have the surgery method, where they cut and tie off the veins, its hard to know what to do for the best. I hope you feel better soon, let us know of any changes.

253. Hi guys, were any of you offered the varicocelectomy procedure instead of embolization?

     A varicocelectomy is where they cut/tie off the swollen varicoceles, no metal coils used.

254. no idea. probably

255. Admin in my case they also found adhesions to the colon (sigmoid). They did not remove all the coils.
     Do you think nerves can be damaged permanently by the coils?

     Regards

256. Maybe.
     in my opinion there are multiple problems with the coils:
     1) coils can damage the surrounding tissues, muscles, and nerves and thereby creating scar tissue that creates adhesion between internal bodies
     2) some people have metal allergy sensitivities
     3) any metal, whether or not you are sensitive to them, modify the electromagnetic paths ie meridians in the body.
     point 1 was most painful for me i think… the removal surgeon found adhesion to my colon

257. Hello Admin,

     I am considering a removal of the coils that are still in the kidney area. I think they cause my back and pelvic pain.
     Last time when I had a part of the coils removed they found inflamed strange scar tissue. Do you think this was caused by the tungsten/platina material?
     Could the scar tissue cause all the problems instead of the coil material?

     Regards

258. dr attignac had me do some kind of scan but i dont remember what. coloscanner if i remember correctly. no way to say if they had moved but they werent where they were supposed to be that’s for sure

259. Hi admin, did you need to have a ct scan or xray before your coil removal? Had they moved at all?

260. i dont know why varicocele came back. bodies change… and embolization was probably treating a symptom (problematic veins) but the underlying cause (blood flow issue and vein suscetibility?). at any rate, it the varicocele is much less than before. though i would prefer to have stuck with the ‘cele and avoided embolization—obviously

261. yes luke, dont panick. numerous people probably have procedures that dont go badly (i hope), although i dont know what percentage as zac mentions.
     if you have strong pain at the two week post surgery mark, i’d say you need to look into it further. keep us posted, good luck

262. Hi admin, why do you think your varicocle returned after coil removal? Surely the vein was already dead when they removed the coils.

     Luke I believe you should wait at least 3 months before panicking. People I know who have had it say it takes about that time to settle in successfull cases. Obviously in some cases it doesn’t. It would be interesting to know what percentage of people who have the procedure experience issues.

263. Hi, I am 31 year old from UK, I had a Varicocele Embolization 5 days ago. 4 coils put into left testicle by caphitor via neck. My lower left abdomen has been hurting since the second day and has not got any better. My testicles now are not hurting and the swelling has gone down but my stomach is hurting a lot. I am kinda lost in what I should do. How long I should wait to see if it heals or what I should be doing to help it heal.

264. Does anyone know of a surgeon who can remove the coils in the St. Louis area? Or is the only good surgeon Dr Stein from the cleveland clinic. Unfortunately I saw this a week after the procedure:(

265. DON’T DO AN EMBOLIZATION

266. Hi admn
     This is ajith
     Day after tomorrow is my appointment for embolization..I don’t have any pain..no other symptoms..once my motility was low..
     Then I reduced my weight from 81 to 74..starts jogging..eat veggies..fruits ..
     Checked last month ,motility rate is in good condition..
     So what are u suggest? I read all of the comments..now am in trouble..😕

267. the coil.

268. Can I ask you guys a question… What is causing the pain and discomfort after the embolization? Is it the metal coils themselves, or the fact that the gonadal vein is now blocked, e.g blood flow has changed?

269. good luck TR

270. Hello I’m travelling to Cleveland clinic from Florida to see dr. Stein. I have 3 coils. And have had nothing but pain ever since. My left side, lower back, and abdomen have been incredibly tense and inflamed ever since the embolization. I’ve had PT, massage, and chiro. The pain is still the same. I can’t wait to have these coils out of my body and hopefully my life back. Theh took my life from me. I’ve been unable to work or enjoy life for over a year now. The IR dismissed my claims and told me I have a hypersensitivity to pain and chronic pain problems. Total BS.

271. probably… that’s why i did it like that. obviously, totally untrue

272. Everything I read about treating varicoceles says Varicocele Embolization is generally better than the surgical method (Varicocelectomy), is this why so many people opt for the embolization method?

273. Hi, Saw my urologist today, I opted out of having the varicocele embolization done, instead I’m having a Varicocelectomy (cutting of the vein’s), is there anyone hear who have had it done to relieve testicle pain, did it work?

274. hi TD
     thanks for your post, sorry to hear about your problems
     i cant speak for others but i can say that i have not experienced fertility risks linked with the coil removal—i have been blessed very recently with a little baby. also, last year i can confirm not to have had any problems.
     good luck

275. Hi all

     Stumbled across this website when I searched on google about the possibility of side effects of varicocele embolization and am shocked as to how similar the symptoms described in various posts on here are similar to my own.

     For a bit of background – I’ve been suffering from chronic testicular pain since January 2018, intermittently at first and then constantly since January 2019 after a bilateral varicocele embolization. I had the embolization to treat a left grade 2 and right grade 1 varicocele which was accompanied by intermittent bilateral scrotal pain. My urologist was confident that this was the source of my occasional scrotal pain throughout 2018.

     Sadly after the embolization the left side pain became constant rather than intermittent (no issues with the right). The nature of the pain changed in that it was now constant and I also had a strange, awful feeling of ‘fullness’ throughout my left abdomen, lower back and upper epididymis in the left testicle, a feeling of mental fogginess (which I put down to a secondary symptom of the pain). After seeing 2 more urologists who were stumped as to why I felt this pain, a third urologist thought I should have a 5mm epididymal cyst removed and this would alleviate the horrific ‘pressure’ type feeling in my left side and testicle. I am extremely reluctant to do this and after finding this site am pretty convinced I am suffering these issues as a result of the coils. I have been referred to chronic pain specialists who think that the embolization is not causing my pain, and they’ve recommended groin steroid injections which I don’t especially want to do.

     Coincidentally I went to see Neil Barber (mentioned above / treated JH) about my pain and he was the one who suggested the cyst removal, he asked me whether the nature of the pain had changed after the embolization, which I confirmed and he didn’t mention anything after that. I think I will go back and see him to consult on coil removal. Does anyone know if there are any fertility risks with having the coils removed?

276. great to hear jason!

277. Hi. Another positive update from me. I had coils taken out in Sep last year and my recovery has been great. I continue to practice a lot of yoga and my core strength (at the age of 47) is stronger than it has ever been before. I beg anyone considering having the coils to think very carefully as I lost 18 months of frustration that things weren’t right. It took until December last year from inflammation to die down properly but I’ve had a year now of not taking a single painkiller for groin discomfort.

278. Hi guys, a few months ago I made a post outlining how I was having a lot of trouble with what I feel was mostly, at the very least, brought on my having the coils placed in my body. I would like to note I have, before I got the emboilisation, had a previously failed varicocele surgery which caused scarring and did little in the way of helping me with my varicocele (I had it back within 6 months and with it the associated pain). This was not a micro surgery.

     I have since (3 months ago) had a coil removed from my groin in Brisbane, Australia as well as recurrent varicocele addressed and some other stuff to help with all the scar tissue through micro surgery.

     While I still have another 3 coils in my abdomen which i feel still gives me grief I am pretty tired of all the surgeries/ procedures (4 All up) and for now I am exploring physio to both help the new scar tissue with my last procedure and my abdomen pain (this is going okay..).

     The doctor who did the surgery has said he has no problem removing the remaining coils if I feel they continue to cause pain (another doctor in Brisbane has also said that). I just need to wait to let my body recover.

     I dont have a problem telling people the doctor who is seeing me but I would rather it be through email and it not be made public for the simple reason of I haven’t asked him (see below for how to find someone like him though). I will check up on this page incase anyone asks but the admin (who does a great job) has access to my email if anyone needs it and if he is okay to act as an intermittery.

     Im preaching to the converted but for me this journey has been huge, and it’s still going. If I had it over again I’d Google “andrologist near me”, go see one, ask them what my treatment options are, that is if i need to treat it in the first place, and make an informed decision from that (an andrologist is a urologist that specialises in male reproductive issues). Hope this helps.

279. the doctor list is on the preface page for coil removal
     best of luck

280. Hello everyone. I am currently living in Newcastle Upon Tyne and I have been treated with an embolisation on the left varicocele using the coils.
     I have been diagnosed for a testicular varicocele on the left side, which has been treated with an embolisation ( using some coils). This procedure has been completed in May 2019 in Freeman Hospital. After the procedure I started accusing pain in different areas such as lower abdomen, low back pain (in the kidney area) and left testicle.

     Before the procedure I never complained about these pain in the low back or abdomen but only the left testicle. I think the main reason is because of these coils, which have been implanted in my body. I recently saw another urologist but he was mentioning about neuropathic pain saying that these coils don’t create these problems . Also this urologist who visited me last week said that these coils cannot be removed from the vein(bullshit!!) .

     This situation is very frustrating and annoying. I still have some pain in the lower abdomen and kidney sometimes and I am looking for a urologist who is able to remove them and sort this varicocele on my left testicle.

     Any advice???

281. Hi, I’m going back to my urologist to discuss other options such as Microsurgical Varicocelectomy, the veins are tied off/cut, does this seem a better alternative, has anyone here had it done?

282. the grass is always greener on the other side… but you have to make a benefit risk analysis. i, and many others here, believe you made the right decision

283. Well I chickened out, I postponed the varicocele embolization procedure.

     The radiologist even phoned me yesterday evening to discuss the risks, what a lovely man he is.

     He said that he has never had a patient come back with worst pain after the procedure, he said the only real side effect that he is aware of is the coils may cause inflammation, but this normally disappears over time with use of anti-inflammatory medication.

     He said we do this procedure all the time and its a success, he done his best to reassure me, but still I couldn’t help think that having metal coils left in the gonadal veins was a bad idea, so I cancelled the appointment.

     In the meantime I’m still in pain with my testicles, I cant help but think that today could have been a success, that I could have got my life back if I went ahead.

284. Has anyone here had the varicocele embolisation done and not had pain from the platinum coils?

285. Hi guys, The hospital has brought my varicocele procedure forward, its next week. But after finding this site and reading all your stories I am somewhat concerned, I feel I have no choice but to cancel the appointment.

     My history is 14 years of bilateral testicle pain, pain also goes down my legs and into my feet, my ultrasound scans show bilateral varicoceles, 3.1mm and 2.5mm in size. So my urologist has offered me a varicocele embolization using platinum coils to see if this stops, or helps reduce my pain, I was also told the procedure is risk free.

286. “He suggested lifting my legs while I was sitting with my back straight. I noticed I couldn’t do it! So he adviced me to sit with my back straight and lift each leg up for 10 seconds at a time to stretch the muscle group that is involved negatively in your anterior pelvic tilt. Now I only did the exercise once but my varicocele did become much and much smaller! And I felt an extreme energy boost, and a sudden increase in libido. Also body temperature increased almost instantly! I noticed my lower back muscles felt a bit realigned, as they were slightly sore. And I felt enormous (and painful) stretching of the adductor muscles while doing the exercise! My friend attributed a tight hip to be the cause of his varicocele.”

     https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/varicocele-wow.22318/

     This forum has a lot of great posts on varicocele healing and lots of info I haven’t seen elsewhere. Use the search function on the site or google “varicocele site:raypeatforum.com”

     admin note : i have not investigated this site

287. Hello guys, I’m 32 years old living in London. When I was 15 I went through a Varicocele surgery ( not embolization) it fixed the problem for a while and no pain from the surgery afterwards. After few years I started feeling pain in my left testicle again and could see the Varicocele came back in different veins. Last year I went through an embolization as the doctors said it would be an easy and less evasive surgery. Since day one I started feeling all the pain you guys mentioned above caused from the coils in my groin( lower back, abdominal pain, inside my groin, testicle and my leg sometimes) affecting me doing exercises, gym, even socializing with my friends or having sex. DO NOT DO EMBOLIZATION, THE COILS REALLY HURT. I’m going through some consultation here in London but I already can see the doctors not taking it seriously, they say there’s nothing wrong and they try to make you believe the coils are not the reason for that pain so I don’t think they will fix my problem.
     If any of you New Guys are going through Varicocele pain problems, I would suggest the REAL SURGERY if needed but NEVER THE EMBOLIZATION With COILS.

288. So I had my operation 48 hours ago. My surgeon used sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS), no coils. 2 veins on my left side were successfully embolized. They kept me overnight in order to monitor any pain, but there wasn’t much pain at all, more discomfort than anything. The only unpleasant part of the whole thing was during the operation when the nurse was pushing down on my groin while they injected the STS, which burned for a few minutes while it did its thing.

     Currently, I have no pain in the puncture site (groin, right side) nor in the testicles. I do have slight pressure in my left side where the veins were embolized. Kind of feels like a side stitch.

     I’m currently taking it easy for the sake of recovery, so I don’t want to confirm anything yet as regards to my groin pain and lower back pain. Not much change in varicocele size yet, probably too soon to tell. Will update again in a week.

289. ok good luck
     keep us posted

290. Thanks admin. I will definitely keep you guys updated. Granted I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know what the most credible sources are for medical material, but there are lots of mentions of embolization using just sclerosing agents. Plus my IR said he’s happy to do with or without coils. So hopefully I’m not a guinea pig.

     Here’s some of what I’ve been reading:
     http://www.ajandrology.com/article.asp?issn=1008-682X;year=2016;volume=18;issue=2;spage=234;epage=238;aulast=Halpern
     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4700243/
     http://medicaljournalofcairouniversity.net/home2/images/pdf/2018/June/48.pdf
     https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=lcBEheiufVcC&pg=PA448&lpg=PA448&dq=varicocele+embolisation+sclerosing+agents+vs+glue&source=bl&ots=bexMsa4ARY&sig=ACfU3U1KwVzvhKgSXBOJNrQ6p97p_qMXpQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjetdrF5-vlAhWDXCsKHT66Bk04ChDoATAGegQICBAB#v=onepage&q&f=false
     https://evtoday.com/2009/04/EVT0409_08.php/

291. @NEURION i wish you luck with the sclerosing agents but i cannot say that i condone the operation without further proof. personally i wouldnt want to be a guinea pig. let us know how it goes, good luck.

292. @Darren I’m in the same situation and I’m going for embolization without coils which is the common denominator of all the embolization issues on this site. See if you can go for either sclerosing agents or glue.

293. if i were you, i would NOT get an embolization, obviously. especially if i played sports

294. Hi, I’ve stumbled across this website/forum only by chance and looking at videos on YouTube. To be honest, I can’t actually remember how I came across this forum but anyway. I’ve just got my letter in from my hospital and states my procedure is just over two weeks away. The doctor I seen at the hospital who referred me for the procedure wasn’t very helpful. I have deep groin pain high up in behind my leg and kinda barse area (Strange way of describing it but you get the idea).

     My left testicle is noticeably bigger than my right, and the doctor who I seen did feel around and said I had the ‘worm like’ feeling more on my left but a small percentage on my right. I wouldn’t say I have extreme pain in my testicles and I wouldn’t say I have a problem in terms of my sexual activity.

     I feel it’s affecting me more sporting side in terms of football. The pain in the general groin area feels worse after games, but I’ve started going back to the gym and training and it has definitely made a difference.

     I’m really considering not going for this treatment after seeing all of this. Maybe the treatment might help with my football but I don’t want to get to a point in future and find that I can’t have children. What do you think I should do?

295. Friends , I had the same problem . I am Barry from belgium, excuse me for my english. I underwent in November 2009 an scleroembolization for the left varicole and they inserted the famous spiral without asking permission and without telling me. I only found out two months ago , that is now in 2019 , to have inside the platinum spiral. Since then I have never been well and just now I associate all my problems with the damn spiral. I have pain pre and post sex, I have difficulty pissing , I have strange allergies with eye irritation given to me by a chronic blepharitis as well as strange itchy rashes . Now I’m looking here in belgium for a doctor who can put in writing my problems and associate them to the spiral of platinum. This is very difficult. I need to find a doctor that will support me in court in order to ask for damages to the hospital. I ask for help to all of you to refer me to a doctor in Italy or that has relationships with Italian doctors who can support me . Thank you. Greetings. Barry

296. Hello Admin,

     A couple years ago I noticed a swelling in my left testicle. I went to a radiologist who told me I had a varicocele which could be easily treated. I did get an embolization and afterwards lots of problems.
     Problems included: muscle spasms in lower abdomen, pelvic spasms, back and hip problems and nerve pain.
     I do not live in France and went to multiple doctors who could not do anything for me.
     After visiting your website I contacted Dr Atrignac who removed a part of the coils together with another Dr in Paris a while ago in the Bizet Hospital.
     A part of the problems are now resolved. I still have nerve pain and other problems. There was a part of the coils connected with scar tissue to the intestines which is removed.
     It is verry clear to me that a lot of people are suffering because of varicocele embolizations.
     To all of you people who read this website and who have a varicocele I can speak out of personal experience, this treatment created so much trouble in my case.
     I want to wish the best to people with varicocele coils who suffer. Attignac removed a part and it helped. But there is still a part left close to the kidney in my case. Which is dangerous to remove.

     Admin can you contact me with an email?

     With Kind Regards,

     Ronald

297. you could try reading the book “a headache in the pelvis” to see if it could help
     a

298. Thanks guys, I agree about the embolization being a strange way to try and cure testicle pain, it cant be good for the body to destroy these two large veins and place metal coils which seem to act like ticking time bombs. I wrote to my doctor and requested to have MSCD, seems I have made another mistake, surely there must be something that can my testicle pain. I read about the pelvic floor could play its part in testicle pain, how do I go about checking the pelvic floor? Why don’t these doctors tell me about pelvic floor, why is testicle pain so difficult to diagnose and find a cure?

299. @BJ DO NOT GET THE EMBOLIZATION. It’s literally that simple. It is simply NOT natural or normal or healthy to have a doctor fish his way through a vein all the way down your body and hide a piece of metal in there. If you think about the nature of the surgery it is quite literally an attack on your body.

     Try stretching the pelvis and strengthening your pelvic floor.
     http://malepelvicfloor.com/

300. no no pain now
     i did the operation to eliminate very low testicle pain, that i could have easily accepted my whole life had i known that the embolization was so awful

301. Hi admin, Do you still get pain in testicles now? I have looked into getting MSCD done, where they cut and strip the nerves etc.

302. Hi admin, This is why I am having second thoughts, I don’t reckon I’m going to go through with it, its too risky. Why did you have the varicocele embolization done, did you suffer testicle pain, do you still get pain down, any pain down the leg etc?

303. if it was me, i would never do that procedure. it’s that simple. all the pain i had before i had an embolization was pale in comparison to all the problems i had afterward. i wouldnt take the risk considering your doctor is not even sure what is causing your pain!!
     but, to each his own. good luck.

304. Hi guys, please help me, I really need some advice. I’ve just had my varicocele embolization appointment through, its booked for one week before Christmas. Originally I was so glad to be referred for this procedure to be done, as I’ve suffered from Testicle pain for 14 years now, the pain also goes down my legs and into my feet. My urologist has said he is not quite sure what is causing my pain, but he says the fact that I have varicoceles, he says we might as well treat them as it could cure my testicle pain. I have just given the radiologist department a call to double check if they use coils, and yes they do. They sent me a fact sheet, this next bit is a copy and paste, see what you think…..

     ”The procedure is performed in a surgical area in sterile conditions.
     The radiologist will give you an injection of local anaesthetic in the groin and, once the area is numb, will insert a needle into a large vein.
     A wire followed by a soft narrow tube called a catheter is then inserted.
     When the catheter is in the correct position, a clear liquid which makes the area visible is injected into the catheter.
     When the radiologist is satisfied he is in the correct position, coils and special liquid are used to stop the blood flow.
     The procedure should take between 30 minutes and an hour’….

     So what do you guys think?

305. Soooo….life is rough.

     My primary still hasn’t even heard back from my insurance company apparently. It’s been over 10 days since he talked to them, so I don’t know what’s happening with that.

     In other news, Cleveland clinic has called me back with an estimate for the surgery….
     $17k with half upfront and half on payments…
     Or about $12,000 upfront total.

     I do not have this money. Insurance will not help. I am looking to take legal action towards Great Lakes Medical Imaging, the radiology place that did the embolization, for malpractice. They didn’t notify me that the coil could cause pain and stiffness and could not be taken out. I believe the least they could do is cover the expenses for the removal surgery. Anyways, I left a message so I am expecting a call back tomorrow.

     At this point I have turned to the possibility of going to Paris for the surgery since that looks MUCH less expensive if the total was truly €2000. I live in the state of New York, so this is…a bit of a hike for me. The only concerns I have are:
     1) how will I speak to the office and make appointments in French? I’m gonna have to write out some phrases and translate my situation. Hopefully dr Attignac speaks some English himself…I’m sure someone in that office does…
     2) will he be willing to work with someone from out of the country?

     However those are small hurdles. In the grand scheme, this is my life and my body we are talking about, I WILL figure this out somehow.

     Giving Attignac’s office a call tomorrow. Wish me luck, this might be challenging.

     Until then, to everyone currently suffering with me, don’t give up on this, you do not deserve this, and no matter what anyone tells you, even your own parents, they will not understand what this feels like. Do not think for one second they are correct if they tell you it’s in your head. I talked to my father for advice and he told me I need to grow up and it’s all in my head.

306. hmm i’m not sure. probably at least a little

307. Does Dr Attignac speak english? My french is not too good…

308. Hmm, ok. I will call the doctor you had, admin.

     I am surprised they reduced the price for being self-pay! Good to know.

     Will update when i hear back from my doc and/or insurance.

309. Hello Ryan,
     A person on our embolization coil problems facebook group in October of 2018 got a bill for $15,231 from Dr. Stein and the Cleveland Clinic. But it was discounted to a rate of $9,900 for insurance not covering the procedure and being self-pay. Many insurances will not cover the removal procedure as a coil removal or random laparoscopic surgery but my insurance covered the procedure as a varicocelectomy. The person in our group that received this bill asked the Cleveland Clinic to recode it as a varicocelectomy and their insurance covered it. I do not know if that will work for you but it is worth a try.

310. it cost me about 2000€ here in paris, a couple years back. you could come here to do it

311. Update: sorry I haven’t been posting, guys. So I got denied by my health insurance….I had to submit an appeal and make a statement and attach letters from my docs….then they called me yesterday to tell me they “dismissed” my appeal (yeah….). My primary is going to fight with them to try to get this covered. My hope is that if, god forbid, I don’t get coverage, I can afford to do a payment plan…

     Anyone who has gotten it done, do you know how much the operation costs?

312. Has anyone here had the Microsurgical Cord Denervation procedure done?

313. it’s obvious: you should not put coils in your body

314. Thank you admin and Neurion for your replies, very much appreciated. I’m a bit concerned in having the two testicular veins embolized, my hospital only uses the coil method. If the two main testicular veins are killed off, I understand the blood will then drain from the testes using the smaller veins within the spermatic cord. Does the blood not then drain slower from the testicles than it did before? Surely it cant be good for the rest of the body if these two large veins are been killed off? I’ve read so many cases where the testes increase in size? My radiologist said the coils will not migrate, and that it will not make my current ache/pain any worst. My previous hospital said they wouldn’t perform a varicocele embolization because my varicoceles are small, they said the procedure could leave me in worst pain. I’m in the UK, so I get the procedure done free on the NHS, so I have one hospital saying they will not do it, and the second hospital saying they will. I really don’t know what to do…

315. BJ, It doesn’t make sense for the veins to grow back. If the procedure is successful, then the dead veins are meant to be “absorbed” into the body. If the procedure fails, then they will remain.

     Embolisation doesn’t have to be done with metal coils, which seems to be the biggest problem with embolisation. See if your IR offers either sclerosing agents or glue INSTEAD of coils (not in conjunction with). They are at least as successful as coils, just without the potential for migration. Read: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4700243/

316. i dont know (if veins repair themselves)

317. YES

318. Hi again, I was also told by my radiologist that the veins can grow back and repair themselves, is this true?

319. Hi, I have chronic testicle pain, the pain also goes down my legs. I have been diagnosed with small varicoceles on both sides and epididymal cyst on right side. I am meant to be having varicocele embolization done to cure the pain, but I have read so many reports where the procedure leaves the patient in worst pain than before, is this true?

320. Ryan, you’re in great hands with Dr. Stein. I’m four months post-op (coil removal) and the majority of my coil-related issues are gone. Take it easy with recovery.

     Good luck!

321. Update:

     Met with my primary, he is a very good physician. He wrote me a letter to send to my insurance company, and I faxed it out right away. When I hear from my insurance company I will make another post regarding their decision.

322. Mohammad, do you have anterior pelvic tilt? Do you sit a lot?

323. Hi, I plan to undergo the Varicocele Embolization but fortunately I came across this Website! I retracted from not going feather with the embolization!
     Here in Mauritius such operation cost approximately Rs. 50 000. The local Dr don’t care for the unhealthy people except having plenty of money on your head! This is the sad reality across the world!
     I have Varicocele since 19 years ago! The pain sometimes it’s harsh and sometimes it’s nil! I do a lot of physical exercises such as daily running 1.5 Km!
     I have put my trust in Allah the All Mighty Creator to cure me as I am a sincere believer!

324. Ok Thanks
     Praying for the best
     Where in New York are you
     I’m in Yonkers
     Keep me updated
     Thanks

325. Okay, update:

     Dr Stein has contacted me and is willing to do this procedure. He said I could get in mid November. We spoke about the details…all I need to do is get my insurance to cover. I have independent health NY, and Stein is in Cleveland. Since my plan does not have Out-of-network coverage, I will have to see my primary physician and get him to request authorization for the procedure to be covered by Independent Health. I have an appointment with him tomorrow to speak about it.

     Please keep me in your prayers. Really hoping independent health will approve this. I will update you tomorrow morning after I see my doc.

326. Any luck from dr Stein I’m also in New York debating what to do?

327. I had a grade 3 varicocele, hated it, and quickly opted for an embolization 9 months ago–one of the BIGGEST regrets I’ve had to date.
     I am constantly aware of it. I can feel it in my left side at all times. I can no longer stretch my pelvis out, which not only fucks up my posture but also my energies and how i interact with the world. I would fix it with yoga, but now, since i have this coil i get pain while stretching.
     This is so so scary. I went to the radiology place and they wont take it out.

     I saw Dr Robert Stein on the list above and gave his office a call today. I live in NY, though, so it’s a 4 hour drive to go see him 🙁 I can definitely make it, but I’m afraid of driving 4 hours just to have him turn me down for some reason.

     How guaranteed is it that he will do the procedure?

328. Hi all,

     I’m 26 and live in New Zealand. I have just been given a date for having varicocele embolization for my left testicle, and have since emailed my radiologist to find out what embolic material he plans on using. I never did like the idea of using metal coils, but after finding this website, I concluded that I will not go through with the procedure if he only offers coils.

     My only question now is whether or not to go through with the procedure with a liquid-only approach. My thought is that even if the varicocele does reoccur, it shouldn’t have any side-effects since there is are no coils to cause issues. Does anyone have any advice?

     Thanks.

329. dont fred david, it seems that not all people have problems and i sincerely hope that you do not.
     i would love to speculate about what you could do to avoid these issues but i dont know how.
     good luck, keep us posted
     ave

330. Reading this late at night and becoming very worried and stressed as I got an varicocele embolization done almost 3 months ago now and things have been pretty good, but now all of this has me worrying that I’ll be doomed someday even though im doing good now IMO…

331. @admin

     Interesting. I didn’t notice any obvious issues with my guts until years later. It was actually following my varicocelectomy that I really noticed more pain, but in my groin, hip and lower back, not guts.

     Recently, I’ve been doing more stretching and massaging in the abdominal area in an attempt to relieve tension. About a year and a half ago, I discovered a large and hard mass deep in my abdomen just below and to the left of my navel. It radiates a burning pain when pressed hard. No doctor has mentioned feeling anything unusual when preforming a physical abdominal exam (I’ve had many), but when I directed my physiotherapist to it (it’s deep and not obvious) he said he’s not sure what it could be as it’s not on a muscle (I first suspected a knot/tightness/trigger point on my left psoas), but also doesn’t present characteristics of a tumor. I had an abdominal xray a few months ago, and it showed the coils, but not the mass I felt. However, what I noticed when reviewing the xray images myself, was that right where the hard sore mass is is right where the highest point of my coils is (mine seem to be higher up in my abdomen compared to the xray pictured at the top of this web page (I assume that is your xray). Mine extends a bit above the highest point of the hip. I also have much fascia tension in that area except at the level of more surface layers, just below the skin, more shallow than the guts, whereas the hard mass seems deeper and behind the guts, where the gonadal vein should be. It is also this area where I feel the most digestive upset. To complicate matters more, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have many muscular imbalance with my entire left side, hip to neck, being tighter than the right side and my hips are twisted as well, and I believe this is due to walking with a limp for so many years due to chronic groin pain.

     My theory right now is that this hard mass is a bundle of tight fascia and/or scar tissue, which is why it is sore to touch and doesn’t appear on an xray. The physiotherapist also thinks this is likely, or at least possible. I first really noticed this left side irritation/tension when I changed my diet while also working on my posture more, so perhaps, if the mass is tight fascia or scar tissue, the exercises might be stretching or breaking up some adhesions, which would certainly cause discomfort. Of course I will investigate further with doctors in case it is an infection or cancer or something along those lines, but considering where the mass is in relation to the coils, what are the odds it’s not related to the coils, at least to some degree?

     Of course I would like the coils out of me, as I’m sure everyone on the page would, but when it comes to adhesions and scar tissue, usually more surgery just increases the risk of even more scar tissue and adhesions, not to mention other potential complications that arise with surgeries. I’ve had 5 surgeries in my life and I rushed into all of them believing in the doctors and each surgery left me worse off. I’m now taking the time to really evaluate the risks and potential alternatives. Believe me though, I hate the idea of these coils inside of me and have dealt with years of anger at the doctors who recommended the procedure and anger at myself for allowing it. The anger will not help me, but I share this sentiment to extend that I empathize with the frustration of others here who are also suffering.

332. matt, very sorry to hear.
     i can only imagine your heart sinking when finding this site 5 weeks too late.
     good luck, keep us posted.

333. Hi my names matt.

     Had varicocele embolization done in denver co. I taught tennis for a living and wanted to fix my annoyance of a varicocele and went forth with what i was told from 5 different urologist was the best and easiest fix to my discomfort.

     4 weeks after surgery started to do active things again, such as tennis and immediatly after 10 minutes of light playing would get a stabbing stitch in my side right where the coils are located. Got a fluid ct scan, x rays, ultrasound. Docs are telling me everything is okay and to just take NSAIDS. Advil even at 800mg doesnt seem to help the pain.

     Its now been 5 weeks and im already ready to remove the coils from lingering pain after doing anything physical. Wish i would of found this site prior. Will keep this site up to date as I progress.

334. for me, starting from 1 week after the embolization i had sharp and dull throbbing pain.
     the digestion issues i noticed later, probably months later, but i dont remember.
     yes, the removal surgeon told me later that he hadnt believed me before surgery when i said the coils were affecting my digestion…. but that during surgery it took him 10 minutes to cut the coils free from the intestine. definite adhesion.
     after the removal, i noticed pretty much immediate relief, but it takes a little time to get back to normal.

335. @admin

     How long after the embolization did you start noticing these digestive issues, and what was your digestion like after after the coils were removed (right after the removal and more recently)? Did the surgeon comment on adhesions that he noticed?

336. @mikey
     i had my varicocele many years before i ever had prostatitis symptoms. i do not think they are directly related but i cant be sure. i dont know anything about prostate hyperplasia, so i cant speak to that.
     as to whether the prostatitis improves after the varicocele is gone: for me the answer is no.

     this is off-topic, but perhaps not so i am inclined to answer your other question publically : regarding your prostatitis, i am not exactly sure what the gelly like seminal fluid it is, but i currently believe that it is actually clumps of biofilms. you can google biofilms to learn more about what they are. in fact, my running thesis (based on my own condition) is that the biofilms are many times at the heart of the prostatitis. biofilms are very difficult to treat, and are not currently searched for by doctors and laboratories, so many times (like in your own situation), doctors say that you do not have bacterial prostatitis. i do not personally believe this. i believe in what i currently call “biofilm prostatitis”. in my case, past infections lead to microbes creating pockets of biofilms in the complex and fertile geography of the prostate. this makes infection incredibly difficult to diagnose and treat. from my own research, intense prostatic massage and ultrasound break up biofilms, and cycled antibiotics treat (changing antibiotics every two weeks or so and also treating with multiple at the same time). i suffered for 8 years with all doctors saying that i was infection-less, and then found a good urologist who prescribed prostate massage and cycled antibiotics over a long period of time (3 months if i remember well). sounds horrible, i know, and it was, but after two months or so my symptoms starting dramatically dying down, basically to nothing. the good news: my good health lasted for two or three years. the bad: it came back, and the clumps too (probably from getting reinfected from a new partner). fyi, we are not necessarily talking about sexually transmitted diseases…. many normal bacteria, viruses, and fungi also create biofilm, and the bacterial community communicate with each other and help each other. they are actually incredibly advanced. obviously, taking antibiotics forever is not an option, bc there are many good bacteria, so i am currently researching how to best treat. fasting has helped me a lot, and avoiding sugar. prostatitis can lead to various other conditions, so you have to be proactive. send me your email address (i wont post it publically) and we can communicate via email privately if youd like

     best
     ave

337. @adam
     my digestive symptoms: major constipation (never experienced before), pain (when on empty stomach… bizarrely), digestion senstivities arising (wheat, milk products, and many others)

338. Hello everyone, as i wrote before i was struggling with an issue about semen that some solidified seminal fluid comes when i ejaculate. I was thinking these solid jelly-like particles caused by varicocele, however admin told me that it may be caused by prostatitis. When i was checked for the first time ( standard palpation method where they examine your prostatic fluid under the microscope if there are any white blood cell) the doctor told me that there is no pathology, so i was prostatitis free according to him. However, i consulted to another doctor and he told me to get an MRI check for all of the urological system and it turned out i have prostatitis (non bacterial version thisi is why there was not any white blood cell). So, admin was right, thank you for that i owe you big one :). Now I am getting the treatment but prostatitis is very hard to treat, and since it is non bacterial they do not know what causes it. But i have read an article of dr. Yigal Gat’s which was about how varicocele may lead benign prostate hyperplasia ( different than prostatitis but still). So i believe that varicocele can cause prostate issues. What do you think about this admin? Does your varicocele exist before you diagnosed with prostatitis, also do your symptoms of prostatitis improve after varicocele gone?

     Thank you

339. That’s what I was thinking too, but I don’t recall having these specific left side gut issues until about a year ago, which would be 6 years after the coils.

     Can you describe your digestion issues? What were your symptoms?

340. imo the digestion issues are caused by adhesion of the coils or coil scar tissue to the intestines. This corresponds with what i experienced, and improved dramatically when coils were removed

341. I had coils put in about 7 years ago and noticed no change for better or worse (as far as I can remember). A year I was still suffering with scrotal pain very badly (fertility was never a concern, just pain), so I had a varicocelectomy. It seemed to stop most of the scrotal varicose vein pain, but that was replaced with pains all around the incision area. Now, I don’t know which procedure might be more to blame (if not both equally) for my symptoms today, but at their worst they include a burning, tense, inflamed sort of sensation that can be in my left groin (the side the varicocele was) that also wraps around to my left glute and lower back and also sometimes down my left inner thigh. Also, I often get the sensation that my left testicle is more sensitive than the right, but if I feel them both with my fingers, it feels about as sensitive as the right, leading me to believe that the testicle and veins themselves are fine and that the pain is likely either referred from somewhere in my groin or is psychosomatic as I’ve spent over a decade with chronic left testicle and groin pain and have gotten very used to it.

     I’ve also noticed some odd abdominal tension on the left side only (or mostly) roughly where the coils are (around the navel) and similarly around my left lower back. I can even feel a dull tugging sensation in my abdomen if my girlfriend massages my lower back. Feels very odd and uncomfortable. Even my digestion seems different in that area compared to the right side as there is seemingly more gurgling and tension around those sections of intestine. Now, given my knowledge of where the coils are, my first thought was it must be due to the coils. Excepts that I only started noticing this sort of left side irritation about a year and a half ago after drastically altering my diet and beginning to adjust my posture. I got the coils implanted about 7 years ago. So, considering the timing, it seems also likely that a diet related infection or deep muscular (psoas, maybe) or fascia imbalance might be to blame. Of course, it could also be related to the coils. So many variables to consider! Has anyone else here experienced similar sensations?

     Psychosomatic tendencies might also be contributing to the pain as many of us are obsessed (I am, at least) with the uncomfortable thought of having these pieces of metal inside us.

     A few other things I’ve noticed was that even though my left testicle is a bit more sensitive (though not as much as I thought before directly comparing) than the right, and does hang lower than before all these nonsense procedures, I still feel better wearing boxers rather than briefs or supportive underwear (which the doctors always suggested I wear). Also, my pains seem to worsen when sitting or being sedentary for long stretches of time and I actually find relief when exercising and focusing on good posture in my hips and back. These observations lead me to wonder if perhaps a lot of my (and many others on this forum) are not so much feeling negative symptoms just from the coils being inserted and the scar tissue and adhesions that likely came with that, but instead, or in addition to the scar tissue and coils, we are still dealing with what I think brought most of us to the doctors in the first place to discuss scrotal pain and options in the first place, which is poor posture, sedentary lifestyle, muscular imbalances and tension caused by emotional stress. Notice how doctors never have an explanation as to what causes a varicocele? They just say things like sometimes veins malfunction, or it’s genetic. It’s almost always the left vein which is affected and the left gonadal vein takes a longer and more winding route through the pelvis from the left kidney than the right one does which might explain why tension from muscles or poor hips angles (bad posture) would leave the left more likely to be affected. I see a physiotherapist and my tailbone and left hip are drastically rotated out of alignment compared to the right. I can feel it with my hand even and when I walk or crouch. The misalignment was likely exacerbated when I spent almost 2 decades walking with a forced limp while walking in order to prevent my left thigh from rubbing up against my left testicle. This would also explain why yoga, exercising and avoiding sitting has helped relieved my pain and why it is gone when I first wake in the morning (all the muscles are relaxed).

     Mind you, this is just a theory of mine based on researching biology, reading other peoples’ stories and self experimentation. I’m not saying that the coils aren’t having an effect by trapping nerves or irritating surrounding tissues like fascia, but I do think our lifestyles are worth considering and to not necessarily jump to the conclusion that coils are the only problem just because somebody else claims that’s what’s causing their pain. The body is complicated system and all of our stories, lives and biology are so unique.

     I am still considering surgery, like many of you, but considering that the removal surgery could potentially lead to more scarring, adhesions and complications and that I’ve had nothing but poor results from all my previous surgeries (I’ve had 6 now) I’m trying everything else that’s less invasive first such as getting my diet and posture back on track (which can take years as it took me decades to get into this poor state of health). If all that fails, then I will seek out a surgeon and hopefully medical technology has improved by then.

     Lastly, does anyone here relate to any of my symptoms and observations? I’m very curious if others are going through the same thing.

     Thanks for reading, and may we all find relief.

342. hello pierre
     la liste que j’ai est en haut de cette page… à priori il y a aussi le Dr. Beley Sébastien
     cdlt

343. Bonjour , il n’y a que le docteur attignac qui opère en France ?

344. Hi All, I am 46 year old male who underwent left varicocele coil embolization approximately 2 years ago in Australia. I had two 20x8mm Nester coils and two detachable coils inserted (Platinum). I had previously suffered with intermittent aching in the left testicle for the previous 9 months which the urologist I was seeing indicated that it was most probably down to the small varicocele I had. As per a lot of other people’s comments, embolization looked like being the least invasive to try and fix up this pain issue. After researching on the web and talking to a senior interventional radiologist I thought this was the way to go. (Big Mistake).
     From the moment they were inserted the intermittent pain I had previously had now turned in to a permanent issue, although some days are better than others. The symptoms I was now getting involved a dull/aching pain along the inguinal canal, intermittent pain in the left flank in the kidney area and every now and then pain/ache in my lower back and inside left thigh. On the bad days it really does feel like the coils are catching internally, this maybe down to mentally visualizing the ends of the coil? I find that pressure from trousers/underwear/seatbelts in the region of the coils exacerbates the problem, I also find the symptoms are far less in the morning than the afternoon/evening.
     I am now weighing up options on what to do next. I have seen a pain specialist who has offered to carry out a ganglion impar block. (Injection to bunch of nerves that extend out to pelvis, groin, scrotum). Has anybody else had success with this.
     As said in my previous comment I am now considering having the coils removed and would be most appreciative if anybody could put me onto a surgeon/specialist who has performed or willing to perform in Australia.
     Thanks

345. Hi nc /Glenn Petrie. I am also in Australia and would be most grateful if you could share with me the surgeons you have used to remove your coils.

     Admin, what a great website this is. Its re-assuring to know that we are not alone, thanks.

346. Great sources of sulphur are eggs and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Detox formulae have extracts of those.

347. désolé je n’ai pas le temps de traduire ce site. je vous conseille d’utiliser google translate
     cdlt

348. i will leave to people to look into sulphur. as to pagerank and https, i will look into it, thanks
     ave

349. Bonjour à tous .pourquoi en peu pas lire votre commentaire en français svp.avant y avait une traduction en français. j’aimerai bien partager mon opinion avec vous parce-que j’ai 2 coils embolisation varicocel et je vais prendre rendez-vous avec docteur attignac sur paris pour les retiré dans mon Corp. Cordialement.

350. Sulphur helps against varicose veins and detoxifies the liver from Tylenol.
     Also, your Pagerank could get higher if this page was shorter and used https.

351. The best is to word-search this webpage for the word “glue”… you will find lots of info.
     best
     ave

352. Instead of metal coils in some cases they have used glue for to block varicocele veins.any information about that?

353. Hi Sai
     I dont understand what the question is. at any rate, i can’t give any advice in this area.
     best
     ave

354. I’m also in Australia in QLD and will be having mine removed on the 9th of July, I’d be happy to discuss the removal and the surgeon ( with his permission )who removed them post surgery.

355. Hello admin shall we use glubran 2 glue instead of metal coils. This glue is an embolic agent used for to block vascular veins in radiology.

356. Thanks admin/ nc for your prompt responses,

     Admin, thanks for your response, more to think about and try digest to the bottom of.

     nc, I will be sure to send you a message. I am sure happy things have worked out well for you.

     Cheers,
     b

357. Hi B. I’m in Aus and have had success with removal surgery. I had a very good surgeon, both accomplished professionally and just a good person. I’ve been meaning to ask his permission to post his name publicly on here, which I’ll do, but in the meantime feel free to reach out. The admin has my details and I’m also on Scott’s Facebook group. I luckily didn’t have the same problems that you had but had similar symptoms to a lot of people on here (ongoing low grade pain, electric shocks, anxiety, rash, blurry vision, loss of strength, numbness in arms and legs etc etc). Happy to report that has all gone post removal. I have days now where I don’t even remember the horrors ☺️. Things that worked best to provide some relief from the symptoms when they were in were diet and acupuncture (though it never relieved it totally and they always came back).

358. hello b
     theoretically getting rid of a varicocele should improve blood flow/erectile function. for me it was the opposite, because i had waves of sharp pain during sex so obviously erectile function went down. but there are many reasons for erectile dysfunction, not all related to varicoceles or embolizations. sorry maybe not a very helpful response.
     sorry, no australia contacts yet.
     best

359. Hi all/ admin,

     Like a lot of you have, or are, I feel I am also struggling with the side effects of having the embolization procedure, mostly very similar symptoms as above. Given what a number of Urologists say, with the nothing to see here/ it is all in your head mentality, it was a relief to find this page as it can get quite tough day to day with no end of the pain/ discomfort in sight. So thanks for making this site admin.

     I have two questions, my first is a symptom troubling me the most, and given the breadth of symptoms/ experiences on this site I hope this is a good place to ask. Have any of you experienced a lack of sensation and restricted blood flow to the penis, both during and after an erection, since the procedure? Would these blood vessels/ nerves even be affected by the embolization? Sorry if this is graphic.

     Secondly, has anyone had any success with surgery within Australia?

     Thanks,
     B

360. Hi James
     I personally don’t know of any doctors that do non coil embolizations… also i can’t speak to their safeness. Perhaps someone else can chime in.
     best
     ave

361. I want to get a varicocele embolization done without coils. It’s so frustrating how most surgeons/doctors won’t offer that as an option. Does anyone know of a place where I can get an operation like that done? I live in Minnesota and I’ve heard all doctors in the United states do embolizations with coils but in European countries they don’t use coils. I need to be rid of this varicocele it’s ruining my life but I also don’t wanna make things worse by putting coils in my veins that could cause further complications. Has anyone in the US had the operation done without coils?

362. Hey everyone, I suffered from severe abdominal pain for about a year after my embolization procedure. I came across a product called Coregeous that was designed to reduce abdominal inflammation from C-sections, hernias, etc. I started doing deep tissue massages with the Coregeous ball which has greatly reduced my pain. The area is still tender from time to time but these exercises always make me feel better. I also notice that my veins seem to reduce in size after these exercises so I think they could be a great thing for people to do who are currently suffering from varicocele pain.

     admin note : i normally dont allow for product advertisement. deep tissue massage has helped me and others greatly so maybe this product could help. i have no idea. also, i dont see how massaging the abs could help with a varicose vein. but give it a shot if interested

363. sorry mikey i just don’t know
     all the best of luck and please post of progress if you have some

364. Thank you for your consideration admin. I got checked for prostatitis and the prostate massage testing show no leukocytes in the prostate liquid. The doctor said “you have no prostatitis 100%”. I am still not sure if he’s right, but I believe that PCR testing of semen may catch some bacteria or viral inflammation. It is the only option for now since my urine and semen cultures are fine, spermiogram is fine and prostate liquid is fine. It is just ridicilous they cannot find anything and it is obvious that varicocele and prostate are very related in this issue.

365. Yes, I have. I would agree that you need a bacterial culture after prostate massage.
     for me also it began suddenly in 2006 and i’ve noticed that the gelly like substance accumulates if i dont ejaculate. also more present when i’m feeling inflamatory. i have not succeeded in getting rid of this but i have had better and worse moments due to various treatments. the best ive felt was after prolonged antibiotics treatment with frequent prostate massage. in fact, i am currently working on a similar website to this one to battle these issues : biofilm prostatitis is what i’m looking to call it. But, frankly, it’s a much more complicated issue than varicocele embolizations, which, though terrible, is a straight forward cause and effect issue.

366. Also, have you diagnosed with prostatitis admin ? If so, is it possible to get rid off these substances ? I have been checked for spermiogram and urine/ semen culture but there was no sign of inflammation or bacteria. However, in some forums they say the only possible way to know there is inflammation in prostate is to checked for prostate culture which is taken through prostate massage.

367. Yes doctors say it is not related to varicocele, but I have talked with many people online who has varicocele and also this symptom. However, it began suddenly and never changed after that. As you say admin, probably prostatitis. I will be checked for prostatitis and prostat culture to see if it is true. However, have you read the article of Gat and Goren about the correlation between benign prostate hyperplasia and varicocele. They talk about how varicocele causes prostate problems.

368. Yes I have seen this (in me) and i don’t think it is related to the varicocele / embolization.

     In my opinion, this is related to prostate inflammation, and that gelled substance is most probably bacterial biofilm. I would be willing to bet that you have prostatitis. Do you have symptoms? ie urination urgency, burning, spasms in perineal area etc.

369. Hello everyone, does anyone here experiencing this symptom: solified chunks in semen. Literally jel-like. Do anyone have any idea? Doctors say it is not related to varicocele. Do you guys have ever experienced such a thing?

370. Coming up to eight months since laparoscopic coil removal by Dr Azar Khan. I did notice quite significant numbness at the incision site and the left inner thigh but,remarkably, sensation has almost come back to normal. (Bruising of the illiolinguinal nerve takes a while to recover from, it seems). I sound like a broken record, but yoga back bends help enormously at stretching out the psoas – working out almost two years of tightness. Have had several weeks now of completely forgetting that I ever had the coils in place.

371. Hi V,

     Thank you for you response and thank you for the Drs name. I have contacted him via email and waiting to see which way to move forward. Will follow up with a call today I think.

     Regards,

372. 5 months after coil placement. Still get funny ains in power front ab groin and internally… Had a CT KUB scan. Seeing urologist next week for results. No idea if that scan actually shows where the coils are and if they’re out of place… Hopefully it’ll shed some light onto the cause and solution. However I’m predicting the “There’s nothing wrong” line and sent on my non merry way, pain and all

373. I agree with you on both accounts. I havnt been doing much oil-pulling myself though. Coconut oil also works well swishing around for few minutes. Thanks, I’ll look more into that.
     Fasting is a def must. I’ll check out the book, thanks.
     V 🙂

374. Hi viggo
     thanks for sharing
     For teeth issues, i can’t say enough about mouthwashing (or “oil pulling” as some say) with a concoction that has worked *wonders* for me: 1 drop Niaoli, 1 drop Tea tree, 1 drop Ravintsara essential oils. Swish it around for about a minute or so, then spit out. Repeat a couple times a week or as needed. Have had zero teeth problems since starting this years back after an inlay was giving me major bacterial and cavity growth problems (had to go to the dentist every three months). After reading up on essential oils (France is big on essential oils), i came up with this combination and have followed it religiously ever since. Just went to the dentist two weeks ago (for the first time in 2 years, so i was a bit scared) …. he said he didnt even need to clean my teeth. I gave him the names of the drops as well, he said he was going to look into it.

     As for detox, i cant say enough about fasting. Notably water fasting. Check out stephen buhner’s great book: https://www.amazon.com/Transformational-Power-Fasting-Spiritual-Rejuvenation/dp/1594774668

375. Hi Admin. Yeah, the food intolerance is a big issue. Before coil implant 10 yrs ago already had food sensitivities – after leaving just wheat/gluten and dairy out back then my asthma, acne, gut, and mood improved greatly (asthma disappeared completely, although specialist said I would have it for the rest of my life!).. but then health started declining after coils (difficult to say direct cause-effect though). With regards wheat/dairy, sprouted Essene bread and fermented raw dairy could be beneficial, dep on individual.
     In just over 3 months had 2 elective surgeries: first, dental jawbone cavitation surgery (opening and cleaning out of dead tissue and very harmful anaerobic bacteria out of wisdom teeth pockets left behind), then the coil removal surgery last month. The dental issue is VERY important – painless jawbone cavitations where teeth were removed can cause massive systemic toxicity and inflammation (dentists don’t remove periodontal ligaments, so bone doesnt form properly and creates pockets for bacteria.. and immune sys cant reach it because no bloodflow, but bacteria and toxins can reach rest of body). Same goes for root canals and implants.. and obviously mercury amalgams have to be removed. All this should be done by holistic/biological dentist, NOT normal dentists. The documentary The Root Cause great to watch (have to pay $10 though on Vimeo/Amazon). Also Dr. Thomas E. Levy, Dr. Hal Huggins, Dr. Jerry Tennant on YouTube concerning these dental issues.
     Now I’m doing detox therapy at clinic: Colonics, Coffee enemas, Ionic footbaths, Bioelectric therapies, Ozone (IV, Sauna, ear, nasal), Vit C IV, etc.. the mission is to get heavy metals out of tissues stored up over the decades (metals from fillings, water, food, environment, cookware, etc.) and get gut lining repaired and microbiome repopulated with probiotics. All this is a holistic long-term endeavor, which also includes proper elimination diet, organic/whole foods, proper supplements, clean water (check out diatomic H2 water), etc. Lastly, with regards detox: one of the best ways of drawing out metals is EDTA – synthetic amino acid – will also draw out other minerals too, so good to properly supplement. I’ll be starting Glutathione+EDTA suppository protocol soon for 3-5 months, then 6month break, then another few months – Oradix, Dr. Thomas Jannosy. Normally EDTA done through IV, but this approach very heavy on body. The suppository route much better, and over-night when body naturally detoxing and glutathione and melatonin levels highest. In my opinion, if proper detox (esp. heavy metals), removal of all implanted devices and dental issues are not done correctly, no full health recovery will be achieved. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Only FULL DETOX is the key back to vibrant health.
     Thanks Admin for your efforts here. You and this blog def gave me the extra boost and support for going through with the coil removal – so glad I did it! Cheers. V

376. Hello, I am twenty months coil free. I am feeling really good, almost back to my pre-coil, pre-varicocele self. Dr. Stein at the Cleveland Clinic has continued to take out embolization coils of people who are struggling with their awful side effects. He recently assisted a doctor in California electronically in the removal of someone’s coils and is removing coils from a female who has had coils placed in her gonadal veins next month. There are at about 130 members on embolization coil problems facebook group:

     https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913431375624304/

     We have a wide variety of people that have had coils placed for different reasons.

     Here is an interesting FDA statement about materials used in medical devices highlighted by MELISA.

     http://www.melisa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FDA-on-efforts-to-evaluate-materials-in-medical-devices-to-address-potential-safety-questions.pdf

     I did finally find a law firm to represent me against the coil manufacturers. If anyone is interested, here is there website: https://www.pwslawfirm.com/ and their phone number: 1-954-462-6700. They are based in Florida. (editors note: I have had a conversation with one of the lawyers in this firm but recently he has not responded to communication.)

377. Hi V thanks for sharing, and glad to hear you feel better.
     Sounds similar to my recovery.
     About your food intolerances—i have had a food intolerance since years back (before removal), probably 5 years ago. similar test results : i was sensitive to probably two hundred items. my doc suggested cutting out on everything, as much as possible, for a month and then to just avoid the heavy ranked intolerances (my test had a numbered scale) for 6 months… then to take the test again. When i did this, only a couple elements remained on the sensitivity list—all the other previously sensitive items were ok. The remaining items included notably wheat and casein (and mushrooms of all things..). I stopped eating dairy completely and wheat as much as possible. Felt much much better. I currently avoid these two items as much as possible… but i’m not completely rigid about it. I like enjoying my life, too. I plan on taking the test again some day, just havent felt the need to: i feel pretty good about my current diet.
     Maybe i was sensitive to these foods before the embolization. But it wouldnt surprise me if my body reacted to the coils by thinking that some kind of global food intolerance. Hard to say.

378. Hi Jay. Sorry, haven’t been on the site for a while… busy with work, and detox.

     I live in Cape Town, so the urologist is here – Dr. Kenny Du Toit (dutoiturology.co.za). I had a good experience with him – didn’t make me feel like I was crazy wanting to do it (like some others). Had the coils removed just over month ago. All went well – he said it was an easy procedure. I had abt 10 coils in my left testicular vein. Went in from the flank laparoscopically (normally they go in from the front) – easier to get to the site. Don’t know where your coils are located? Healing has been quick – minimal pain, didn’t need any painkillers after at all. Three small scars are looking good. He excised the section of dead vein containing the bunch of coils rather than pull them out (luckily all of mine was located in one place). Had normal 2d ab xray done before just to locate the coils (had them implanted 20 yrs ago). So glad they are out – can feel that an obstruction/irritation has been removed… not to mention heavy metal toxicity/allergy over the years. Who knows what effects they’ve had on me – gut issues, pain in the abdomen, vascular issues, mood/anxiety, etc.

     My advise, get them out (if it’s not located in a very difficult place). I asked the doc to take some pics – the one was taken during surgery – one can see some coils actually sticking out of the dead vein. He said it is conceivable that the coils could’ve irritated me when moving/stretching. So contact him – maybe he knows of someone in Joburg, or you could come down to CT.

     Cheers. V

379. Hi V, I am also from South Africa, Johannesburg. How did you coil removal operation go? I have also had a hard time finding a dr. that is willing to do the op. I’ve seen a Vascular Surgeon at Milpark hospital and his advise to me was that my symptoms are in my head. He said it will make things worse to try and remove the coils.

     I really am looking to removal them as recently I had faint/extreme low blood pressure spells. The first one was a few years back sitting at my desk at work felt a “pop” feeling in my abdomen and then felt very faint and almost fainted. I have the coils/balloons for about 10yrs now.

     Please can you put me in contact with your Urologist?

380. Still surprised at the physical improvements that are still taking place after having coils out in September 2018. Have, with determination, persisted with daily sessions of yoga and have seen massive leaps in my strength and stamina. Lifelong PBs at Half Marathon, superfast recovery times and ability to breeze through 90 min Power Yoga sessions.

     Have really worked at backbends and I now feel a surge of energy/vitality after working on Ustrasana (Camel pose) in particular. Have mentioned it before, but when the coils were in I just couldn’t push my hips forward without feeling dreadful, with these awful ‘electrical surges’ so it’s no surprise that I lost flexibility in this area, as well as a sense of openness to the world, as I stopped pushing myself.

     I want to keep posting these positive updates because I KNEW there was something wrong when I had the coils introduced, particularly as I’d been practising yoga for ten years previously, but it took a leap of faith to think that life would be better with them out. Can’t reiterate enough how ‘normal’ I feel now. Good luck to anyone having coils out, so glad I’ve got my life back.

381. Yeah, makes sense. I will go get checked out and see what the Dr says. Thanks again!

382. Hi Ruben
     In my opinion, the pain is, in general, a possible sign of migration. Of course, if you have pain, it doesnt mean that that pain is due to the migration.
     i found that sex drive and pain are related… so if you have pain, you have less drive. so, as my pain went down after the operation, my sex drive went up a bit. not dramatically, due to that at any rate, i think. these things are hard to evaluate, to be honest, because sex drive is related to so many things… age, relationships, prostate health, etc.

383. Hey there. Thanks for the great posts and information.
     I too had a coil embolization back in 2003 and recently have had pain.

     How can we tell if there has been migration of the coil?
     Has anyone had any decrease in sex drive after the procedure?
     Has sex drive increased after having the coils removed?
     Also, how do you tell the Dr you want them removed or are considering removing them? Paul M. Kozlowski, MD is near me.
     Thanks so much

384. Coming up on 6 months since having the coils removed. Like Jason I am so much better for it. I’m back being myself, enjoying life and appreciating time spent on this beautiful world and with the people that occupy it. I’m also back exercising, I’ve gone from barely being able to lift the groceries to doing multiple rounds of high intensity training each week and running freely. There are still some lingering issues, my left arm still plays up every now and then and i do get some of the weird symptoms pop up from time to time but like Scott, they are appearing less frequently with time. I’m getting stronger by the day. Removal does come with risks, but for me it has been very much worth it. Thanks to the admin for everything you have done and good luck to all.

385. Hi Jason, thanks so much for sharing. Glad to hear you are feeling better, keep us posted.
     ave

386. Just a quick update following my coil removal by Dr Azar Khan in Sep 2018 at King’s College Hospital.
     http://www.londonbridgehospital.com/LBH/consultant-det/mr-azhar-khan/
     Entry laparoscopy scars have faded and I no longer have the sensation that something is ‘inside’ me. Have noticed I’m much calmer too. Only minor issue is the development of a hydrocele, which doesn’t bother me too much, obviously a result of the surgery, seeing if this will eventually go down. Mentally the difference is huge and I feel my mind is working with my body now, not against it. It really was the best decision for me to have them taken out, I genuinely can’t think of one joyful moment of life in 18 months of having them in place.

387. bonjour Yanis
     désolé votre mail est difficile à comprendre. rapprochez-vous d’un des medecins en europe si vous souhaitez (par exemple m. attignac à paris). chercher son contact sur cette page.
     cdlt

388. V again from South Africa, Cape town – Eventually found a good urological surgeon that I feel comfortable with for my coil removal op (“titanium” coils in left gonadal vein). Seems no such op has been requested/performed in SA (as far as my experience going to several surgeons). There def is a reluctance from the med community to do this type of procedure – seems doctors/specialists all think heavy metal implants are just fine. Anyways, my surgery next week 4 March.

     It seems the way the surgeon is going to do the op is bit different to what I have read on the blog – entering from the flank, not from the top… a better and easier route to the vein. It’s the complications that can occur depending on where the scar tissue has formed/attached to that’s the issue. So hopefully the fibrous tissue does not cause too much hassles. I’ll share my experience after surgery.

389. Boujour. J’ai fais embolisation fin 2013.varricocele grade 3 gauche. Il M en mis 2 coils.avant lembolisation j’avais pas des douleur. Et après lembolisation pas trop de douleur .accasionel. 2017 j’ai fais ecographie et le résultat pas de varricocele elle est disparus. J veux des renseignements svp pour retiré les coils. .psk J M sens gêner.

390. Hello Sai,
     This is a forum for intelligent discussion. If you think embolization with glue is safe, back up your argument with scientific studies, real facts, or personal anecdotal evidence. I have no such evidence, pro or con, so i do not have an opinion on the matter.
     thanks.

391. Varicocele.embolisation with glue is safe.tell me any alternative embolic agent you know?

392. Glad i see your videos and comments,planning to do an embo but it seems im lucky to see your post,thanks

393. Hey Admin
     Its Mike from Toronto who had his coils removed by Dr Tony Finelli. Could it be possible to keep all the same content on a mirror page and call it varicocele coil removal or something else so it shows up on Google. That is a possible work around.

394. my stomach scars are exactly the same as the last pics. all fine for me with the recovery, no enduring pains or sensations.
     good luck

395. Can you post pics of your current stomach scars seeing how they are and you generally discussing how you’re doing since coil removal.

     I still get weird ab pain. Lower back sharp electricity type pain like its scratching a nerve. Also had an extreme pressure shoot up my abs into the right side of my neck where they made the incision to access the vein. And a massive pressure in the right side of my head. I’m starting to worry……

396. And of course ZGR went AWOL. Natural treatments are BS. While ZGR was just posting the names of herbs, it makes me sick when I see other people peddling proprietary supplement formulas or ebooks trying to make a buck off of desperate people in poor health. Sorry folks, natural treatments would’ve been studied in medial literature in the past 50 years if they had any credibility. The best theories about varicocele are most likely true in that the venous valves are dysfunctional, and nothing can fix that short of futuristic nanobots with protein synthesizing technology employed a century from now.

     For anyone who’s considering some sort of solution to their pain or fertility problems associated with varicocele, just get the microscopic surgery! Failure rates are less than 1% with subinguinal microscopic varicocelectomy, complications are rare, recovery time is not that bad, and pain is resolved at least partially ~90% of the time. They’re just opening you up and cutting the faulty veins. Worth it. Sorry for anyone who went the “it’s not as invasive” embolization route and had problems.

397. I’m writing from Cape Town, South Africa. Been following this blog for a while and wanted to add my story – yet another VE Coil sufferer/victim.

     Had varicocele emb done 10 yrs ago (now age 40) – 9 or 10 titanium alloy coils in left gonadal vein. The op did cure the enlarged “bag of worms” in left testis. Can recall bad pain for abt 2 weeks at site after op, but subsided eventually. But since the coils in my body I’ve had dull pressure pain and swelling at coil site (left ab) come and go. Also left lower back pain. Seems certain movements cause(d) irritation/inflammation. I’ve played volleyball for long time – seems certain twisting/stretching/arching back causes irritation at site, with pain and swelling there. Also uncomfortable when I sit… like the coils are squashing in the abdomen.

     My pain not nearly as bad as some of you report, but have always been aware of these foreign objects in my ab – the intermittent ab/back pain, swelling/pressure against ab wall (like stretching cloth over a golf ball), feels like pressure on bladder/gut. Like many have said, seems to be conscious/subconscious mental disturbance from coils – def affecting mental state.

     I suspect coils are constantly causing chronic inflammation throughout the body – basically heavy metal poisoning/metal allergic reactions (also had 2 mercury dental fill from young.. removed 2 years ago). Also, the scar tissue around coil maybe attached to surrounding tissue (like gut, peritoneum, etc.) adding to inflammation.

     I’ve had many health issues most of my life (chronic inflam/autoimmune – before coils): sinusitis/rhinitis/post-nasal drip, gut/constipation, skin/acne, joint pains, eventual asthma, heavy depression, vascular – varicocele (enlarged left testis). All symptoms subsided much after radical diet change in my late 20s, but varicocele remained… that’s when I had embolization. I suspect some chronic symptoms returned after coil emb.

     Current issues:
     •Vascular – testis still fine (sometimes sensitive though), but veins in legs, feet, arms badly swollen/popping – very irritating. Also after vasc ultrasound seems I have May-Thurner (pinched left common iliac vein)
     •Gut – constipation (had Imupro IgG Food Allergy test done – 2 thirds out of 270 items allergic to!!)
     •Rhinitis (blocked nose)
     •Coils – still dull pain in abdomen/lower back
     •Mental – anxiety/”disconnected” feeling/sensing “foreign threat” in body/irritated/apathetic/fatigued
     •Minerals – Had Oligoscan (non-invasive spectrophotometry – results in 2 min) – some minerals low (Iondine, Zinc etc. Also some heavy metals high (Aluminium, Cadmium, etc.)

     I firmly believe – esp after reading all these testimonials – that these coils have to come out! Chronic inflammation will not stop until these metals removed… been dreading surgery. Now looking for surgeon who would be willing to remove them, and do it right (with minimal collateral damage). If there is anyone in South Africa who cld refer me to proper surgeon, please let me know.

     My best wishes to all of you suffering. Thanks. V

398. Hi Laura, how can I contact you? I have the same symptoms 8 months post procedure..my attorney would like to hear your story. -David

399. I am sorry to see everyone’s pain although it helps me to know it is not all in my head! I had a bilateral gonadal vein embolization with 2 platinum coils on 11/30/18 – 5.5 weeks ago. The surgeon said all went well, I might have a little pain for a few days and to wear Spanx 24/7 for 30 days. I also had to refrain from exertion and sex for 30 days. The day after the procedure my left buttocks and leg was numb, with nerve tingles travelling up and down. It has persisted. I also had horrific burning/electric/hot stabbing pain in my crotch. I would say this pain was a level 8/10 – it would literally stop me from speaking and take my breath away every time it happened. I could see no movement that caused it – it just came and went. That pain is currently a level 3 or so as long as when I sit down I sit on ice packs. I do so at work under the privacy of my desk, but it has killed my husband and my social life. The surgeon keeps telling me to hang in there – it is all normal just taking me longer to get better. I have difficulty discerning if I need to use the restroom as half of my buttocks is numb. It feels like a nightmare with no end in sight. To cope I am taking 12 Advil a day, which I know long term is bad for me. The surgeon said my procedure didnt warrant any pain medication. I have suffered from fibromyalgia for years prior to this surgery. I would be interested to know if other women have experienced these symptoms and if so what if anything helped them. The worst part is I was relatively symptom free prior to the procedure. I am thinking (perhaps) that all of the inflammation is compressing a nerve and if I could get rid of that I might find relief, but I really have no idea and no one to help me.

400. Contact the FDA! Myself like countless others here have been harmed by these coils. I encourage everyone to report their negative experiences to the FDA. It only takes a few minutes. Countless reports have already been filed regarding negative reactions to these metal coils. Here’s the FDA link:

     https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm?action=consumer.reporting1

401. We have a voice. Share your story! Reporters across the world want your help.

     The Implant Files is a year-long deep dive into the medical device industry. We’ve spoken to people from Peru to Tunisia, India and Australia.

     But we’re not done yet. There are plenty of questions that remain unanswered.

     Together with our partners — in more than 36 countries — we want to continue reporting on the medical device industry and its effect on people.

     We’ve translated our survey into nine different languages and want to hear directly from people who work for the industry or have been affected by it.

     https://www.icij.org/investigations/implant-files/do-events-in-the-implant-files-sound-familiar-share-your-story-with-the-world/?from=feature-articles

402. I had a embolization of left testicle 2 days ago. I have an awkward sharp pain when tensing my abs. And a small bulge to the lower left and right above the genitals. Alsmot like somethings moved and been dislodged. I said prior to surgery I have literally zero pain and not sure surgery is worth it. They wanted to do it anyways. And made me sign a form without even giving me time to see or read what I am signing. I know it’s only been a few days but surely I shouldn’t be getting this bulge and pain. I so wish I’d have just walked off prior surgery and said no thanks. They probably want to justify their own budget by performing these things. This was in UK on the NHS. I’m petrified the coils will move and I can feel them in my veins. It doesn’t feel right at all.

     (admin: previous message left on in short page ) :

     Hi. I just found this website. I wish I found it sooner. I had an embolization…. YESTERDAY!

     Again, I myself could deal with the pain pre surgery, it was a mild discomfort rather tajn a pain. Like a kick in the nuts was done a awek ago and u was almost recovered from it, kind of pain.

     Well anyways, now just one day on, I am getting left loser ab pain.
     When I tense, flex, I get a v bizarre feeling like somethings pushing against the veins inside of me.
     Slight heart cramping,
     All left side related…

     I’m am avid weight trainer, and I know its inky been a day but I’m worried as hell now. Coils and all sitting inside of me. I think mine are platinum based. I think….

     If the pain goes away super, I’d love to hear from people where this actually worked for them.
     I can’t and refuse to not weight train because of this. Its either this pain goes, or I’m getting them removed if it persists.

     Do you think it’s ommon to have this bizarre pain when tensing just after surgery.
     I’ve not got any loser back pain at this time. Just the front, I’d say it feels about an inch behind the front of the loser left abs Goikg down to almost where the penis is.

     What are the chances of coils de lodging.

403. This message is for Dorothy Himschoot Currier. I appreciate her interest in speaking to me, but I only received a regular varicocelectomy, not an embolization. Please let her know this, as I wold love to help her, but I did not receive coils. Sincerely, Ernest Gaglione (NJ)

404. it woul cost about 1800€ without insurance i think. all well now for me. no pain or side effects. one night in the hospital the doctor cut out the damaged veins

405. Hello Admin,
     I had a varicocele embolization with coils carried out coming up to 2 years ago now. I have had a continuing pain in the area of the embolization plus some other weird side effects.how are things going for you? Do you still have any pains or side effects right now. I plan to have coils removed in Paris (France), and I would like to know how much does it cost to have coils removed without insurance? and how many days do we stay in the hospital after having coils removed? I just wonder they remove or cut the veins.
     Thanks

406. I encourage everyone to report their negative experiences to the FDA. Countless reports have already been filed regarding negative reactions to these metal coils. Here’s the FDA link: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm?action=reporting.home

407. yes i am aware that i am being blacklisted by google. but i don’t know how or why or how to stop it. but it goes to show that this website is hitting home….

408. Hi Admin,

     Glad to post and support the great work that you’ve started. I feel it is important for people to learn if and how the coil removal has helped cause health improvements. So I’ll definitely follow up.

     I think google has done something to push your website out of the the search results. I used to just do a google search, “Against Varicocele Embolization” to locate and get onto your webpage. It would pop up on the first 1 or 2 pages of search results. I followed the same process today using the google search engine, searched through 15 pages of search results without seeing your website.

     I performed the same search on the yahoo.com search engine and it was the first hit in the search results.

     This is probably the reason for the decline in your google search rating.

     Regards,

     MJ

409. Hi Dorothy,

     I sent you and your son a message on Facebook. I look forward to speaking with you. Good luck with your sons’ recovery!

     Best,
     David

410. Dear Admin:
     How can we help each other on this forum? I have been busy these past two months and did not read the recent letters until last night. I was busy along with my daughter-in-law as she had contacted Dr. Stein, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Ohio and we were told he would do the surgery! So we were busy getting the insurance worked out. Success! Yesterday October 24th, Dr. Stein and his surgical team successfully removed the Boston Scientific coils from my two sons!)
     I read Ernest Gaglione’s story and even though he is in another country I wish there was a way we could all work together with the information we currently have. New stories and doctors who will remove coils are out there if we could only combine our knowledge it could be of greater benefit to the people who have written in. How can I contact some of the people who have written for help or information in the last two months? Administrator, would you be willing to give them my contact information? As you can see I printed my full name so that I could be located on Facebook if anyone would wish to discuss information we have and possibly help those who have not been able to have the surgery. )
     Ever since the Netflix documentary “The Bleeding Edge“ was made known to be coming out, everything in our town changed! The hospital which had the records on my two sons who had coils placed in November 2014, were finally located as they had been encrypted when placed in the computer in the medical records department! We could not get copies until May of this year, 2018! It took to physically go to the hospital and standing there forcefully but politely, letting them know we would not take “we can’t find them“ for an answer! No one would explain why the varicocele embolization coil “procedures“ were encrypted!
     So, please, how can people who have posted on here communicate with each other? I want to try to help others as I know people are dying as a result of these coils. If someone read this and states I am being ridiculous you only have to know people who have suffered with the numerous side effects to know that some people would have succumbed to the gravity of these metal intruders that have not been tested for toxicity or allergies within the person they have placed them!

     Most sincerely,
     Dorothy Himschoot Currier
     Fort Myers, Florida, USA

411. Hello David:

     I am replying to your message dated September 21, 2018. You stated you had retained an attorney in Florida. My two sons are currently at the Cleveland clinic in Cleveland Ohio. They both had their Boston Scientific Coil‘s removed today. I look for forward to your reply.

412. MJ
     thanks so much for posting. glad this site has been of use.
     unfortunately, i dont know how much the info is getting out now… my google search rating has dropped.
     keep us posted on your progress
     best
     a

413. Hi Admin,

     I’m first time poster but have been following this forum for the last year or two. Thanks so much for putting this site together and managing it. It’s been a tremendous help in the decision making process I’ve gone through to try to recover from my a varicocele embolization procedure I had done back in 2014.

     Since I had the procedure completed my health slowly has been deteriorating over the last four years. I’ve gone from being a completely healthy person who ran competitively training 6 days a week up to 70 miles a week down to struggling to go on a few 3 mile runs a week. Just a few of the health issues I’ve suffered from are chronic fatigue, malaise, pain in my hips, chest pain and brain fog. My personality has changed to where I’m often irritated much more easily and everyday has become a struggle. I think the metal coils have had a significant impact on my endocrine and metabolic systems as I cannot gain muscle any more and the more I exercise the weaker I get when I used to get stronger from exercise. I also have a tightness feeling that runs up to my sternum which now pops and cracks often. The worst symptom of all is that my body never feels like it’s resting even when sleeping or sitting it’s like my immune system is always turned on and revved up.

     I was never made aware that this procedure could cause these kind of symptoms and regret my decision to have it done. 6 platinum boston scientific interlock coils were placed in my gonadal vein.

     After having many failed attempts going through multiple doctors I came across doctor Stein on this website from the Cleveland clinic. After having a consultation we agreed to have the surgery to have the coils removed which was just completed on 10/22. I cannot praise Dr Stein and the Cleveland clinic enough for removing the coils and give both my highest recommendation.

     After two days coil free I feel like I can think clearly again and that the brain fog has lifted and can honestly can say I feel more energy in my system. I’ll have to give it some more time to assess how the other symptoms have faired until I heal from the surgery and if these initial feelings hold up.

414. Thanks for the reply, has anyone had the symptoms gone once they had them removed?

415. these are widespread. most people on this website will have had some of these symptoms… but hard to say if all are due to the coils

416. Does anyone else have these symptoms?
     Hot/cold Shivers Light head Numb left hand/left foot Feeling nerves endings Dizzy Loss of Muscle Feeling faint/Fainting Pass out Feeling scared Head pressure Burning feeling in tummy Tummy pain Loss of appetite Loss of weight Anxiety Hot flushes Nauseous Vomiting Fingers/hands/legs tingling Headache Pain around ovaries area Tender under chin Skin on hands dry Sore lower back Pimples on face Bruising Itchy skin Burping Tired Hair thinning Clammy/sweaty hands/feet Sensors are heightened Face flushed Lethargic Emotional crying Unresponsive in hospital
     Thanks 🙂

417. Maybe… hard to say not having more history.

418. Hello,
     Thanks for your reply, I have had some of the symptoms previously over the years but not known why, are these possible symptoms to the coils in my body?
     Thanks Rae

419. hi rae
     have you had any problems from the coils before?
     a

420. Hi Ernest
     I dont know how to help, but I still would not do embolization if i were you. it could make your situation much worse, regardless of how bad you think things are now.
     good luck
     a

421. Hello, I have been unwell for the last 6 months and the hospitals and Doctors do not know why, they have tested for many things, I have had coils & Onyx in my abdomen for more than 10 years now, my symptoms are – Hot/cold, shivers, Numb left hand/left foot, Feeling nerves endings, Dizzy, Faint/Fainting, Tummy pain, Loss of appetite, Loss of weight, Anxiety, Hot flushes, Nauseous, fingers tingling, Headache, Sore lower back, Clammy hands/feet, Sensors are heightened. Does anyone else have these symptoms and recommendations to help please? I am in Perth in Western Australia, Thank you 😃

422. Hello. Firstly, I would like to thank you for the time and effort you put forth to build this site. I have had groin issues since a soccer injury in 1996 when I was 22 years old. I am now 44 and they remain. Last year I had a microsurgical varicocelectomy that did not work to remove a varicocele. I was initially offered embolization, but refused it based on reading your website. Now I do not know what to do, because it is my only option left. What are your thoughts? I truly appreciate your help here.

     Sincerely,

     Ernest Gaglione

423. definitely the brain fog. headaches, i personally did not have but some others have.
     cordially

424. Are the any Australians on here that can recommend someone taking these coils out?

     Also other than pain my main issues are headaches and terrible light headedness and brain fog, I can handle the pain but feeling “ out of it “ all the time is terrible.

     Anyone else have these symptoms?

425. ATTENTION ALL – YOUR FUTURE MRI IS AT RISK!
     Yes I’ve had this procedure done. No they are not removed yet. But while chasing the pain down (which is actually a spinal tumor) I had to be re directed to less powerful MRI machines do to these coils being inside me. So the newer and best MRI’s are not available to me.
     If you have an option to avoid embolization please do it. What happens when all the old machines age out and only the newer level 3 MRI’s exist? You can’t get an MRI?

426. I’ve had enough of this pain. I retained a top legal firm here in Florida. I like many of you had the varicocele embolization with coils and have been suffering ever since. Five months after my procedure I live with constant abdominal, bowel pain and dull aches. You’re not alone. My attorney wants to hear your story.

     Best,
     David

427. Recovery continues to progress well. Still some swelling and soreness but pretty confident the varicocele hasn’t returned. Might have to wait until next month when I see the surgeon in person to get the video of the removal, quite a large file. The issues I described earlier of not being able to experience pleasure have been resolved, that sense of taking time to appreciate things, (as before the embolisation) has returned as well as emotions that I just hadn’t experienced properly over the last couple of years. A pretty horrible experiment to demonstrate how a foreign body can disrupt activity in the brain, for sure. Removal has definitely been worth it for me.

428. they put in nestor coils https://www.cookmedical.com/products/di_mwcen_webds/ , i think they are all platinum.
     now they are long gone…

429. A week on from coil removal and feeling better every day. Still pain around the incision areas with some swelling but the psychological straitjacket has definitely lifted. Hopefully will be able to post link to video of removal this week.

430. the coils become fused with the vein, so it is as far as i know impossible de remove the coil(s) without taking out the vein(s) too
     best of luck

431. Hello,

     My boyfriend recently had varicocele embolization done about a month ago and he hasn’t felt right ever since. He’s having pain in his lower back and the inguinal area.

     We saw our urologist and he said that they can do a varicocelectomy and remove the vein and coils.

     Admin and anyone else who has had coils removed, did your surgeon remove the entire vein or just the coils? If they just removed the coils, did the vein start working again like before the embolization or does it stay dead?

     Thank you for your responses and advice!

432. search this page for “coil” and you will find some info, as there are some posts on the issue. for Dr attignac, it’s the same i think… the local area is where i went.

433. recul = to better understand the responses to your questions, as he will see your body. ie if it is dangerous to stay with a varicocele, how to relieve pain, the benefits and risks of an intervention, what type of intervention, etc. que je sache il ne fait pas d’embolisation, mais lui fait des chirurgies classiques (qu’il dit sont plus sures)

434. Freddy, Dr. Stein is in Cleveland and is now scheduled to remove the coils from Dotti’s sons, October 24th. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/7504-robert-stein. His phone is 216.444.5600.

435. Hi freddy, yes attignac is in paris +33 1 47 55 00 55 attignac.docteur@wanadoo.fr … i think it would cost you 1500 – 2000€ without insurance, but i’m not sure
     a

436. Dr Attignac is in Paris Right?
     Any estimate in the removal charges?
     And if anyone else could give their input it would be much appreciated
     Thanks Again

437. Freddy, all of the removal doctors are listed about in the preface. I have no further info besides for Dr Attignac
     Cordially
     ave

438. Any recommendations as to where coil removal surgery in the states and abroad is appreciated as well
     Thanks

439. JH Good Luck on your recovery
     I have had the coils put in in February my life had been completely changed since that day I regret it every day. I’m in New York I have tried calling Dr Finelli in Toronto no answer from his office. Where did u have the removal surgery done. Please if you could post the complete information that would be great??
     Thanks you
     Wish everyone could see this website before the embolization Surgery

440. good luck in recovery!

441. Had coils removed yesterday. Surgeon had to make a slightly larger incision than anticipated so feeling sore but as others have posted, woke up feeling that something had definitely changed for the better. I don’t feel as if my body is fighting itself anymore and I can pause and reflect on things as before, without that feeling that ‘something is wrong’. Have been promised a video of the procedure as well as pics of the coils. The lower ones were caught up in a lot of tissue, these were the ones I think my body never 100% accepted.

442. Best of luck JH. Mine are out and the surgeon tells me that everything is well. They also coiled a lumbar vein so it was lucky that my surgeon was talented enough to get the coils running so near to my spine and aorta safely. Whilst i am in some degree of pain, i can honestly feel a difference and some of the symptoms lessening. Quite amazing given the number of hours spent under the knife.

     If you need someone to chat to during the recovery feel free to reach out. I’ll keep the group updated and thanks again to the admin and all for the support. .

443. I got my implant record back from the hospital and I did not have Nester coils, I had two Boston Scientific interlock coils and one Cook Medical Tornado coil. They did use a sclerosing agent, probably sandwich method. The B.S. interlock coils are listed as a platinum tungsten alloy, I do not know what kind of mix. I have not found compositon for the Cook Medical Tornado coil yet.

     In searching for the coils compostion I read the adverse effects page to these coils and one effect listed is: “Foreign body reactions necessitating medical intervention.” This adverse side effect was never discussed with me.

     http://www.bostonscientific.com/en-US/products/embolization/interlock-and-idc-detachable-embolization-coils/embolization-coils-indications-safety-and-warnings.html

     I have also started a group on facebook called Embolization Coil Problems. The link can be found below. I feel like there needs to be more direct interaction between all of us that have experienced these negative and unexplained health issues after having embolization procedures.

     https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913431375624304/

444. Thanks for the good wishes NJ. Laparoscopic procedure scheduled for next week at King’s London; it needs to be done after 18 months now of feeling odd. Physical symptoms have improved but never quite gone away and that feeling of not being able to fully be myself still persists, unable to ‘let go’ and get ‘in the flow’ with activity. I can only say that exercise can do wonders for your stamina and strength but it doesn’t fully address the changes to your central nervous system once the coils are in place and that odd feedback they produce. Thanks to this site I’ve got some hope again to be more like the person I once was!

445. Hi guys, me too in 2014 I did the same operation, I have the same pains and symptoms you encountered.
     I have pain in the abdomen and behind on the back, which I did not have before.
     I feel my body rejecting the reels.
     I spoke to the Doctor who operated on me, but according to him it was not due to surgery.
     I have to find a doctor who is willing to understand the problem, and if it is possible to remove the coils.
     But Dr. Bernardo Rocco, removed the coils from someone.

446. good luck! avoid laughing after surgery! 😉

447. Going in to get these things out of me. Here’s hoping it helps clear the awful symptoms and i can get back to life as i used to know it. Any good advice or spare luck you may have would be gratefully received.

     Thanks to the admin for setting up this forum and for all on here who have helped me along the long journey to this point. Also best of luck to Jason if you do end up going ahead with the removal.

448. Hello,
     I had my coils placed in three days ago. As fate would have it, I found this site literally as I was pulling up to the doctors to get my procedure done. I wish I would have found it earlier as I have gone through with it.

     It’s the biggest regret of my life. What’s worse is that I feel like I’ll be stuck like this…

     I don’t have any physical pain as most of you do (it’s been four days so I do have the mild aching on my lower back and a bit in my inguinal canal). But I don’t feel like myself. I feel like I’m living in a dream and can’t “connect” like I used to. I am terrified and the doctors I have seen since keep dismissing me…

     Please, anyone, help. What should I do? Mine haven’t migrated, and I don’t feel major pain, but I don’t feel like myself. I feel like something is wrong, I feel like everything is hazy and I’m “coasting along”.

     I don’t know how much longer I can deal with this and it’s only been four days…

449. Had the scan results to find that one coil had migrated to just below the kidney, the others a long line descending southwards, but these are the ones that I believe are causing issues.
     I have the opportunity to have them all out next month, I just want to see an end to this strange foreign body sensation and this battle between body and mind.

450. Tomorrow marks my one year anniversary without my coils. I am so glad that I had them removed. I am doing well and feel like I am almost the person I was (B.C.), Before Coils. In April, I flew to Chicago with my sister and was so glad not to be freaking out at the airport. The mental state of myself when I had the coils in could not have handled the stimulus of the flight, turbulence, etc. I went to Chicago again last week and felt much better, I look back at that first trip and realize as I was much improved, I still wasn’t quite myself then, either. It feels good to keep improving and to feel renewed. It is hard to believe I was contemplating living with the coils because I thought I wasn’t that bad off. I was bad off, I just didn’t want to accept the fact that I needed to have the coils removed.

     About two weeks ago I watched a medical device documentary on Netflix called, “The Bleeding Edge.” Most of the focus of the documentary was on the permanent birth control device named, Essure. Essure is a metal coil inserted in a women’s fallopian tube to cause inflammation and a blockage so eggs cannot pass. As I am watching the documentary, the similarities between the Essure device and its unexpected issues and the embolization coils used on us and our issues was unexpected. I still feel like my tungsten allergy was a large part of my issues, but I wonder how much of that weird radiating pain was because of the intentional inflammatory response to the polyester fibers. Essure is finally being pulled off the market, due to the documentary and a victim of the medical device who started a facebook group, Essure Birth Control Problems. I am wanting to start a facebook group page to allow more direct interaction between all of us that have experienced negative and unexplained health issues after having the variocele embolization procedure. I have called the group Varicocele Embolization Issues.

451. Have started follow up requests with private healthcare urologists in London. A scan of the coil location is going to be the first step. (The NHS scan was never shown to me and I was just told – all is ok!) The physical discomfort has dropped down to a 2/3 10 but there’s still tenderness where the 5x coils were inserted but the strange sensations of not being to get ‘in the flow’ still remain. I’m running faster than ever but there’s no synchronicity with the body, which I had in abundance before the procedure – and that was with a varicocele! Will update on what options are offered…

452. no idea. my coils never set off a metal detector

453. By the way does anyone know why I’ve been told to carry an implant card everywhere?. I can’t find info anywhere that states why I would need it, apart from things like at airports

454. I had coils placed in 3 days ago, due to me becoming infertile and having pain every time I ejaculated. I had 3 kids in a previous relationship before I had the mass of varicose veins occurring . I really wish I had read all this before I had the coils fitted, as I think I would have gone down a different route. The only thing they said before this procedure that may go wrong is migration of the coil. They didnt warn me anything about the other complications that can occur. The amount of you having auto-immune issues scares me. And u would think that the doctors would warn you of this possible complication before surgery, but there wasn’t any mention of such possible issues.
     Guess I’ve just gotta hope that for the best now.

455. Hello guys- ZGR here.

     As I mentioned before, I am trying a natural treatment for varicocele and I nearly prove that it is working, according to my doppler results. But I have not checked for 3rd time yet since I think it needs a more little time. 1 month passed since my last doppler check but I feel better now. All the veins got shrinked, not only testicular veins but also other veins such as my arms and feet veins. In the past I had problems while walking for a long time, especially my calves were driving me crazy. However, I can walk very long without any disturbance.

     I have a friend who graduated from medical school recently and I talked him about this issue and we brainstormed how this mechanism works. I believe it is an evolutionary problem due to homosapiens’ walking upright on two legs. Which causes gravity to make harder blood to circulate properly. My friend told me that even hemmorhoid is another result of this. Varicoce veins are possibly occurs due to this circulatory problems. I bet all of you feel better when lay down and your varicocele diminishes. This is a kind of proof that gravity causes the poor blood circulation, and all of these supplements I’ve been taking helps blood to circulate properly. As a result, veins get back to normal with time. However, this cannot be happen suddenly and I think if you have a grade 3 varicocele, it would take much more time, but I am sure that you feel better. Also I recommend exercise regularly and donating blood regularly which helps circulation.

     I will be posting my 3rd doppler results through the end of july.

     Keep safe everyone.

456. ZGR, can you give us an update on your progress? (request from another poster)
     best
     ave

457. Hello Dotti – Yes people come from all over the world to access the health care here in Toronto. In fact there is a special department for handling foreigners. They require cash up front for the procedure and then it is up to you to try and convince your insurance company to reimburse you for the cost. But many do from what I here. The costs are not as high as you might think especially given the weak Canadian currency. If you wish I will post Dr. Finelli’s contact info here and you can discuss it further with his wonderful coordinator.
     All the best to you and your family.

458. Hello John,
     Thank you for the information concerning Dr. Finelli. I have always been interested but since they have socialized medicine, I didn’t think American’s could use it without a great deal of trouble with our health insurance. What have you found out concerning this?
     Thank you, John, for posting this most helpful link!

459. For Dorothy: There is a urological surgeon named Dr. Finelli in Toronto who removes coils. I can get you contact information for him if you wish.
     All the best

460. Hello – John here. I wanted to give an update on my varicocele embolization last Nov. without coils. Last summer I was scheduled for a standard coil bilateral procedure but found this forum the night before and read it all and then cancelled the procedure in the morning. I then searched for an IR in the US or Canada who would do the procedure without coils. I only found one IR in Toronto who would do it using sclerosant which is standard in the sandwich method with coils.
     So I had it done on both sides in late Nov. Within a week I developed a high fever which lasted all of Dec. Also I developed bad pains in my left testicle and groin which spread to my lower back and left leg.
     My IR was not concerned!! He gave me a prescription for the antibiotic Keflex which I took for a week. It did clear up my symptoms nicely.
     But again at the end of Jan. I had the same problem: severe swelling of the left scrotum followed by debilitating pain in my lower back,left flank and left leg. I could only lie in bed with ice packs and scream. Honestly I would have said it was the coils had they been used.
     So again my IR gave me a week of Keflex which again worked fine. These episodes came every week or so and every time Keflex fixed it. I also took strong pain killers.
     Finally in March I talked my IR into doing a scrotal ultrasound. This showed a much larger varicocele than the original one as well as blood clots (thrombus) and inflammation!! He referred me to the head of urology at a prominent Toronto hospital.
     Now here is a kicker. Looking back I noticed that I always had my flare-ups within a few hours of sexual activity!! In fact just the act of getting an erection would cause these flare-ups that incapacitated me for days. Personally I believed that the procedure had given me epiditimytis. I mentioned this to the IR and he dismissed it as nonsense.
     My visit with the urologist was delayed several times. Meanwhile I told my wife we could not engage in any fun which has been difficult. But I must also say that heavy physical activity like lifting weights and riding a bike can also trigger these events.
     So I finally got a call from the urologist’s nurse and she said I was scheduled for a scrotal nerve block injection this past Monday and that should relieve the pain but not fix the problem. I asked how he could do this without first examining me and she said to bring it up before the procedure!
     So this past Monday I was lead into the procedure room and he came in ready to do the nerve block. he almost fell over when I asked for a consult first. He had his intern examine me and the intern concluded that my epididimys on the left testicle was swollen. So the doctor cancelled the injection because he said the worse thing he could do was to inject steroids ( cordisone + zylacaine) into an infected region!!
     So he told me that I likely got this condition from the varicocele embolization procedure 6 months ago and it was not related to the new varicocele and the thrombus in the scrotum. He said I should just take Keflex for 3 weeks straight and then call him ( and refrain from any aggravating activities). So that is what I am doing now.
     I asked him how I could get this condition from the varicocele procedure and he said to me that “it just moved things around” without being more specific. the he ran off to the next patient. The total elapsed time with me was 15 minutes!!
     I believe that the medical profession is committed to making people sick and keeping them sick. My advice is that if you can live with the varicoceles then STAY AWAY from doctors!!
     It is interesting to me that many of my symptoms are similar to those guys who had coils. Maybe Keflex would help you too as well as a scrotal nerve block?
     All the best to everyone and thanks especially to the admin for saving lives.
     John

461. Thank you for your comment steven.
     As a performing doctor, i hope you at the very least warn your patients of the possible problems of embolization (ie all of the symptoms discussed on this site).
     The risks are probably very dependent on the performing doctor, and the receiving body (ie location of veins, autoimmune reactions, etc). Also, it seems quite unimportant to compare to traditional surgery when talking about these risks.
     I would also be curious to know how many of your ‘many hundreds of patients’ have observed vague feelings of discomfort or unwellness or energy-loss or dull radiating non-specific pain afterwards, perhaps months later during a quick movement during sports or other, but dont recognize that it is coil-related and/or dont have the inertia to come back to you.
     Have you ever reached out to your previous patients with a survey?
     I’ll remind you that I went back to my radiologist with pain symptoms a couple weeks after the initial coil insertion. He looked at the area via ultrasound and proceeded to tell me that it wasn’t associated with the coils because he couldn’t see a problem via ultrasound. He said it was “unrelated”. I hope that you would not have the same reaction with one of your patients.
     Had I known then what I know now, I would have seen that doctor in a court room.

462. Hi,

     I think this is a good site to help people with pain related to embolization coils, an extremely rare but serious problem. Despite the statement above that only negative problem comments are wanted, I wonder if I may say something about context, denominator. As an IR doc who has used coils for embolization for 33 years, I have put them in many hundreds of patients. ALL of our patients are followed up for 3 months, but if there are any lingering pain problems, then followed indefinitely. Over that time I am personaly aware of every single complication related to the coils. We have had precisely 2 cases of ongoing coil related pain requiring surgery. That is much less than one hundreth of one percent. In those two cases, the coils shifted down into the inguinal canal with straining, like a hernia effect. If someone opts for (safer?) surgery, is surgery a safer choice than coil embolization? Well, there have been a few comparative studies. At the Cleveland Clinic, DeWire et al (urological surgeon) in a 1994 Andrology article compared embolization and surgery for effectiveness and morbidity. In the embolization group no patient stayed overnight, there were no infections. There were several surgical infections and one patient lost a testis. In 33 years I have had zero infections ever with embolization. It’s just wildly safe and effective compared with almost any surgery you would care to compair it with.
     I believe that coil related pain can be quite serious, and may need treatment. In no way will I minimize the seriousness of that. But I respectfully submit that we try and calculate risks and effectiveness using many cases, analyzed together. If you do that embolization is demonstrably safer than, and as effective as surgery.

463. @nj, dorothy,
     although i am convinced that metal allergies may play an important role in immune reactions and qi movement, i also think that physical inflammation due to the coils’ placement is just as, if not more, important, as the coils and their fibers can cause permanent states of irritation. so, although i’m not against melisa testing, testing negative for metal sensitivity is not helpful if one still feels terrible. they might, however, be useful for convincing insurance that removal is necessary, though in a decent world this wouldn’t be necessary.
     ave

464. @randy king, sorry i have no idea. coils can be easily seen via xray
     best
     ave

465. Dorothy – I’m sorry to hear about your sons. It is a terrible thing to be faced with and effects families not just the individuals. There is a surgeon in the US, Kevin Petersen, who removes coils. From what i understand he doesn’t take insurance and his costs are about $9,000 for removal. He performs open surgery rather than laparoscopic. You do need to be careful in selecting the right surgeon. If the coils extend near the renal vein it is a larger operation than what you would hope and you need someone who is experienced operating around important and complex structures. I hope your sons find relief soon.

     One thing that may help you is a metal sensitivity test that Scott undertook. There are confirmed cases in the literature of people improving post removal of items they have a hypersensitivity to. Drs may be more willing to remove them if this is the case. MELISA is the most effective way to test. I think Othopedic Analysis also perform similar testing in the States. Wishing you all the best.

466. I just received my call-back from Cleveland Clinic for Dr. Stein. He does NOT do the removal surgery. Feel like the bottom has just fallen out of the room. So much for “finding doctors who’ve done this surgery” because, this one apparently does not repeat what he did.
     I’m going to try to find out why by directly calling scheduling for him (Dr. Stein who did the surgery for Scott Miller)
     .

467. Hello:
     I’ve written into this Blog several times. I have two sons who in December 2014, had the Varicocele Embolization Coil “procedure” done to them. There isn’t enough hours in the day to tell all the problems they have undergone. They are now 36 and 32 years old. Both lost their careers because of the condition they are now enduring.
     For many months we have been given a run-around with the Florida Blue telling me: “You must do this” ——– we did as they instructed. Then were told it was incorrect. That took months and we were instructed to do different things three times. It is nearly 4:00AM and I wanted to find the letters from Scott Miller on this Blog. I found them! It is important because I called the Cleveland Clinic today to make appointments for my sons even though we live in Florida. I am watching my sons die. They have both lost a great deal of weight and they were not, nor have they ever been overweight. The pain they are enduring is not to be understood by those who have not endured this coil torture. I apologize that my comments are all over the place but I want to encourage ALL of you to please pursue and do not give up! I have fought with so many horrible individuals who have outright LIED to me. I began a notebook when this mission began to find a doctor to remove the coils. I wrote:
     Date, Time, Name, and every possible detail from each phone call.
     It was because of this site that I learned of Scott and that he used the Cleveland Clinic. I pray that the appointments I made yesterday will be approved by Scott’s physician!!!! The insurance is compatible between Florida and Ohio.
     I cannot believe that this Varicocele Embolization Coil “procedure” is stated to be 95% (somewhere in that area) successful!!!! What? How can they make such statements? It is torture! My one son has lost over 60 pounds. I hugged him on Mother’s Day and couldn’t hold back ——- he’s so withered and weak yet he has a family to take care of and must work 2 jobs after his career was taken from him. He’s in unending pain and cannot sleep. He looks like men who’ve been released from the prisons during war.
     As Scott stated in his comment prior to having his coils removed, if you who are reading this are a person who prays, I would ask you to please pray for my sons. Thank you, each of you, who have contributed your stories to this site. All of this is helpful and gives courage to those of us who are still going thru the processes of removal. Thank you to the generous man who made this site. If you would want to make it bigger or need to have a tech-person help to streamline areas for ease of use and for searching, I truly would be very willing to help so that others do not have to endure as long. One thing that none of us know is: “How many have committed suicide when they could no longer go through the unrelenting pain throughout their entire body…….and that they had no one to help them as I am helping my sons, but that they were on their own. I believe that there are many who have ended their lives because of this. One only has to watch 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, then 60 pounds drop off their loved ones….. their muscles wither, their hair thins or comes out in patches….. they do not have energy to do anything but they must work……work while they have migraines and they vomit each meal they try to eat….. okay, I’ve said too much.
     I pray now, that the doctor that helped Scott Miller will be able to help my sons.

468. I had a varicoseal embolization about 25 years ago and I THINK it was coil. The doctor who did the procedure is now deceased and the College does not have his notes.

     I need to find out of the coil used was metal since I need to have an MRI on my lower back and we have been avoiding this on the assumption that the coil was metal.

     Do you experts agree that it was likely coil that was used?

469. Hello

     I had a varicocele embolisation 3 weeks ago at the doctor suggestion. Stupid suggestion
     The operation was made with aethoxysklerol 3% foam – 8ml, not with metallic coil.(don’t ask me what is this)
     I am feeling the same pain as above : testicular and abdominal sometimes

     The doctor is saying the pain is normal, but I am very worried this will not go.

     I am using a lot of ice as soon I am arriving from work which ameliorate the pain quite well 90% I may say, using for 2,3,4 hours continually ice, but every day, late in the mornings. it’s starting again and again.
     Also in the mornings the testicle is looking well, but over the day it’s getting more inflamed

     I tried some pain relief, but I don’t want to get them daily and anyway it wasn’t very successful.

     Suggestion is for those with pain: to use ice, a lot of ice, I don’t know if will solve the problem, but at least for few hours you will forget you did this stupid embolisation
     p.s. I bought some special small bags which I am keeping them in the fridge and swap them around when they are starting to get heat

470. I think people should also be wary of a drop in testosterone levels due to vericocele. My testosterone was in the low range before my coil and I felt horrible (irritable, depressed, fatigue etc..google low testosterone). My levels went up after the coil insertion and I felt better, but now 6 months later I am starting to have pain in my teste near the coil. The vericocele is not there anymore but I cant stand the pain when it hits me every day or two requires tylenols until it subsides.
     If I get the coil removed what will stop the vericocele from returning? Is surgery an option? I dont want the coil anymore!
     Thanks

471. I had a left side embolisation procedure carried out on Aug 2016 and I a very short time after I stated to suffer with left flank pain, discomfort in the hip/groin area and mild erectile dysfunction (never had this prior to the operation) . My original urologist and interventional radiologist said the operation was successful (which in terms of obliterating the original troublesome vein and original pain it had) and to alleviate my concerns and new pains, they also did an MRI and XRay to confirm no migration and correct ‘coil’ placement: I say coil, but on inspection of the scan mine is more of an unravelled coil. I decided to seek a second opinion via Dr N Barber (urologist mentioned previously on site) , he and his interventional radiologist reviewed the previous scans and carrried out a CT scan of their own additionally. Upon reviewing the CT can they confirmed my coil, was in fact very long, not in fact in the best position and indeed runs the entire length of my inguinal canal and down through my spermatic chord and into the testis. I have raised this feedback as a formal compliant to my original hospital/urologist and I am now scheduled to have my ‘unravelled 6-8 inch long, ‘supposedly’ pure platinum coil surgically removed towards the end of June.
     I would warn anyone thinking about having this procedure to do their homework thoroughly before deciding to go ahead. I would swap my current systems with the pain I had I previously any day…

472. Thanks admin. Appreciate the update. I agree removal shouldn’t be taken lightly at all. They plastered me with 11 coils which makes me feel that removal will be difficult though regardless i am focused on having them taken out. The impact on my quality of life is too large to not try. I hope your energy levels return to normal one day though i get that 8 years makes it difficult to discern what normal may be.

     Also i noticed that Davide may have had his coils removed. Do you happen to know how he is getting on?

473. @nj, yes all well here. i wouldnt say that things have gone back to pre-coil energy feeling … but impossible to say what is due to fact that i am aging and what is due to permanent damage from coils. but regardless, i feel that i dont have a foreign object in my body and that my energy flow is undisturbed albeit perhaps slightly distorted after so many years with the coils. i would remove them again. but, as you can read in these posts, coil removal is not without risks not to be taken lightly, depending on the number of coils and their placement.

474. Hey Admin. Just checking in to see how you have been feeling lately. Still clear of symptoms caused by the coils or have some crept back in? Hope you have been doing well.

475. That’s horrible to hear, Pam.
     Our thoughts and hopes (and prayers if so inclined) should also be sent out to Isabel.
     putting even 1 of these coils is terrible, but dozens is barbaric. There are real risks. It can ruin lives, to a point of no return.

476. just to let you know the lady who i sent the link about Teresa Hinton had an attempt at having her coils removed in Germany. I befriended her after contacting her after reading the newspaper article. she had 25 coils put in. She was in so much pain and had an attempted removal by a dr Black here. He removed 18. She went to Germany but tragically didn’t make it. It was absolutely heartbreaking. She has left behind 2 babies. She was diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome and May Thurner’s caused by the embolisation coils. she had no choice She couldn’t live with the pain. I have recently contacted a Dr Peter Gloviczki MD who co authored a case study in the Journal of Vascular Surgery “Hyper sensitivity to nickel in a patient treated with coil embolisation for pelvic pain syndrome. I just thought you may be interested in the follow up. Im hoping he can help me with removal. Regards Pam

477. good description jason on the weird central nervous system effects

478. Coming up to the 18 month anniversary of having the coils put in. There have been positives – after a year of intense physical activity and training my stamina and strength are definitely better than I was before the procedure. And the varicocele hasn’t returned. However, inflammation and discomfort still occurs in the exact spot where the coils were placed. The ‘foreign body’ sensation still persists – like a cork stopper in a wine bottle, alongside the strange psychological strait jacket of not being able to ‘let go’ and not feeling ‘whole’. My body feels ‘switched on’ all the time. There are times when I’ve felt a spectator to my own body. My gut feeling on this is that the coils have a big impact on your central nervous system upon insertion, you’re conscious of them in your body. It then moves to a subconscious stimulation. So the coils are still there, but when you move in certain directions there are still messages being sent to the brain. What is unsettling, even now, is that intense physical activities that would previously lead to relaxation (yoga/swimming/running) now lead to an unsettled state of mind. Before the embolisation, if I doubled my efforts, the satisfaction afterwards would be matched accordingly, but now there’s no longer any endorphin high, however hard I work. I’ve been told that this is just ‘psychological’ and I will adjust eventually, but my physical response to exercise/activity has, without a doubt, fundamentally changed. I’ve signed up to private medical insurance so the search continues for someone to remove them. Please bear this mind before contemplating embolisation, this isn’t quite what I anticipated would happen!

479. Hello again everyone,

     As i mentioned before, i am experimenting a natural treatment for varicocele (note by admin: horse chestnut, rutin extract, gotu kola, grape seed extract, omega 3 and butchers broom). Today, I went to see the doctor for doppler ultrasound check. I deliberitely went to see the same doctor and i wanted the same doppler machine in order to compare the previous results and the new ones. The old results were indicating that I have the 5.5 mm left vein ( which normal should be around 1.8-1.9 mm) and 4.8 mm right vein during valsalva maneuver. Also in the left vein the reflux was observed for 8.28 seconds ( which normally should be 1 second) and 2.32 second reflux in the right veins. These results was from (22 november 2016). After that, today (12 may 2018) results are 3.6 mm left vein and 2.6 mm right vein while 3.6 seconds reflux in left vein while no reflux at all in the right vein. Even the doctor got shocked and said he would not believe if the previous doppler check was not done by him. I will go and will be checked again 2 months later. And i was using these supplements only for 2 months. I think it is possible to cure varicocele completely. But i am not sure if it is working for grade 2-3 varicoceles. So if you are not in rush, you can give it a try.

     See you guys.
     
     Note admin: normally i do not post suggestions for varicocele treatments. but, as these are natural, i made an exception. Zgr, please keep us informed of your progress monthly or bimonthly. thanks

480. Hi Ave, I was speaking today with my doctor and he said that on mine the laparoscopy is not possible. It is very complicate to travel and to consult with any other doctor, but I would like to know if any women remove the coils and if she do it with laparoscopy. Unfortunally there is more experience on men. Thanks a lot

481. it breaks my heart to read this. the doctors that put those coils in are barbarians.
     Isabel, let me/us know if you would like to reach out to doctors on the list here on this site

482. I sent isabel an email, this was her reply :

     Hi, Ave
     I am veeeeeeeeeery bad😔, I am on bed for last month. A lot of pain.
     I can not go to the toilet and very strong pain like my period.

     The doctors said to do very hard surgery opening all my stomach to take the 17 coils and uterus and ovaries😔.
     And they said that it will be very dangerous.

483. Hello Administrator:
     Please, is there a way to find out how Isabel is doing since she wrote this letter on April 28, 2018? Thank you.
     __________________________________________________________________________Isabel on April 24, 2018 at 1:35 pm said:
     Hi, my name is Isabel.
     I have 17 coils for my embolization, now one year ago.
     After that, I had many problems, but the most important it is that I live at home, with a lot of pain, and many drugs to calm this.
     I am living in Malaga, Spain. I had my skin allergy result and finally I am Nikel allergy.
     My doctors, urologist, vascular and ginecologist, said that the only option to take out the coils is open my stomach with a big surgery and do histerectomy.
     They need to open up to down my stomach.

     I feel so bad and it is very hard decision to have.
     __________________________________________________________________________

484. Hello guys, I want to thank you first to admin for creating this website. Secondly, thanks John for your help and suggestions. I am now searching for an IR in Turkey who performs w/o coils. If i cannot find, i would focus on abroad options. In fact the reason I am not consulting any doctor yet is that I am trying a natural treatment nearly 2 months and I believe my varicocele is better now. But I am going to get doppler check and compare with the past to see if really there is a difference. Anyone who into natural treaments can consider these supplements: horse chestnut, rutin extract, gotu kola, grape seed extraxt, omega 3 and butchers broom. However, even I feel the improvement I am not 100% sure if it is working. After my doppler result I will share with you guys.

     Hey gpr, I would be happy to help you. First of all, I am not sure if there is an IR who performs the operation without coils in turkey as i mentioned before. But there is a very good IR ( according to his webpage, comments, and his rewards, accompilshments and articles) whose name is Prof. Dr Saim Yilmaz, but he is living in Antalya not Istanbul. His webpage is also Has an english version so you can look it up. In terms of microsurgery, you can find many good urologist in Turkey but I would recommend you to go to famous private hospitals such as acıbadem, koc universitesi hastanesi, medicana, florence nightingale etc… they are expensive but much more trustable and technological.

485. all the info is on the removal page.. no

486. No complications after the removal of the veins?
     Admin

487. Hi, my name is Isabel.
     I have 17 coils for my embolization, now one year ago.
     After that, I had many problems, but the most important it is that I live at home, with a lot of pain, and many drugs to calm this.
     I am living in Malaga, Spain. I had my skin allergy result and finally I am Nikel allergy.
     My doctors, urologist, vascular and ginecologist, said that the only option to take out the coils is open my stomach with a big surgery and do histerectomy.
     They need to open up to down my stomach.

     I feel so bad and it is very hard decision to have.

488. attignac +33 1 47 55 00 55
     veins were cut out via laparoscopic surgery

489. hi
     i also live in turkey i am a student and i am new here and i kind of have problem with the turkish language and finding informations online so i was going to ask you about info in everything that concerns the emboliazation , doctors , hospitals , prizes , the types of embolazation and if there is any doctors in turkey who can perform it with out the coils

     thank you admin for making this forum and good luck to all of you

490. hi
     mister @zgr i live in turkey too can you help me with information like doctors names and prizes and the best hospitals ; the turkish language is not my native language and i am new here and i have kind of difficulty

     best of luck to all of you

491. Admin
     Would it possible to share the name of the doctor contact number for coil
     Removal in Paris and Were they able to remove via laproscopic or were the veins cut out
     Thanks

492. The nutcracker effect should only have an effect on the testicular vein because it is attached to the compressed renal vein. I don’t see how it would have any effect on collaterals that are not attached to the renal vein.

     I also suspect that my varicocele was caused by the nutcracker syndrome due to abdominal pressure and it might very well have had effected the horrible symtoms of the embolization, so when the testicular vein was removed my symtoms decreased significantly as well as the varicocele that technically resolved.

     Up to this day I still have some lowgrade pain/sensation at the spot where the coils were located and some swelling in the cord but without reflux. Also some fluid around the left testicle which increased in size. Interestingly the swelling in the cord decreases after prolonged standing/walking. The expert urologist who had arranged my coil removal thinks it is neuropathia. It does seem that way but I’m not entirely sure. It basically feels like a strain in the psoas muscle which could either be caused by an irritated genitofemoral nerve or the other way around. I’m thinking that deep tissue massage might resolve it but first I want other causes ruled out, so I’m going for a second opinion.

     Also interesting to note, to my suprise oral niacinamide (2x 250mg a day) notably decreased what was left of the swelling in the cord up the point it has fairly normal diameter. I’m also taking a supplement named biorutin as a preventative of varicocele development as well as implementing many other things beneficial for health.

     The only positive result of the varicocele and embolization is that it has caused me to focus on improving my health more than ever before. The coil removal surgery has fortunately meant a great deal for me.

493. John
     thanks for the informative post
     good luck in recovery
     keep us updated
     ave

494. Hello Zgr: Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I still have bad flare-ups in the left testicle which are very painful. I have determined now that they happen after sex. I take a strong nsaid for the pain called toridol and 10mg prednisone for 2 days and that clears it up.
     Glues and sclerosants are different types of agents to seal the gonadal veins and collaterals. The glues really are embolic agents because they physically seal the veins like coils but without the problems of coils. I was going to have an IR use glues but he never did a right side varicocele so I went instead with another IR who uses sclerosants. These are not embolic agents because they do not physically block the veins. Rather they are chemicals that destroy the vein by destroying the walls of the vein blood vessels. My IR used the sclerosant you mentioned. He said he was certain that none of the chemical got past the inguinal canal into the testes which could cause thrombosis but I think some did though I had no pain during the procedure or right afterwards.
     He had never done the procedure without coils before me but he is willing to try again but first wants me to see a urologist friend of his to check for epiditimytis from his procedure. Here in Canada everything moves very slowly and all these appointments take months to happen. Meanwhile my wife is not happy with me!
     My scrotal ultrasound showed blood clots in my left testicle and a big varicocele. My IR admits he caused it from the procedure. I think it is because he did not use a tilt table. From what I have read that is very important. Still I would try again with him as long as no coils.
     Have you contacted Dr. Jose Urbano at the University Hospital in Madrid Spain? His email is : jurbano@fjd.es. He is one of the best IRs for this procedure w/o coils. I can also get you another contact in Italy and Germany if you wish? Alsi in Israel there is Dr. Gat who pioneered this procedure. I believe most use sclerosant agents but will also use glues. Glues are very expensive while sclerosants are cheap.
     Good luck and let us know what you are doing.
     John

495. M – yep I’ve uncovered the same too. It’s because the blood has nowhere to drain once you take the testicular vein away. Embolisation should not be performed if nutcracker is present. Why the IRs don’t test for it when they are in there is beyond me and pretty much negligent.

     Michael who had coils removed but unfortunately didn’t inprove, if you are still on the forum it might be worthwhile checking to see if this could be a factor in your case. We’d also love an update. I hope you’re doing well and have gradually gotten back to your normal self.

496. I had the same question about nutcracker and May Thurner…. compressions could be the reason for the initial vein issues…. has anyone had that looked at? It seems anyone who has Nutcracker syndrome or may thurner get so much worse after embolisms..

497. Hey guys. Quick question, has anyone been tested for nutcracker syndrome or may thurner syndrome?

498. Dan, sorry to hear about the teste pain. Sounds terrible. I hope it fully resolves. Has it improved at all over the 3 weeks?

     Do you know how the surgery was performed – did they remove the vein entirely or pull the coils out? I’ve heard of men getting teste pain post palomo varicocelectomy. This is caused due to the artery being injured / cut. It typically resolves within a month. Do you know if the artery was injured or cut at all during your procedure?

     The other thing that may cause pain is the veins thrombosing / shriveling and receding into the testicle itself. The thrombosed veins are hard scar tissue so can hit nerves in the sack. It’s obviously a sensitive spot. If thats the case you may see / feel hard veins / lumps in the down there which could explain it.

     How are your other symptoms? Have they improved at all? I’m currently weighing up the risks vs. benefits of removal myself.

     All the best on the recovery.

499. sorry to hear about your pain, bon courage. keep us updated

500. It’s Dan from Toronto again.
     I’m 3 weeks post-op and having some complications, I have crippling pain in my testicles that started a week after surgery. My adbomen is feeling pretty good and the surgery went well: my coils were located in the gonadal vein down my abdomen and into the inguinal canal.

     Will keep you posted….the testicle pain is just terrible

501. Guys – interested to know how many on here have had coils inserted with fibers included? The fibers are typically made from similar materials to what is used in the essure device that has been giving women so much grief. These women tend to blame the fibers as the primary cause of their ongoing inflammation that triggers ongoing immune responses.

     Curious of those that have had them removed if their coils also contained fibers? If you were able to keep the coils after removal are the fibers still visible? I know that cook nester coil has fibers on it per the cook website. This seems to be a popular choice for radiologists.

502. Thanks for sharing John. I hope you get well soon. Since your right varicocele dissappeared, I guess the problem on the left side is due to your doctor’s lack of experience with glue technique. I live in Turkey, I found a good IR online and comments on him were very positive, however I haven’t talked him yet, so I’m not sure that he does the surgery without coils. On his webpage, he talks about sandwich method which coils involves. So, if he does the surgery with coils, I guess I will go with fhe varicocelectomy for second time. But I believe microsurgery is not the best option for me since the veins in my case cannot be detected with hand check. I believe embolization is better technique for my case. But it is hard for me to find a great doctor in Europe. I did my research but could not find a name who uses only glues. Just find a video on youtube, i guess a spanish doctor was doing the operation with glues ( btw he was using a mixture of glubran and lipiodol). What was your sclerosant agent? Maybe the different agent caused inflammation. And one last question, do you consider to get another embolization for your left side with glues again?

     Thank you,
     Best wishes

503. ahmed,
     1) my entire post surgery is documented in the “coil removal and recovery” tab… no didnt lose a testicle 🙂
     2) yes i think it was 600€ for the anesthesia and 1200€ for the operation (my insurance then covered it, but this would theoretically be the cost for a non citizen). but i do not know if this was a special price for me. plus about 150€ to stay at the clinic for the night.
     best

504. Hello admin

     I am Ahmed and this is my second time to post here. I want to get my coils removed and I want to ask you two questions:
     1- did you lose any of your testicles after the surgery?
     2- you said that it would cost about 2000€ if performed in Paris, is this price free of any insurance specially for non citizens?

     Thanks alot

505. John
     Thanks for the informative post about your embolization experience without coils.
     keep us posted, best
     ave

506. Hello Zgr – thanks for remembering – I’ve been waiting to get more data before writing. One thing – where do you live? If in Europe there are many places to get your embolization without coils.
     I did have my bilateral varicocele embolization without coils the end of Nov. The IR had never done it w/o coils but tried what I asked. He just used a sclerosant and used pressure above the groin region to keep the sclerosant from entering the groin and causing phlebitis.
     The procedure itself was very easy and pain free. It did fix my right varicocele ok but not my left one. I still have a lot of pain there and inflammation. My IR told me to wait 3 months before another scrotal u/s with color Doppler. This is very important and is the only way to see what is really going on in there.
     Anyway, I had the u/s last week and it did show a big varicocele on the left side and several clots (thrombus) which is causing me a lot of problems. They were not there before the procedure. My IR blames me because I would not let him use coils!!
     He says he can fix it but wants to use coils this time which I refuse to do. He is not sure if the varicocele is from the old gonadal vein that did not seal fully or from new collaterals that opened up over the past few months.
     So that is where I am right now. This IR did not use a tilt table whichI think is important since it shows how well the sclerosant has worked. I asked him about that and he got mad at me. I am not sure where it will end. He is a nice man. I live near Toronto and he was the only IR I could find in Canada/US who would do it w/o coils.
     Good luck to you. DO NOT EVER let the doctor talk you into coils – EVER!!
     John

507. Hello guys, I have bilateral varicocele grade I. My sperm counts are great but my T levels are low. I think varicocele decreases the T levels by heating the testicles. Since I have bilateral varicocele, both my testicles having hard time in terms of Testosterone production. I had varicocelectomy 3 years ago but it was unsuccesful. Because urologist thought it was unilateral. However, lately it is found that it was unilateral and it was found through doppler. I think it is impossible to find it by hand. However, i feel it. So, it is hard to treat it with varicocelectomy. The only way reamins is embolization for me. But I do not want coils in my body obviously.

     So John, if you are still reading this forum, can you inform us about your last state with only glue embolization. I guess it’s been over 4 months since you got the operation. I am curious how it is going. Do you have any side effects or pain during day, or while exercising? Thank you everyone. I hope each of us get well soon

508. Ben – let us know how you get on. I got mine in October last year and have had nothing but trouble since. I was told one small coil, lowest risk option etc etc. I got ten and have had nothing but health issues since. It’s truly a nightmare that just won’t go away. I’m not interested in legal action but am interested in getting better and im looking into removal. I’ve done endless hours of research post embolisation about removal. The only person I’ve found in the UK who had done it before is Hugh Gilbert. Maybe start there for removal and let us know how you go. Also reach out to the people at MELISA. They have a lot of info and may be able to put you in touch with some leads for removal.

     I think 6 months of pain is an adequate amount of time to wait to see if things will ever get better. Personally i just want this shit out of me now.

     How far do your coils stretch and do you know the make?

509. Yeah I did sign a document prior to surgery, I will have to find that otherwise I’m sure my doctor will have a copy on his system.

510. you must certainly have signed some kind of document before the surgery… ?

511. Thankyou for such a quick response and offering to support me. I went to my doctor yesterday and he’s written a letter to the surgeon about potential removal and as to whether I have well known side effects. I told him about this website and that despite the so called ‘low risk’ nature of the operation there are many people who have sufferered as a result of it and many with very similar symptoms to my own. I have no idea how I would go about suing the surgeon as there is no proof on paper of him telling me it was low risk etc. Annoyingly I raised my concerns before hand and was assured there was minimal risk of side effects.

512. it’s simple in my opinion for such a recent operation: you should sue the surgeon. if successful, coil removal can be paid with by insurance afterwards, i would assume. at any rate, without insurance, removal here in paris would cost you about 1500-2000€ without insurance.

     i would be more than happy to provide all the support and references of this site for a court case. i would sue my own surgeon but it happened to long ago.
     the insanity of performing these operations must stop. it’s absolutely totally crazy that they are still being performed under a “riskless” pretense

513. Hi guys,

     I got embolisation in October of 2017 and was assured by my surgeon that it was a very successful procedure with a speedy recovery time, which was essential as I had it during term time at uni. The operation was a success as far as the surgeon was concerned and I noticed a significant reduction in the varicocele. The thing is ever since the operation but even more so in the past couple of months I’ve had quite bad pain on my left side under my ribs/lower back. It hurts to turn over in bed and simple things like picking up the washing basket end up being awkward as I’m almost wincing to minimise the pain. I enjoy working out and was told it would have no impact on this but I find with many exercises at the gym I get a pain underneath my ribs. I had the operation at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield UK through the NHS. I don’t know how to go ahead with resolving this and I don’t know how much it would cost to get the coil removed as private surgery is surely very expensive? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated as it’s really getting me down at the moment.

     Thanks in advance,

     Ben

514. April 9th, will be eight months since I have had my coils removed. I am feeling well. The best part of having my coils out has been the return to feeling myself, mentally. The mental fog produced by the coils being in my body is and has been hard for me to put into words. When the coils were in my body, it was like the rhythm or normalcy of time and life seemed different. Occasionally, when my coils were in, there was a feeling of being a spectator to my own life. It seemed like I had less control over how I could react and I constantly tried to limit extra stimulus, especially possible stressful stimulus. I do not know if it was the constant radiating pain and the distraction and consumption of my thoughts that caused the weird mental issues. I did notice my breathing changed once my coils were out and that there were some issues on my left side with breathing deeply. Maybe that might have been limiting my oxygen, giving my some anxiety and other mental issues. Maybe is was nerve or communication issues caused by the tungsten or metal? All I know is that, mentally, I feel almost completely healed. It has been a slow, progressive, eight-month long miracle, but if I felt the way I do now the week after surgery I would definitely say it was a miracle.

     Physically, I am still improving. I haven’t ever figured out if my coils caused all of my weird rib intercostal issues or if it was the fall that I had two months after I had the embolization but, I am finally returning to an almost pre-embolization pre-fall condition. If my rib intercostal issues were not caused by the coils I feel like my recovery from the fall was greatly hindered by the coils presence in my body.

     A couple of things I never mentioned about physical changes in my body were armpit skin discoloration and frothy urine. When my coils were in my body my armpits changed to an almost oompa loompa orange. They were like that until about four and a half months after my removal. Now they have returned to a normal skin color. Also, during the time I had my coils in, I would have extremely abnormal frothy or foamy urine. That has died down a little but I still think it is different than I used to be prior to embolization. I do not know if anybody else experienced any of these things, they didn’t seem important at the time but I feel it is more proof to me my body was fighting something.

     My heart goes out to all of you who are still fighting with the effects of having something in your body that is harming you when it was supposed to do the opposite. I have said prayers for you and I hope that doors will open for you all to be believed by medical professionals and that they will try to make a way to have your coils removed. I feel like this site was a blessing to me by adding credibility to my conversations with my doctors.

515. i havent had the alcohol sensitivity in years. probably related to unbalanced colon bacterial flora or autoimmune reaction. i reduced dairy and wheat, and haven’t had too many problems since. as mentioned, the coil removal freed up my colon, so also my digestion has been much better since. i’m not too strict with the diet these days
     best of luck

516. Quick question for the admin. In your long story you mentioned you felt bad for days after drinking alcohol. Did that improve at all on removal? I’ve also developed an alcohol intolerance. Anyone else experienced this and any ideas why it may occur?

517. Pascal Roche 06 14 93 54 8 last number is two
     he’s the best

518. Admin, could you tell me the name of the good osteopath you found in Paris? many thanks,

519. Thanks Howard, we are lucky reading this forum before the procedure. I will contact the doctor you told me in the future, very usefull information.

     Regards

520. Hi Dan from Toronto. Any update on your removal? I hope all has gone well.

521. Hello JUAN: Congratulations on cancelling your coil procedure. I also cancelled mine after reading this forum the night before I was scheduled for the procedure. We won the “coil-free” lottery thanks to the admin.
     There is an interventional radiologist in Madrid who performs the procedure without coils. I have his papers. His name is: Dr. Jose Urbano at University Hospital. His email is: jurbano@fjd.es . This information is from 2015 so hopefully it is up to date. Good luck. Howard (Toronto)

522. Hi,

     I had an embolisation in my ovarian veins not in the femoral arteries. It’s a typo.

523. Hi,

     I have pelvic congestion since my second childbirth in 2006 (Pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, spottings…).

     I had a laparoscopy that showed I had many varicoceles on my uterus and adhesions on my left ovary.

     2 years later in 2008 I had an embolization. All my symptoms vanished but 6 months later they came back.

     I heard sometimes a second embolisation is needed but I wanted to wait.

     In the meantime I tried to find a natural remedy to stop the bleeding and pain and I found the borage oil.

     I have been taking borage oil capsules for years, 1000 mg daily it worked great! No more bleeding and pain! This year I cut down to 500 mg but sometimes the pain and bleeding come back I’ll take again 1000 mg daily.

     Also I still have heavy legs despite having a successuful sclerotherapy in 2015 which made me thought maybe the cause is the pelvic congestion.

     On Wednesday I had a second laparoscopy because of pain close to my left ovary. I thought I had again some adhesions. I was shocked when I heard many coils from the embolisation moved to my left Fallopian tube and to my left ovary! They removed them.

     Never in internet they talked about the risk of embolisation they all say it’s safe. The famous Dr Crowe an embolisation specialist even said to one of his patient ‘The chance for the coil to move in the body is nil!!’ Really??!

     I had an hip X ray 2 years ago I saw most of the coils were not anymore in my femoral arteries, they did move!

     After my embolisation the surgeon said the coils can move to the lungs I would feel terrible pain and needed a surgery but this happens very rarely. Now I don’t believe it’s rare and all the comments prove it.

     I wanted to do my second embolisation but I won’t do it.

     Now I’m looking for an alternative to treat my pelvic congestion syndrome I don’t want an hysterectomy.

     Your blog is great people need to know the truth!

     Thanks,

524. Hi all,
     Back in 2016 I had a varicocele embolisation done in France, here is a comment from the radiologist during procedure, can someone help me with a translation?… I really appreciate that, and I will get coils removed soon.
     Indication:
     Varicocèle gauche grade III, douleurs scrotales gauches.
     Antécédents de cure chirurgicale de hernie Inguinale gauche.

     Technique et résultat:
     Examen réalisé par voie femorale droite.
     Montée d’une sonde pré formée 4F.

     Cathétérisme de la veine rénale.
     Pacification d’une petite veine spermatique accessoire de très fin calibré.
     L’opacification permet d’opacifier la veine spermatique incontinence dont la naissance
     se fait au niveau du hile rénale, suivie de multiples boucles veineuses.
     Le Cathétérisme par cette voie est impossible.
     On réussit à passer un cathéter coaxial par la branche initialement cathétérisée, elle pourra
     rejoindre le tronc commun de la veine spermatique.
     Embolisation du segment inguinal, cœliaque et lombaire en amont de toutes les collatérales.
     Embolisation avec 3 coils NESTER 35-14-8 3 coils Boston Interlock de 12 mm de diamètre.
     Sclérosant entre les coils.
     Le contrôle morphologique est satisfaisant montrant l’absence de progression du constraste
     au-delà du Coil proximal.

525. Hi, thanks for the quick answer. I have decided not to go forward with the embolization. I will try to live with my varicocele and if it cause me fertility problems i will look for traditional surgery, i think its the better way.

     In the social security (Free health system in Spain) didn’t offer me other way, only the embolizations with coils. I supose is quicker, cheaper and less risky for them. Who cares about the patient?

     Thanks to your website I have decided to cancel my embolization surgery. Thanks

526. hi juan. it seems like a bad idea to go forward with the embolizations if they use coils. ie there is no way i’d ever do it, i would cancel immediately. hard to say for liquid embolization, no experience with that. search this page’s posts for the term “liquid” ; there is a decent amount of information
     best of luck, keep us posted

527. Hello everyone,

     i have a embolization programmed to this thursday in Madrid. They confirm will use coils. Im 34 y.o and im just married. I dont want to have chronical pain just for trying to fix this. Im nervous reading all in this website. Please tell me if the embolization with liquids is better and i can avoid the low back pain. Thanks

528. Stuart,
     sounds like you are having a rough time. i’m sorry to hear that. so many things piled on top of each other, very difficult to digest/decipher. start at the bottom and work up. what is your diet? have you tried doing food sensitivity tests? get your diet right. Then, you need to get your blood moving in a pro-active way. have you tried doing yoga? if not i suggest yoga iyengar, it can work magic. if it hurts, just do as much as you can. try 6 months, at least. if not yoga, Qi Gong. or similar. as for the coils—yes try to get them out if you can, they’re not helping you for sure. but it’s not going to be a miracle cure. my advice is start here, and see where it leads you. if you were not on medication, i would suggest doing a fast using buhner’s book on fasting as a guide. but MS medications would be dangerous to stop, it seems.
     good luck, keep us posted

529. I hope it is ok to ask this here… I had varicocele embolisation in May 2013 (and a ligation in 2014). Varicocele still remains plus many many many new symptoms since a few months post embolisation…

     Hi all,
     I would really appreciate if you could take a few minutes to read this. I’d be grateful for any advice / answers / support. I’m at the end of my tether and struggling to see how I can get out of this.

     I am hoping you can help me in judging if there is any help in here. I would be grateful for your thoughts.

     I’m 28 years old and have been living with chronic pain and many other symptoms gradually increasing since November 2013. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 13 years ago when I was around 15 years old. In terms of symptoms NONE of my new symptoms I have experienced since the end of 2013 were ever previously experienced.

     Also, I have had no progression in my MS on any MRI scans since around nine years ago (roughly 2009/2010 since my last new lesion). So my catalogue of new symptoms it would appear to me (and my neurologist) are NOT MS related.
     Since November 2013 I have experienced many new symptoms (FULL SYMPTOMS AT BOTTOM OF POST). Symptoms continue to increase.

     In that time I have been sent for various investigations including nerve-conduction studies, rheumatologists, CT scans, urologists, breathing tests, endocrinologists, deep-veins scans, podiatrists, skin biopsy, vascular surgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists, MRI scans, psychologists, MS nurses, GPs, dermatologists, ECGs, neurological physiotherapists, muscle biopsies, oral maxillofacial surgeons, X-rays, cognitive function tests, cardiologists, ultra-sound scans, orthopaedic physiotherapists, cystoscopy, rehabilitation medicine doctors, exercise stress tests and two separate bouts of surgery (for a varicocele) – both with complications during their aftermaths

     NB. I also wonder if the insertion of metal coils for a varicocele embolization in May 2013 – soon before health decline could have been a ‘trigger’. I’m unsure of the components of the coil (it was done on the NHS) – I seem to recall platinum? But I’m not sure.

     Summary of the findings from the above investigations :
     Mental health wise recently diagnosed with :
     – “Personality Disorder unspecified (moderate with anxious, borderline, anankastic and paranoid components)”
     – “Somatisation Disorder”
     – “Social phobia”
     – “Reaction to severe stress, unspecified.”
     – “Recurrent Depressive Disorder”

     Physical health, diagnosed with :
     – Herniated disc (L5/S1) and disc bulge in rest of lumbar spine
     – “Small hemi-pelvis” (one side smaller than the other
     – Rotated / twisted sacrum
     – In addition to this, Walking feels uncomfortable – in addition to sciatic pain / dead / heavy legs also feel not steady / rotated / squint. – one of my worse symptoms – stopped me from exercise, etc
     – Raised CK levels in blood (sign of muscle damage)
     – “Tight urinary sphincter”
     – Varicocele
     – Flat feet
     – Very low testosterone (continuously)
     – Skin biopsy – “chronic inflammation and early dermal scarring”
     – Varicose veins – legs
     – MS (as mentioned above but no progression for many years)
     – TMJ tightness
     – Muscle biopsy
     – Varicocele (stll)

     My muscle biopsy, showed an “increase in internal nuclei…in approximately half of the fibres of the muscle biopsy sample”. So my neurologist told me : “In view of your previous history and the findings of your previous muscle biopsy of internal nucleation, the Pathologist has raised the possibility of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy or myotonic muscular dystrophy.”

     I was sent to Genetics and asked to collect family history of muscle disease (of which there isn’t any in my family). She told me she didn’t think I had either of the muscular dystrophies but took a blood test and asked me to provide a detailed symptom list (below). Basically, it appears nothing will be found and if that is the case I don’t know what to do next.

     I have been prescribed various medication but the only medication I now take ’Tysabri’ (an immunosuppressant – since March 2010) and Vitamin D.

     My most frustrating / difficult / confusing debilitating symptoms :
     – feeling ‘ill’ / unwell / feeling like a recurring virus etc
     – Pelvic floor pain / groin / testicular pain
     – Muscle pain whole body flu like muscle pain
     – Hot
     – Hot heavy tired weak legs calfs in particular
     – Headache
     – Can’t sleep
     – Flu symptoms – feel like I’m going to feint. can feel so ill it feels like I’m dying (I know that sounds extreme)
     – Itch
     – Nausea
     – Sciatica
     – Deep internal pain – source hard to pinpoint
     – Restless legs
     (Full symptoms below)
     To be honest, I can’t live like this and I just need a bit of hope. However, I would appreciate your honestly. Is there anything

     Anyone can advise? Are the coils, in your opinion a factor in my health decline? Or Tysbari (the dmd)

     Sorry if this is not appropriate,
     Thanks
     Stuart
     (admin: sorry stuart i appreviated the full symptoms list … it was very long.)

530. After many years of pain, most recently getting to the point where I’m buying a TENs unit on Amazon, a sit/stand desk and sleeping upright in a recliner…. I went to a walk-in orthopedic unit. After seeing the xrays, the PA couldn’t believe someone left a wire in me. It was 17 years ago. Yes, I have 2 additional beautiful children from the procedure. However a CT scan relieved “endovascular coils extending beyond the inguinal ligament and into the spermatic cord. Coils extending beyond the inguinal ligament can be a source of pain, clinical correlation requested.” A surgeon is supposed to call me. This just has to happen to a good lawyer and his interventional radiologist brother for us to have a nice class action lawsuit. Then, this will make those “Did you have a mesh implant?” TV commercials seem like child’s play.

531. hi tanak
     yes the gas pain subsides gradually, disappearing completely after 4-7 days i’d say

532. JAMES – I am very sorry to hear about your issues. Since you live in Toronto there is a doctor at the Princess Margaret Hospital named Dr. Finelli who removes coils from these embolizations. It is covered by OHIP. Maybe you should call him. His assistant “Delicio” is a wonderful lady and will help you. Good luck. Howard

533. Hi admin,
     I would like to know you still have Gas pain after
     Varicocèle coil removal, please let me know if the gas pain are gone away completely from body, because I want to have a coil removal too.

     Thank You

534. In a fertility workup i was told i had a varicocele and my sperm quality rather poor. I was unaware of it and symptomless. I was told there was a simple solution (embolization) that could fix it and possibly have a positive effect on fertility. Since IVF is harder on the woman, I felt i should do what I could to avoid it if possible. I had the embolization and started experirncing pain and discomfort. Initially I had attacks of very sharp pain, but they have become rare. However i have constant discomfort when sitting, ad if my trousers are too tight. It is especially unpleasant when driving and causes condiderable stress. I used to be fully dressed at home most of the time and now the first thing i do when i am home is get rid of my trousers and briefs. We needed IVF anyway. I went back to the dr twice but it was obvious he had nothing to offer me. Recently had a scan with as incidental finding that there is metal in my left kidney “probably related to previous surgery” so it seems a coil moved up all the way to the kidney. I definitely wouldn’t have gone for the embolisation but hesitate about what to do now (i e stay away from doctors as much as i can or seek advice on coil removal etc)

535. sorry to hear about your story james.
     good luck keep us posted

536. My health has deteriorated considerably since my embolization years ago. Pain in my hip/groin after exercise, and when the air pressure changes is the primary issue. Shortly after the surgery I brought up the pain to my doctor but he insisted that it was a pulled muscle. Well, as long as I exercise beyond an easy walk, I have a pulled muscle. I have had to drop from several sports leagues. I have since told many doctors about the pain, and none of them have been willing to accept the possibility that the embolism is to blame. When I asked my doctor if the coils could be removed, he said no. Prior to surgery, I had no pain, my concern was only superficial. I had no idea of the risks. The visual appearance never changed, I only gained problems. I am angry to have been led to surgery when I had no real issue.

     Since the surgery, I have developed a rash throughout my upper body, but most concentrated in my groin area. Heat in the groin on the left side has also become an issue. I’ve developed food sensitivities that have taken me years to understand. I have gout now, and I notice that the pain in my hip/groin coincides with the gout, which leads me to wonder if the former isn’t the cause of, or contributing to the latter. Finally, I am now very susceptible to lung infections, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s not related to the auto-immune response.

     It’s a real shame that it’s taken me long to find this website. However, now that I have, I will use its resources to try to fix the situation. Previously, I had no real support or corroborating evidence. Much thanks to this site’s creator!

     James, Toronto Canada

537. Hi everyone,
     My name is Tanak, and I live in Seattle, back in April, 2016 I underwent a varicocele embolization on my left testicle, they put in 6 coils. I did research or Google about embolisation I only saw good reviews on embolisation that time, so I picked this option. in December 2017 I felt my varicocele returned and I felt a lot of pain in my groin, my testicle is hypersensitive to touch, and lower back pain.
     ‎I went to see my urologist, and he told me to repeat the second varicocele embolization, but I have not decided yet, after reading this blog that makes me scared about embolization, I think I will remove all coils as soon as possible, but right I have to wait due to I had a Rezume Procedure 2 weeks ago, I wonder if it is safe to remove coils without causing any problem in the future.

538. Dan, i think i speak for everyone when i say good luck with the removal. I hope it goes well for you and your issues clear as a result.

     May i ask where your coils are located? Do they run the length of the gonadal vein like mine or are the situated only in the inguinal canal? Also do you know if they used a sclerosant?

539. Hi all, it’s Dan from Toronto again. I just booked my surgery date for mid-March to remove the coils via laparoscopy. The consensus amongst 5 urologists and 3 radiologists is that the coils are the source of my misery so let’s cut them out. For now, we’re starting with the left side because all my pain is on the left and we’ll see how it goes.

     The doctor is Jason Lee who works with Tony Finelli at TGH. He is an expert in robotics and laparoscopy,much better than an open surgery.

     Looking forward to hopefully getting some relief!

540. Sai, i have no idea what that is. please send more information

541. Hi Admin and everyone else on here. I’ve just had a message left me from someone who read my story re ovarian embolisation coils. Thought I’d give an update and give thanks to admin for giving us all a voice. One of the worst things about this whole experience (and I’m 14 years in) is not being believed, listened to. I’ve been made to feel I’m ignorant and neurotic. I’m neither. I tried a few years ago to have the coils removed. I went back to the original surgeon after refusing to go ahead with the vein stripping. The embolisation coils were put in prior to this. I said I was in pain and felt my body was trying to push out or reject the coils. I was told this wasn’t possible as platinum was inert. I contacted Balt in France who told me the coils were platinum titanium and other trace metals. My melisa test showed high tungsten and nickel. I wanted them removed. The original doctor said he could assist his friend a gynaecologist. I was desperate. As it happened he didn’t assist even though it had taken a lot of organising to get the two to be free to do surgery. There was definitely a cover up going on. Apparently he went it and tried to remove the first coil which fell apart and showed clear degeneration. Anyone who researches this as I did post op would know that tungsten migrates and degenerates. See pubmed papers. It basically fell apart. I have pictures of my pelvis and the coils in situ if anyone is interested. 😔the post operative conversation with this doctor was very unkind. He told me to stop fussing and get on with my life basically. Incredible eh. God forbid he has to endure this in any future lifetime but you know what they say about karma! I still persisted as I have endured incredible pain of every type particularly neurological. It has also made me study alternative methods. I now use herbs ( herbactive Alan Hopking is a wonderful kind medical herbalist) Dr Wendy Denning in Harley St for melisa and other testing to get a clearer picture on what is happening to the body. If you are willing to put scepticism aside read Anthony Williams The medical medium. Reading his book on medical mysteries made me weep because I felt someone was describing me. Metal allergy is behind so much suffering. I have developed my own strategies for pain relief and to remain a positive force in the world. Use Physiokey for natural pain relief. Eat a clean diet. Unfortunately this metal toxicity means you are less able to tolerate any further toxicity. I do understand when those of you describe a change of personality due to the metal. Energetically that metal has a consciousness that is not you. Do not believe it. This may sound woo woo but some of you have been describing it. If anyone out there would like to talk further I’d love to be in contact. I’m happy for my email to be given admin. I’d also like to be in contact with Sheri S as I’d love to be involved with any website Re ovarian coils. I tried to set up a Facebook group but it didn’t take off. Also I’d be interested in any group legal action. It’s time doctors took full responsibility for what they do. I was reading about the lady Teresa a young mum who is attempting to fundraiser money to have a reversal. She’s not able to look after her family. So much for First do no Harm. The Hippocratic oath. My prayers are with everyone here suffering and my thanks to admin. God bless

542. Gatgorean varicocele embolisation is available in india

543. Imre – you are on the right track. I made the mistake of getting talked into surgery before fully exploring natural treatments. I would explore this in depth before electing for any surgical intervention. Perhaps speak to a naturopath for information on diet and explore yoga and accupuncture as alternatives.

     Ryan – i totally agree with the admin. You have been through hell already. Do you want to risk it again. I had coils and sclerosant used. Whilst I’ve had a similar negative response to the coils in terms of pain i have also experienced other side effects that would to me appear more related to the procedure of occluding a major vein. These are more circulation related but are just as horrible as the pain. Also note that in my discussions with manufacturers of sclerosant material it was noted to me that sclerosant is not officially approved for use in the gonadal vein. Only for treatment of spider veins in the legs. This does not mean that it is unsafe; rather they have not paid to get official approval as yet and medical practitioners have made a call on the efficacy its use. There is a theoretical risk of this stuff escaping the vein and damaging surrounding tissue and unlike spider veins in the legs there is a lot of important stuff around the gonadal vein.

     Get yourself tested first. There is an ability to father children with one nut. There is also always IVF.

544. Ryan, be careful of intellectualizing… sometimes we simply don’t understand why the body reacts the way it does. I am speaking from experience. I got the embolization in the first place because of this kind of thinking… i should have just accepted my body the way it was.
     yes, i kept my coils after the removal surgery.
     best of luck, keep us posted

545. Hi Imre, glad this site helped. sorry, as mentioned in the text in the upper part of this page, i cannot suggest varicocele natural treatments. Logically, it does not seem that supplements or vitamins would help, because it is a physical problem. It makes more sense that yoga positions may help, as you are treating physically your body. notably inverse positions. but it’s just a hunch. no idea if it would work.
     best
     ave

546. Hi all,

     I’m Imre from Hungary. As most of you here I also have a left-sided varicocele. I have just found this website and am very thankful for creating this. Good job! 🙂

     I am actually booked in for the embolization that is due to happen in January. Having read the previous post I have definitely changed my mind about having those coils inserted.

     Just like to ask a question, and I am sorry if this has already been mentioned, has anyone heard of natural treatment ways? Found some vidoes trying to convience to get some horse chestnut extract, rutin and other herbal ingredient. Has anyone tried these? Any advise please?

     Best,

547. Dear Admin:
     I found this site because I was (still am) considering varicocele embolization. However, I do greatly appreciate the insights I’ve gained from this site. If I undergo an embolization, it will have to the radiologist’s assurance that he will use scelrosant and/or glue only – no coils. Since your pain and a few other guys’ pain resolved with coil removal, and in at least one op-report on this site, the coil was located next to a small nerve (from the description of the location, the ilioinguinal nerve), I don’t see any problem with having embolization done, as long as no permanent implants are placed. By the way, did you or anyone else here ever try to convince a radiologist to retrieve the coils? After some further research, it appears radiologists can *usually* remove embolization coils with what they call an “endovascular snare technique”. I imagine it would be possible unless you had a “sandwich” embolization, where two coils are placed, and sclerosant is injected between them. Then it would probably be possible to access one of the coils, but the catheter could not travel down to get the other one because the vein below it and all collaterals leading to it would be closed down by sclerosant.
     I had a hernia repair on my right side done with a Bard Plug-and-Patch polypropylene mesh in 2011 and had chronic pain ever since. It hurt when I ejaculated, like a sharp stabbing. That dulled over the years, but I got stabbing pains when moving certain ways, and developed a limp on my right side along with abdominal pain, etc. I had two surgeries to remove the mesh, which isn’t an easy task, because it’s placed all around the spermatic cord and tends to generate an intense foreign-body reaction with lots of scar tissue formation. The pores in the mesh encourage fibrous tissue to grow into the mesh, incorporating spermatic cord and abdominal wall structures into the mesh, and few surgeons will remove it. I had the second surgery in October and am feeling much better, but the surgeon had to remove sections of all three inguinal nerves and section of my vas deferens (essentially performing a vasectomy) because it could not be separated from the mesh. He was able to save my testicle, fortunately. I get a little ache on my left from a very large varicocele. Furthermore, with a vasectomy on my right and a very large varicocele on my left, my fertility is probably close to nil, although I haven’t yet had that tested. This is why I’m thinking of having the embolization done soon. It’s easier than having a vasectomy reversal, and probably more effective, because a varicocele affects sperm production in both testicles.

548. ryan
     thanks for your post, you seem pretty knowledgeable.
     could you please tell us about your background and why you are interested in this site?
     Also, why can you recommend so heavily the doctor you mentioned (edited from your message)
     best,
     ave
     ps. i did feel like my removal surgeon was sloppy on various levels. but he did the job. i have no umbilical problems, as far as i know, and no incision issues

549. To Michael in Denver:
     Your radiologist actually confirmed that the coils have migrated into your PENIS?! That’s really bizarre (and horrifying)! If you actually have an x-ray showing this, you’ll have no problem convincing someone to remove them. It’s just a matter of finding somebody good.
     To Admin:
     This is an interesting site that I’m glad I came across. I sympathize with your pain because I had similar problems with hernia mesh, which took 2 surgeries to remove. Though I don’t want to minimize your suffering, I think the cause is much simpler than a lot of the discussion on this site is throwing around. Your surgeon found an adhesion to your colon. For this to have happened, the coil MUST have migrated (or simply stabbed its way through your vein, into your colon. If it was completely contained within the vein, there would be no injury to the colon to start a healing process that results in adhesion. Abdominal adhesions are well-recognized to cause pain and limit mobility. Furthermore, the placement of the coils in the inguinal area creates the possibility of a hard metal coil pressing against (or migrating or otherwise eroding into) the illoinguinal, illiohypogastric, or genitofemoral nerve. These are the same nerves which are easily injured during hernia repair, and the symptoms sound very much the same. Look up inguinal neuralgia for more info. The other symptoms develop as a reaction to being in constant pain, unable to be active, sleep deprivation due to pain, depression due to pain and the ensuing sense of futility, etc. Simple. Doesn’t feel simple when you’re going through it, but it’s basically just a chronic pain syndrome – and that will affect many aspects of your functioning.
     I’m glad you found a surgeon to remove the coils, and in doing so, he essentially solved the mystery of why you were in pain. However, I’m surprised at how sloppy his work looks. I had a lap surgery to remove a mesh plug, and my surgeon closed the fat in one layer (of dissolvable sutures), closed the deep skin layer with another layer of sutures, and then put a layer of glue on top to get the upper skin layer really well approximated. Your guy used just a few widely-spaced staples through the fat and skin. Immediately after surgery, the incisions don’t look adequately approximated. He removed the staples after 7 days which is fine if you have another layer or two of dissolving sutures left in there, but if only those staples were holding together such a thick slab of tissue, 7 days is too soon. The picture you took after the staples were removed clearly shows the middle incision near your navel gaping WIDE open! He should have seen that as soon as he took out the staples and re-stitched you. You don’t leave an open wound like that. The lump you are feeling there is a thick layer of scar tissue, where a full-thickness skin and subcutaneous tissue wound has been allowed to heal by secondary intention.
     Now, either he didn’t give you adequate post-op instructions or you’re a really bad patient! He cut through your abdominal muscles and opened your peritoneum to perform this surgery. You would have had sutures holding the various layers of muscle together, and doing strenuous activity and especially lifting anything over 30 pounds can put enough strain on those muscles that the stitches might break and the holes in your muscles re-open. You were WAY too active WAY too quick. You’re lucky you didn’t develop incisional hernias. Weirdly, and probably unrelated, your latest picture of your abdomen looks distinctly like you’ve developed an umbilical hernia. Unless that’s just a weird picture, but your belly button looks all messed up. You should get that checked out, especially if you’re still having abdominal pain. Have it fixed, but insist on either a non-mesh repair or a mesh repair with a fully resorbable mesh (like Phasix).

550. All – still dealing with that incessant mind numbing left flank pain though as with some other people on this forum ive been using ginseng root and flaxseed oil for about a month now. They have helped reduced the mood alterations as a result of pain.

     JH might be worth a try if you haven’t already.

     I hope everyone gets some rest over the Christmas period and enjoys some time with family and friends.

551. Pam and Jodie – i found this resource on removal of ovarian coils. Hopefully a lead for you. Best of luck.

     http://ages-asm-isge-15.m.yrd.currinda.com/schedule/session/760/abstract/1388

552. Hello Ave,
     I learned about the coil-free embolization of the gonadal veins by reading studies published by interventional radiologists in Spain, Italy and Germany. These studies collectively followed many hundreds of men who had the procedure and they all did very well over the years (only a handful had any issues or had to have the procedure redone). I can list the papers here if you wish. Most of the men had the procedure for fertility issues and in the vast majority of cases this problem went away.
     Also an Israeli team of fertility doctors do the same procedure without coils (Gat/Goren).
     Dr. Beecroft reviewed these studies and said he could do it too. The risk as you mention is that the sclerosant agent can enter the testicles and cause inflammation. This is avoided during the procedure by pressing down on the base of the gonadal vein just above the entrance to the testes – it is called the inguinal canal. The doctor waits 5 minutes which is all the time it takes for the sclerosant to destroy the gonadal vein and any collaterals and the it is gone.
     Dr. Beecroft was very careful to do this. But some of the IRs I spoke with were really scared to try it and tried to scare me off. But in the hundreds of cases in the European studies there was only one case where sclerosant entered the testes and it was treated with ibuprofen and resolved.
     The urologists also offer a procedure for bad varicoceles. It is a surgical procedure done under a general anesthetic where they just sever the base of the gonadal veins – like a vasectomy. It has a long recovery and is very painful.
     In my case all my one-way valves in both gonadal veins were defective even though my scrotal ultrasound did not look so bad. My left testicle is very heavy with blood and has the awful “bag of worms”. So far after 2 weeks there is no improvement but I am told that is usual.
     One thing about these coil doctors: they told me too that there is little evidence that coils cause a problem. But when I asked them all if they followed up over the years with their patients none of them admitted to doing it. From reading all the stories here it seems that often the problems do not appear right away but take time. By then the IRs can safely say that it was not their procedure but must be caused by something else going on. They told me that too, even my Dr. Beecroft who I adore. So the cause-effect link is broken by time so these doctors can claim there was no issue with the coils.
     Thanks again for all your help and to everyone here who took the time to share their stories. I hope it works out well for everyone. I will keep you posted.
     John

553. Thanks John for your post. keep us posted on your progress, as the important thing is how things go long term.
     I am open to the possibility that non coil embolization may be a viable option for those that absolutely need to treat their varicocele, but I need more data, studies, and stories like your own before i can be convinced.

     Incidentally, i crossed paths a couple weeks ago with a radiologist here in Paris that performs coil embolizations. I did not hesitate to tell him exactly what i think about the procedure, and i told him about this website. He had not heard about it. He politely listened but argued that the risks and the possible side effects were low probability. In his defense, he was well aware of certain side effects (coil migration, etc), but i dont think he completely realizes their true consequences. I wonder if he properly warns people before the procedure….
     we who suffer are a very small minority, he argued. How to be so sure?
     i don’t believe this, considering the feedback here. and even so the risks are so great that this operation should only be performed under extreme circumstances.

     More to the point, I asked him about non coil embolization procedures. He believes that they are dangerous because there is a risk that during the procedure the sclerosing agent can seep back into the testicles, which would be disastrous he said. despite starting this website, my grasp of the anatomy and technical nature of embolization procedures remains limited, so i dont know really how to evaluate this assessment.
     best,
     ave

554. I had my bilateral varicocele embolization 2 weeks ago WITHOUT the use of coils. It was performed by Dr. Robert Beecroft at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. The procedure was very easy and went well. After finding this forum by “accident” the night before I was scheduled for a coil VE I cancelled that procedure and spent 4 months trying to find a doctor who would do it without coils. All the doctors I spoke with said I was crazy and that coils were perfectly safe and there was never a problem. When they would almost break my resolve I just re-read this forum to get my courage back.
     Dr. Beecroft also wanted to do the procedure with coils as he said there is a reduced risk of the varicoceles reforming in the future but he was very respectful of my wishes.
     So thank you to everyone here and I wish you all the best in your recovery. To people finding this site by “accident” too, do NOT take this forum lightly – these men have been through a terrible ordeal that can be easily avoided if you just find the right doctor. Good luck to all and thank you.

555. Thanks for sharing Scott. I also drink coffee each day but will switch to nettle leaf and will share if this helps. As you have found, st Johns Wort also provides some relief for me. Kava tablets have also been effective.

556. Hello,

     It is now four months since I have had my coils removed. I am feeling almost back to how I felt pre-varicocele and embolization self. The biggest improvements since the removal of the coils have happened in the last month. I am coaching 7th grade boys basketball and am trying to run and condition with my players. I am also trying to do some construction work when I come home from teaching in the form of finishing out my basement. Both of these things I am able to do and not feel any of the weird inflammation or pay for the exertion the day after. My mental state (the most important thing to me) has also bounced back. I really felt abnormal, mentally, when the coils were inside me. I do not know if it is the constant distraction of the pain, weird sensations but I really did not feel myself and felt almost helpless when it came to controlling my responses to situations.

     As I look back at my experience, one thing that exacerbated my symptoms and I do not think I ever mentioned was coffee. I have drank coffee since I was a teenager, but when my coils were in, coffee added to my weird sensations, feelings of inflammation, anxiety, etc. I think it was a little of the caffeine and a little of something else because when I would have an occasional soda (coke) it would not effect me the way coffee did. In the last 4 months I have been able to have an occasional coffee but still find that it triggers some of the feelings that I felt when the coils were in. I do not know how to explain it but I thought I would share this because I never mentioned it and hope someone else might find cutting out coffee lessens some of the devastating effects of the coils like it did for me. Along with cutting out the coffee I found Nettle Leaf Tea (recommended by Ave) seemed to help and St. John’s Wort and Ashwaghanda supplements. I think about the stories on this page and feel happy for those that have had the coils removed and have had their symptoms improved. I also am glad that the stories shared on this page might help prevent others from going through unnecessary suffering by looking for alternatives to coil embolization. I pray for hope for those that are still suffering, I wish the industry would stop using materials that people have adverse reactions to. I wish the removal of the coils was simple and and readily available and that it worked to relieve the suffering of everyone that had the procedure in the first place.

557. hi nj
     no idea, sorry. it may even be unrelated, linked more to something else

558. Hi all

     I found out a bit more about my case. 5 different types of coils plus fibrovein (a sclerosant) were used. Coils stretch from the top of testes to the entrance of the renal vein across three distinct sections. Fibrovein, i imagine has been sandwiched in between.

     The coils at the top are the largest and this is the set i perceive as giving me the most trouble. I remember having an overseeing doctor come in half way through the procedure and instruct the performing radiologist to put these in to minimise the risk of migration. I wish she hadn’t, the middle section did not move.

     I have found a wonderful specialist who hasn’t ruled out anything. We didn’t specifically discuss removal though it was mentioned to take them out would be a very large operation as they stretch so far. Laparoscopic removal may not be an option.

     Edo – if you’re still checking the board i would be interested in more detail on your removal as it sounds as though you had a similar stretch of coils. Has anyone had coils removed where a sclerosant was also used?

     One piece of relevant info i did find out was the radiation dosage i was given from the fluoroscopy during insertion. Prior to the procedure i was told this would be very small. My dose was 15msv which is equivalent to a full body CT. Good to be aware of this as doses to the abdomen accumulate quickly.

     Last but not least the varicocele which had previously disappeared is now back in full swing. So not only is the procedure dangerous, for me it was a complete waste of time.

     People considering this procedure please heed the warnings and beware of the risks.

559. Hi Ave – thank you for the reply and update on your recovery. Happy to hear it’s continued to improve for you. I am searching for an understanding specialist to discuss the issue. If i have any luck or find out relevant info i’ll look to share with the group to the extent I’m not breaching anyone’s trust.

     A quick question, on your recovery. You mention the varicocele has continued to reappear and you can feel bloodflow coming back into the testis. Do you have any idea why this would happen so long after the offending vein had been embolised? Do you think there’s a chance the vein never fully died off and removing the coils allowed for bloodflow to reestablish? Or do you think removal may have allowed flow to alternative pathways? Hard to know but interested in what you think may be happening.

     I totally agree with you – I would take the varicocele symptoms over the embolisation symptoms any day!

     Thanks again

560. I suffered from left sided varicocele grade 4 and i was totally afraid to make the normal surgery due to bad experience happened to a friend of mine so I started searching till I found the varicocele embolism. Finally I found that all websites says that there is no risk from embolism at all. Unfortunately i took the decision and I did varicocele embolism in August 2016 and suffering started.
     B12 deffiecency, flank pain, hip and leg pain, sciatica nerve pain. I suffer to any kind of pain related to nerves. Iam living on B12 medications everyday. I asked my IR who performed my surgery about the sciatica nerve pain specially that it was the first thing I felt and of course he said it is not related to the surgery.
     Anyway after I found this website and I believe that these coils affect the chemistry of our bodies and i am not the only one suffering from such surgery. you really acknowledged me to start searching for coil removal.

     Thanks for the admin and thanks for everyone here who shared these info. I wish i found that before surgery

561. Hi NJ
     I’ve left an update on my coil recovery page : all well here.
     Note that I had my coil removal surgery 8 years after the coils went in–the veins were long since dead. I dont know what to expect from the removal of newly placed coils. it seems like the veins wouldn’t be quite dead yet ; a sclerosing agent may have to be used. At any rate, i would look into to getting the coils removed asap. I wouldnt wait around if i were you.
     best

562. Hi Admin – thank you very much for setting up such an open forum. It’s refreshing to see people publicly discussing health matters that may benefit others.

     I unfotunately had an embolisation done a couple of months ago. Similar to the stories here, it was completely undersold to me. ‘One or two tiny coils to regulate bloodflow, it’s done all the time and the only side effect could be some bruising at the entry point’. 2 hours in the chair and ten coils stretching across 30cm of my gonadal vein later the impact couldn’t be more of a contrast.

     Similar to the stories on here I’ve been experiencing a deep dull ache radiating from the coils, back ache, irritable bowel and a kind of reflux / heart burn in my lower left chest. I was fortunate enough to experience no health complications prior to the procedure and had not experienced any of these symptons previously. I am certain these are a direct result of the procedure.

     One question i do have for the group was if anyone had experienced reduced circulation post the embolisation? I have noticed my arms and legs go ‘dead’ quite quickly if pressure is put on them. I’ve read the collateral pathways may take time to establish themselves so this may be the case here though i would be interested to hear other’s experiences.

     I would also love to hear updates from those who have had the coils removed. My body has been telling my mind to ‘undo what you’ve done to me’ since having them put in. Did the vein open back up or had it completely died off? Anyone getting close to pre-embolisation levels or are those days now gone?

     Thanks again

563. I would love to chat and share information! I am working on a site for women who have had an Ovarian Vein Embolization which is essentially the same but in females as I am sure you know. I believe and have many doctors written statement that coils should NOT be put in ovarian and gonadal veins except in very rare situations. There are so many of us left in insane pain that need to combine our resources to get the word out. Tomorrow at the Vein Conference there is a session called “Grow your business with large volume coils! It is just more money! 🙁

564. Hi Michael
     This does not sound like coil migration, this sounds like Peyronie’s Disease. have you looked into that?
     good luck
     a

565. Hello everyone,
     I had the embolization done with the coils for left and right vericocele about 5 years ago.. I started having issues about six months ago, when I started noticing strange lumps in my penis.. I went to a radiologist who confirmed that 2 coils had moved from where they were originally placed to their new position down in my penis..(Originally had six coils implanted) Since then more coils have moved to different locations on the left and right side of my penis.. This is causing me all kinds of problems that I wont go into here… Has anyone ever heard of this??? I live in Denver, Colorado, and not sure what to do, I am looking for a surgeon who will remove these coils without causing further damage…

566. thanks so much for sharing scott
     and good to hear you are feeling better

     all the best of luck, keep us posted

567. It has been 3 months and two days since I have had my coils removed. I am so glad they were removed. Some days go by now with me not having any odd feelings or what I feel were side effects of the coils in my body. Occasionally, I still get a weird feeling on my left side like some nerves that are not communicating correctly or maybe there is still some leftover tissue that has not healed or became normal yet, I don’t know. The year and a half my coils were in my body were horrible. The coils’ constant radiating presence, their constant mental or nerve alterations, and the inflammation and tightness in my left mid-section were hellish. I was running out of hope with the coils in. I still have a little tightness in my left side occasionally, but I feel like I am improving continually. I am able to run and do physical activity without paying for it the next couple of days with increased inflammation on my left side. I just feel typical soreness from using a body that I have given up on for awhile. Mentally, I am handling personal and professional situations in a way where I feel like I am more in control instead of feeling like I am struggling to maintain control of my responses. I still have some rib issues and I have struggled with with their glitches being caused by my coils or their impairment being related to the fall I had three months after my coils were inserted. The rib issues have got better since the coils have been removed but I still feel out of alignment or like a rib is slipping or something. I am going to try some chiropractic or physical therapy now that my wounds are healed and I am being physically active again.

     I wish I could find a lawyer in the United States that thought there was a case for me. I have shopped my case around and asked my brother-in-law, who is a lawyer to shop my story to some of his lawyer colleagues. I had a half of an hour conversation with an attorney that basically said if everybody on this website that complained about side effects ended up with cancer and it was proven tungsten or other things contributed to that then I might have a case, but to go after Cook Medical or other manufactures would not be cost effective, especially now that I have had them removed (and feeling better) and did not suffer a loss of an appendage or did not lose my job because of the side effects or suffer other severe side effects. I feel like I did suffer a lot, I just fought through it. I just want the medical community to warn people about possible side effects, the fact that the coils are not pure platinum and that tungsten leaches into people’s bodies. That is the thing that burns me up the most is that I had a couple medical professionals tell me all of my symptoms that I felt after the coils were in were in my head or anxiety related.

     Good luck to any legal action against the pushers of the coils and I hope it makes changes in this type of procedure and the products used.

568. hi guys,

     we have approximatly the same pains with the same surgery.
     I have contacted a lawyer and for my case, she thinks it’s easy to win a lawsuit.
     I m started to consolidate all my documents for her and in two or three weeks, we will start a lawsuit.
     It’s just for the other patients and to make an example for bad radiologist and urologist. Doctors must tell to their patients that this kind of surgery can give pains in some cases.
     After i will ask to an other urologist to remove the coils. Probably Dr attignac or Dr Belley in Paris.

569. Coming up to the year anniversary of having the coils put in. My experience has certainly not been as unpleasant as others but nonetheless it’s still had an impact. Still waiting to have an X ray of the coil site as there is still, a year on, inflammation and discomfort in the exact spot where the coils were placed. Any physical exercise which involves twists results in discomfort the following day. I’ve worked extremely hard at improving my physical health and the stats show that I’m fitter and stronger than a year ago, but the ‘foreign body’ sensation still persists – like a cork stopper in a wine bottle, alongside the strange psychological strait jacket of not being able to ‘let go’ and not feeling ‘whole’.Will be trying acupuncture next, there’s definitely issues with overstimulation and warning signs being sent to the brain, subconsciously.

570. Hi
     i dont know of any sydney surgeons. my suggestion is to get appointments with handful of urological surgeons. maybe one of them will agree to take them out. show them this website. may be risky so close to the insertion date.
     take care, good luck

571. Hi i had this procedure done two days ago and nothing feels right. Now regretting it terribly. Incredibly high heat beat, no sleep. Does anyone know of a surgeon that removes these in sydney? I can feel them sitting there, it is so unnatural. Why would this surgery be recommended and sold as an easy and safe fix?

572. Been reading up on the comments. First, I want to thank everyone for their shared experiences. It’s great that there is such an informed community out here.

     My story: I’m a 21 year old college student with a varicocele on my left testicle. I had Laparoscopic surgery when I was 18 years old. I now look back at this procedure and wish I had never gone to the doctor in the first place. Prior to the procedure I never really felt any pain, or any symptoms of low testosterone, the main reason I had gone in was because my surgeon scared the shit out of me when he told me I could become infertile if I didn’t fix the varicocele. We did a series of sperm tests and I did in fact have below average production, so with fear in my heart, I agreed to go under and the the varicocele “fixed”. Four months after the procedure I went back to the same surgeon and complained about the recurrence of varicoceles I felt on my testicle. I was told not to worry, that this was typical and that they would never cause me any issues in terms of fertility/pain/testosterone production. He basically brushed me aside.

     Fast forward to today, and I now am experiencing testicular pain for the firsts time in my life. The varicocele has definitely grown in size, and it’s really become a mind-sore. I don’t want to go back to this same surgeon, I no longer trust him.

     I want to understand what my options are. The pain I feel is very mild, and seems to come and go depending on the day. I fear that if I ignore this and continue life that the varicocele may become larger and ultimately effect my health (low testosterone, infertility, more pain).

     From what I’ve read in the comments a chemical embolization might be a good option. Are there any large risks with this method? Are there any horror stories of this going wrong? What happens if I have recurrence after utilizing this method? Can you continue to have this procedure if recurrence is a problem?

     My biggest fear is that I go in for another procedure and end up screwing up my nuts even worse. Does anyone have any insight on this?

     Thanks everyone!

573. all the nerves pass through the waist area. if one of the coils has migrated and is touching a nerve, i believe it can cause referred pain up and down the body.
     side anecdote : in my own case, before i had the embolization, i had feet pain (so called “plantar fascitiis”) for five years that i couldn’t get rid of. i went to all kinds of specialists.. got inserts, etc, nothing helped. i could barely walk without pain. after five years of suffering someone told me “try yoga iyengar for six months”. i did this and after 3 months the pain was gone, after 6 i could run again. i learned that, actually, the problem wasn’t in me feet at all, it was in my hips. yoga opened up all the joints and nerves and got things back in place. then, disaster, i decided to get the embolization. because i didnt have the same flexibility after the embolization (stretching in certain ways caused shooting pains in different directions), some of the blockages that were present before came back (though not to the same extent, and i was able to manage them more or less.) so my suggestion : try deep tissue massage and yoga iyengar to see if that helps

574. Does anyone know if sciatica is related to varicocele embolozation? Since my operation i have barely been able to walk due to pain and the urologist says its not his problem now. What can I do?

575. Ross- Dr. Antonio Finelli at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto removes coils. I’ve used him as my urologist in the past. Here is his phone number: 416-946-2851. He has a wonderful office manager named “Delicio”. If you leave her a message with your details she will eventually get back to you as she is very swamped with patients. But she will call back and when you get her on the phone she is very helpful. Their office never answers emails. Good luck. John

576. Ross email often doesn’t work for these doctors. the best is to call and get an appointment and discuss directly with them. good luck, ave

577. Hi there, still trying to arrange an operatoin and date for removal. Can anyone give me the email address of a surgeon who may be able to book me in. Despite my efforts of contacting surgeons on the list. Noone ever responded. Anyone able to contact a good surgion on my behalf? Many thanks.

578. There have been several studies that compare the two methods and discuss some of the problems with coils. For example, the Gandini study mentions, ” Unlike procedures that employ coils, sclerotherapy does NOT involve the insertion of extraneous bodies. Also coils can be associated with early recurrence of varicocele because of endogenous lysis of the clot and later recurrence because of coil erosion”.
     Another study by Favard (2015) comments, ” One disadvantage of coils is that they are not as effective in the presence of collaterals which can lead to varicocele recurrence. Also, coils have been shown to lead to complications such as coil migration which may cause pulmonary embolism and other problems”.
     And still another study by Ali ( 2015) says, ” coils have been shown to lead to severe complications, including migration, corrosion, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism and later varicocele recurrence. ”
     These are all European studies and they cite more references.
     I asked all the IRs I spoke with about the procedure if they had followed up with their patients over time to see if they developed the types of problems discussed in this forum. Only one IR ( the one I am using ) admitted that there were some problems but he tried to downplay it by saying it was “rare”. The other IRs said the types of problems I was referring to were not caused by the coils! And then they got mad at me and glared – everyone save one. But I know the truth having digested all the posts here.
     I think the type of study you refer to would be met with the same resistance you had in trying to start this forum. We all just need to get the information out to as many men as possible and maybe we can gather our own “statistics” and publish our own study in an open access publication.
     Thanks again.

579. … i don’t have time to look into it further, but according to your post and the study, embolization via sclerosing agents seems a much less risky alternative to coil embolization. why hasn’t a study like this come out showing the problems with coil embolization ???

580. thanks for the kind comments
     but i dont consider myself any different than all of you
     i just created the platform… but it would be nowhere without everyone’s shared stories
     life is a big circle
     you get what you give

581. Hi admin – first I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this forum. You are a guardian angel for many of us.
     There are published European studies (by Gandini; Ali; Urbano )involving hundreds of men who have had this procedure w/o any coils. There are no side effects except for some abdominal and back pains for a few days that are treated with Ibuprofen. The pain survey during and after the procedure was around 3/10 with 10 the worst.
     There was a very high success rate ( over 90%) with almost recurrence. Out of the hundreds done only one was reported where the sclerosant got past the inguinal ring where the compression was placed. This caused inflammation (phlebitis) of the scrotum and required antibiotics and pain killers for a week but then resolved ok with no lasting effects.
     From my reading (as an amateur) coils were originally used as just physical blocking (or embolizing agents) in the gonadal veins. So they just disrupted the hydrostatic pressure head from the standing column of stagnant blood and therefore reduced the pressure on the testes to rid the varicocele.
     But later in the 1990s the coils were fitted with little bristles on them to iriitate the vein as well which caused inflammation (phlebitis) which then activated the immune system to cause clotting of the veins (thrombosis) which over a few months lead to fibrosis of the vein which would then sit there dead like scar tissue with coils in place. But even after all this the coils could not close any collaterals so the success rate to fix the varicocele was low ( 60%).
     The liquid embolic agents like STS foam and polidocanol are not really true embolic agents since they don’t physically block the vein at all. When injected they flow into the large gonadal vein and its collaterals and any other small veins and they chemically destroy the walls of the veins which closes them up in a few minutes. So it is really called chemical sclerotherapy and the dead veins are then just absorbed over time.
     There is another liquid embolic agent called glues and these both block the vein physically like a coil and also trigger chemical phlebitis. There are IRs who use this method in the US for other procedures like brain aneurysms but it is very expensive.
     Since I first found your forum (a miracle!) the day before my coil therapy I’v spoken with 14 IRs in the US, Canada and Europe (I live near Toronto). Most were really hostile and angry and said the usual stuff that coils are perfectly safe and there has never been a problem!! But a few were willing to try the procedure w/o coils along the European lines but they were still very angry that I would dare question their training! This IR in Toronto is very different and I am confident he can do it and if it goes well I will ask his permission to post his name here.
     Thanks again admin and all the others here who shared their stories. You have helped many men.

582. hi John
     thanks for the details on the sclerosing embolization procedure, was also curious about that
     i would be curious to learn what the side effects are for it. seems like there would be much less… notably if coils are not used (like in europe apparently…. although my coils were placed in france in 2008)

583. Hey Scott, thanks for the update/reply. Do you think the body will react negatively to the hem-o-lok clip materials?

     Thank you

584. Thanks to this forum here I cancelled my varicocele embolization the day before it was scheduled. I spent the last few months learning more about this procedure. Until recently coils were used to block the long veins that are causing the varicoceles. The coils caused the veins to become irritated and inflamed which then lead to blood clot formation in the veins which then lead to their collapse and eventually being absorbed by the body. So after a while an xray shows just the coils and no vein. This takes the pressure off the testicles and resolves the varicoceles. Normal blood flow is restored through other veins that exist.
     The problem with coils, besides their awful side effects, is that smaller parallel veins also exist and these are still open so the varicocele may still return later on.
     So now most places use a detergent called a sclerosant which chemically destroys the walls of the veins. It happens really fast – like in 10 minutes. the problem is that it is a foam so it can enter the scrotum and sclerotize ( kill ) important veins in the scrotum. So IRs now “drop” a few coils in to the bottom of the defective long veins to seal the bottom before they inject the sclerosant. This foam has an important advantage because it flows into all the collaterals and seals up all the veins that could be causing high pressure on the scrotum. These veins just dissolve away after a awhile. Then the IR also puts a “few” coils at the top of the veins to make sure no sclerosant spills out into the kidneys and lungs.
     This is the “sandwich” method and is the standard of practice now in the N. America. But Europe has gotten away entirely from coils.
     There they just use hand pressure at the base of the large veins above the scrotum while they inject the sclerosant and hold it until all the offending veins are dead. They have the patient perform the Valsalva maneuver which is just bearing down like you are constipated and that keeps the foam from flowing up and out. It is an elegant procedure and simple and NO COILS.
     I live in Canada and have travelled to the US and here and no IRs will do this procedure. They all want to do the sandwhich method. But now I found an a great IR in Toronto who has agreed to do my bilateral embolization without any coils following the European methods. He hasn’t done it this way before but is confident he can do it ok and I believe him. I am scheduled for October.
     I thank everyone here so much and wish you all the best from my heart. When the dead veins are removed it is like removing dead varicose veins in the legs. It does not affect blood flow because other veins are already established with the new flow routes.
     Sorry for this long note.

585. I read that they dont even use coils now either.

586. John, I was never told if any liquid sclerosant agent was used in between the two coils by the interventional radiologist who put them in or the surgeon that took them out, so I would assume it was not. I have the report from the procedure of the coil implant as well and I do not recall that in the notes but some doctors do not take thorough notes.

     Brandon, The surgeon who removed the coils called my procedure a varicocelectomy with coil removal. He put a hem-o-lok clip above and below the coils before he removed them even though it was already a “pipe full of dried mud.” If you google hem-o-lok you will see what they are and do.

     Recovery update: Besides a blood clot in my arm from the IV and infection in my middle and lower incision, I am doing well. The coil removal has not been a TOTAL night and day or on and off effect of relief from all of my symptoms that I experienced when the coils were in, but some symptoms ARE GONE and HAVE NOT returned. My inflamed ribs and pressure or corked up feeling on my left side have went away and I have not experienced those feeling since coil removal. The dull radiating pain from the coils has been gone as well as a fairly constant tight illiacus muscle. I have had quick flashes of some of the anxiety and internal pain about once or twice a week since removal, it is short lived about a half hour or fifteen minutes and feels different and not as intense as when the coils were in. I hope these eventually go away altogether as my body heals. My lowest incision point is right on my pant waist band and it gets sore and burns similar to the way my lower coil did but different, more superficial burn and not deep dull ache. I am very glad that I had my coils removed and I am hoping to feel better and better everyday.

587. I appreciate the response. My understanding is in alignment with yours with the fact that the purpose of the procedure is to eliminate the vein that has the faulty valve (to stop the back-flow of blood causing the varicocele). However, I was told by my surgeon who preformed the embolization procedure that the the blood will be re-routed using other veins.

     The only difference I have with what is posted is the veins carry oxygenated blood to the lungs, which then go to the heart to be pumped to the rest of the body.

     The imagery that I always had (which could be wrong) is that by removing the faulty vein (the river source) the blood will find other avenues to the lungs (ie. through streams/creeks).

     I always envisioned the procedure to have two main coils acting as a plug between the faulty vein. That faulty vein will eventually atriophy due to no new blood source going to it. However, what I am confused from is by removing the coils, won’t blood leak out or cause internal bleeding? Or once the coils are removed will they need to plug it with something else?

     Perhaps someone who completed the coil removal surgery can comment.

     My main concern is from heavy metal toxins in the blood stream, as that cannot be good for general health. If removing the coils can prevent this, and the blood is already being redirected elsewhere, then what is the actual point of having the coil in the system anymore?

588. Maybe someone else can comment, but this is how i see it:
     theoretically, the point of the embolization, to block “bad” blood flow, back towards the testicle. I quote Mike’s useful dec 18 post “the actual purpose of the embolization is to block the vein not the artery. The artery is what supplies blood flow to the testicle and the vein pumps deoxiginated blood away from the testicle back to the heart. The embolization is done because a faulty valve in the vein is causing blood to drain back down to the testicle causing pooling of blood and excess heat.”
     so no more blood flow is taking place in the vein after the embolization (though i suspect that blood may find other ways to reroute)..
     at any rate, it seems that removing the embolized vein changes nothing, according to my surgeon, because the vein is already unused, “dead”. it’s not like cutting a water pipe, and having water squirt everywhere, it’s more like cutting a pipe full of dried mud.
     maybe someone else has something to add

589. Question. Both preceding and proceeding the removal of the coils, how is blood redirected through the veins? It is my impression that the coils are there as a “blockage” or a “plug” to redirect the blood flow. Once they are removed how is blood flow redirected?

     Thank you,

590. Sorry I took so long to reply. My coil I received in 2003 as you know failed! And the veins built around it. I was offered another coil but I declined as the previous one didnt work.

     I always on and off have a numbness down there on my left side (where the coil is).

     I’ve hours ago had the snip and this isn’t painful but the coil area is the same dull bum pain. Is there anyway I can get the coil removed? I mean it’s not doing anything. It’s just sitting there.

     Thank you for all the advise previous

     BTW I’m from Portsmouth UK

591. Congratulations Scott on your brave endevour. I wish you continued improvement.
     Do you know if your original embolization just used coils or was the “sandwich” method used in which a coil is placed at the bottom and the top of the gonadal vein and a liquid sclerosant agent is injected to destroy the vein between them?

592. Thanks for sharing the updates Scott.
     I saw one of the urologists from the team that carried out my embolization surgery last month and he basically said I wasn’t allergic to the coils and my anxieties were not down to physical reasons.

     I also had an ultrasound which picked up a very small inguinal hernia in the exact spot where the coils were inserted. Did the coils cause this or was this a weakness already present? Who knows? The urologist agreed that I should have an X ray to see if there was any coil migration, so waiting for that.

     I’ve gone back to doing hot yoga and most of the poses are fine and pain free but there’s slight discomfort/stiffness on the backbends/locust position which I’m assuming is the hernia, but there’s feeling of ‘buzziness’ the following day on the left flank that makes me still wonder if the coils are still inflaming the area. I’ve noticed that any exercise I do which involves twists or bends sets off anxiety. Not desperately keen on having hernia surgery with mesh implants, I have to say, but I know that I’m luckier than most in terms of the symptoms post embolization.

593. I am sorry to keep posting, but it is infuriating that there is ANY tungsten used in ANY medical implants

     “Tungsten is known to be capable of biological interaction and disruption of biochemical pathways and therefore the human health impact must be considered.”

     https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/1647906/Tungsten

     Maybe this explains why people that have coils feel like there is some kind of communication break down in their body or a blockage in the meridians or flow.

594. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002700010104

     I have been told platinum is too soft and it is why tungsten in used in the mixture. But in 2000 interventional radiologists knew tungsten got into the blood, why is it still used?

595. My surgeon’s name that removed my coils is Dr. Robert Stein from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Edmund Sabanegh was the original urologist at the Cleveland Clinic that I saw, and he referred me to Dr. Stein after my CT can came back normal and I underwent 6 weeks of Physical Therapy. I feel like both doctors listened to me and cared when the only thing I had was my experience with pain for the last year and a half and the MELISA Lymphocyte Transformation Test that I had completed after I shipped overnight my blood to Germany, stating I was strongly positive towards Tungsten.

     Here is the Operative Report from Dr. Stein Regarding my procedure August 9th.
     It is a little lengthy but if someone’s coil placement is similar to mine these details might help another surgeon.

     “Operative Indications: This is a 37 year old male with a history of pain and allergic intolerance to tungsten after previous left varicocele coil embolization surgery who after discussing the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the procedure has elected to pursue management of their condition via removal.

     Procedure details: The patient was correctly identified and a surgical huddle was performed with the patient and all involved staff. A weight appropriate dose of prophylactic antibiotics was administered intravenously prior to the procedure and sequential compression devices were applied to the lower extremities and activated prior to induction of anesthesia. A timeout procedure was performed and confirmed and the patient was induced under general anesthesia. The patient was moved into the right lateral decubitus position and pressure points were padded and patient was prepped and draped. Abdominal access was obtained via Veress needle though a 12mm incision slightly inferior to the usual point tho-thirds of the distance from the umbilicus to the left anterior-superior iliac spine. Carbon Dioxide insufflation was initiated. A 12mm port was place at this point. Inspection revealed no injury to the intra-abdominal contents. Under direct vision, a 5mm Left hand port was paced inferior to the costal margin at the lateral border of the rectus muscle. Finally, a central 12mm camera port was placed in between these two points in a straight line configuration.

     The left descending colon was reflected medially using scissors, revealing Gerota’s Fascia and the lower pole of the kidney. The gonadal vein and ureter were easily identified. The gonadal vein was mobilized and dissected cranially and caudally. Two areas of scarring were noted with visible metal coils underneath, consistent with pre-operative imaging. These areas were confirmed to be the areas containing the coils using the laparoscopic ultrasound probe. After confirmation, the gonadal vein above and below the coiled areas was clipped with hem-o-lock clips and the vein was divided. The two sections of the vein wee removed and sent to pathology. Hemostasis was then assured in the operative bed. Fluroscopy was performed at the end of the case again confirming no residual metal coils in the operative area. Final inspection of operative bed confirmed good hemostasis. Both 12mm ports were removed and the sites were closed with the Carter-Thomasson device and 0-polysorb ties. The 5mm port was removed under direct vision.

     All incisions were irrigated with fresh solution. Gloves and instruments were changed. Thereafter, skin was reapproximated with 4-0 polysorb in a subcuticular fashion at all surgical incisions. Surgical skin adhesive was applied. Local anesthetic was injected at all incisions. At the end of the procedure the sponge and needle count were correct. The patient tolerated the procedure well, emerged from anesthesia without incident, and was transferred to PACU in stable condition.”

     In my conversation today with doctor Stein, I discussed my thoughts about my how the coils cause chaos. Is it truly a metal allergy or is it a blockage or confusion of some type of pathway (meridian) or nerves. He said he would lean towards metal allergy being the cause of people’s problems with the coils. I am still adjusting to not having coils in my body and recovering from surgery, but I do feel like I have been given a new start. I did get an annoying blot clot in my left arm up a vein where they had and IV for more than 30 hours. It is superficial and I am taking aspiring and monitoring it. No other complications other than that so far.

596. It’s been two months since I had my coils removed at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. In my case it was complicated because one of the coils was placed into the kidney vein and I was at risk of thrombosis or coil migration. I’ve been lucky that this did not happen and even luckier that the removal procedure was a succes and did not cause major complications. The urologists temporarily closed off the renal vein during laparascopic surgery in order to pull out the coil and then removed the rest of the left testicular vein and with it the other coils. Indeed it was a very straightfoward procedure, even in my case. There was also a vascular surgeon at standby in case things did go wrong.

     The consequences of the removal of the vein are not only a disappearance of the horrible symtoms the coils were causing but also a healing of the varicocele. Apparantly the embolized vein was still causing a varicocele and the procedure couldn’t have been more ineffective. Contrary to the terrible job the radiologist had done in the hospital in my hometown these doctors actually knew what they were doing. Despite the possible risks the removal procedure could have caused I felt I had nothing to lose. The symptoms I had after the embolization were that bad and corresponded with those described by others.

     However it’s wasn’t all smooth after the procedure. The surgery gas that rises up inside the chest cavity and shoulders caused a lot of pain and cramps for up to 4 days and then lingered on for about a week. It made breathing in a challenge. Moving around initally made the pain worse but was effective in the long run. Still this was small potatoes compared to the symptoms caused by the coils. There was also some kind of inflammation around the left testicle along with fluid buildup and a significantly enlarged, hardened and painful left spermatic cord that arose a couple of days after the procedure. I was told that this had to do with bloodflow that needs time to stabilize through other veins. Most of the pain and discomfort went away within a week and there’s been notable progress since. The vein can still get a little swollen notably when I lay on my back while it returns to normal when I stand and move around. But most importantly, there was no more varicocele visible on ultrasound and I have no more typical symtoms indicative of a varicocele.

     I consider myself extremely fortunate how things ultimately played out and that I can put that nightmare behind me. I hope this will be the case for others too.

597. I had the coils removed Wednesday, August 9th. The most important thing I will say first, “I do not feel like my body is fighting itself anymore. I feel like I am more whole.” The mental aspect of the coils, when they were inside my body, is very hard to put into words, but all of you that have felt weird with them in know it is a battle. I feel like that battle, I do not have to fight now, because the coils are now gone. Physically, the inside edges of my ribs on my left from my flank to my sternum feel normal for the first time in a long time, not inflamed or aggravated. Some of my other physical symptoms I am going to have to give more time to heal.

     I was in the operating room for nearly four hours, from 8:30am until 12:17pm, under general anesthesia. The surgeon told my wife that things went well. He removed the coils from one of my sites but end up removing a section of vein that housed the coils at the other site. I will say recovery was and is a little rougher than I was hoping, but after 80 plus hours I am starting to feel much better. I did not experience much shoulder pain with the laparoscopic surgery as some have shared but had plenty of discomfort in my intestinal/abdomen area. I did try to make a point of walking as soon I as could after my first failed attempt in the recovery unit (The pain going from a laying down position to upright was nauseating and I couldn’t, didn’t stay standing). I was discharged around 1:00pm Thursday. I have weaned myself off of all narcotics already, trying to only take 400mg of ibuprofen when I need too which has been about every 4-6 hours. Getting off the hydrocodone, I believe, helped my bowels get moving, I am glad because that has helped relieve a lot of discomfort as well.

     My first impression of how I am feeling is a good one. I was a little more hesitant to have the surgery after Michael shared removal didn’t work for him. I also know that any surgery has risks. I am glad that I saw it through. I will hope to share more after my follow up appointment with the surgeon Tuesday. I hope he agrees to let me share his name because I feel he could help others.

598. I had the vericocele embolization procedure done about 4 years ago in Denver, Colorado.. I remember researching this procedure pretty intently before I got it and I recall specifically the only side effect that I was worried about was the coils migrating , the doctor at the time ASSURED me this was not possible and or very unlikely due to the fact that when the coils are inserted, that they create scar tissue and just won’t be able to move…. It seems this is very untrue…. I have tried contacting a few attorneys to see what they would say about a potential lawsuit if this were the case and most did not seem interested or wanted me to contact them later when I had “DAMAGES”… I have a funny feeling this is only the beginning of a long struggle and remember the radiologist at the time telling me after I asked him how many coils he inserted he said 6…..
     Michael U.

599. Hello !
     This is the story of my situation. I’ll try to keep this brief because I am French and I don’t speak perfect English.
     I am 35 years old. No medical history except the varicocele.
     After 7 months of left testicular pain and a grade 3 varicocele I decide the embolization with interventional radiology because this solution was presented as the most reliable, the least intrusive and without significant complications.
     The embolization of the left spermatic vein was realized under total sedation by the insertion of 6 coils. During this intervention the radiologist also took the initiative of embolize the right spermatic vein by the insertion of 2 coils while the varicocele on this side was only of grade 1 and painless.
     After 2 months the left testicular pains stopped but many of the other pains settled down and amplified by the physical effort, the seated or lying position.
     Today 6 months after the intervention the simple movements of the everyday life cause me many pains: inguinal pains, lumbar and back pains, abdominal pains …
     My life is strongly affected on all the plans and I regret bitterly this intervention. I did not find solution of relief and I envisage a surgical operation of remove of coils.
     I thank the creator of this site because I did not find equivalent in France and it allows to share its experiences to move forward and feel less alone.

600. michael, thanks for sharing.
     it is worth mentioning i think that the removal of the coils is one thing and the removal of tissue adhesion and scar tissue is a secondary issue. i think that the treatment of the latter is just as important as the first while the embolization removal is taking place. your continuing symptoms could be due to this, or it could be another disease, as we have discussed personally. hard to say. for what it’s worth

601. Good luck to you scott, i hope you the best.
     the surgery is not without risks but for many of us the benefits have been paramount.
     keep us posted

     i would add, as i have mentioned in my last post to michael, that it is worth mentioning i think that the removal of the coils is one thing and the removal of tissue adhesion and scar tissue is a secondary issue. tissue adhesions and scar tissue in the area of the embolization, in my opinion, could be linked to symptoms of nerves and digestive issues. They should try to be treated by the surgeon during the removal process, if possible without too much risk. this is, of course, non professional advice, your surgeon has the final word.

     best

602. I am having the coils removed August 9th. I hope the removal of the coils has a positive effect on my health and adds to a feeling of me being whole. I still feel everyday like my body is fighting itself. While some of the symptoms have got much better in the past year, I still deal with pain that radiates from my inguinal area, spreads to my iliacas and elsewhere, causes a dull side stitch on my left side, tightens tissues on the edge of my ribs on my left side all the way to my sternum, gives me a pulled muscle sensation from my inguinal area up to the middle of my pectoral, creates pressure on my left side that feels like someone is sitting on my left side or the feeling of pressure being corked up. I also experience some weird leg, neck, and back pain, but on a minimal basis, although the leg pain freaks me out because I had a DVT in February. Occasionally, I have more acute pain when I bend over or stand slightly bent looking at or working on something. Driving in a car is fine sometimes and then sometimes the waist band of my pants or belt makes my area around where I think the coils are located ache sharply (I still have not seen images of where the coils are located).

     The surgeon that is removing my coils has talked to Dr. Finelli and has decided to remove only the coils from both locations in my body laparoscopically. In our original consultation he was contemplating removing some of the vein housing the coils as well.

     If any of you are people of prayer and read this post, I would appreciate your prayers. Please pray that the removal of the coils goes well and this surgery would help me to return to closer to how I felt before I had the embolization procedure (normal). If everything goes as planned, I will have had the coils in my body five hundred and seventy-nine days. Knowing what I know now, that is five hundred and seventy-nine days too many.

     I feel like this website has given my voice more strength because of all of you that have shared your story. Without this site, I do not know if I would be having my coils removed in a week? Thanks.

603. Hello,
     I give some news.
     My coils were removed (from both sides) on April 20th.
     Unfortunately, I don’t feel better today.
     My symptoms are still here :
     Digestive issues, bowels issues, sexual dysfunction, lower back pain, blockage in my body, ….
     I think another disease may be involved.
     I feel same symptoms as Rich says.

     Michael

604. The catheter went in via the common femoral vein on my right leg,up then into the inferior vena cava and then into the left renal vein and then left testicular vein.

605. sorry rich i have no idea what you mean. please state catheter location in layman’s terms. ie where was the catheter inserted into your body/ie the place it was “ripped” out. was it a uretic catheter ?

606. my symptoms feel more vascular in nature,blood flow related like pressure buildup in my blood vessels trying to release here,there and everywhere.

607. thanks for the quick reply, the catheter would only pass down as far as the SI joint.2 nester coils were placed at this site.

     Dr barber (consultant urological surgeon) stated that I.R’s he works with wouldn’t have even embolised so high up the test vein and that it was unusual to have embolized here.

608. rich
     your symptoms sound terrible, sorry to hear about all this.
     seems like some serious nervous system issues. wouldn’t surprise me if it was linked to the coils but it is strange—above all, how far the pain is radiating from the coils.
     where was the catheter located?
     -ave
     ps : i suffered from a “foot” problem (so called “plantar fasciitis”) for four years, unable to play sports, seeing all kinds of “specialists”… until one day someone said–do yoga iyengar. i couldn’t even jump on my feet at the time. six months later i was running. in fact, the problem was not in my feet at all, it was in the alignment of my hips and crossing of nerves there. yoga realigned me opened me up. the point: pain can be transferred long distances in the body. see claire davies’ Trigger point manual. so it is not unheard of for me that your surgeries are leading to transferred pain problems. the question is whether or not it’s the coils or the catheter, or smtg else.

609. I Iive in the U.K, near Southampton.
     I had a left sided testicular varicocele embolization in feb 14, but it has, i feel, been the worst il-informed decision i have ever made. Like most, i was made to feel that it was a risk-free procedure and that there were few side effects, however the symptoms i am experiencing are numerous and are not symptoms, consistent with post varicocele embolization.
     .

     Pre op- I had left sided testicular pain, it was worst, when playing sport or after walking long distances. It was very painful and the testicle would often sit in an unusual lie after such activities. Test pain had been plaguing me for as far as i can remember (prob late teens, now 32 years old). I had several Ultrasounds, that came back inconclusive, except for one where i was told there was a small varicocele and when i was examined by a urologist, i was told that i had a numerous veins but that it was sub-clinical varicocele. I elected to have a angiogram/venogram, as i was told there would be little risk and that if they could see a proper varicocele they would block the vein but if not they could come back out again without any harm.

     The IR, following venogram, said that he could not identify varicocele, but did see dilation at top end of the testicular vein and he dropped x2 nester coils into this part of the vein. Towards the latter stages of the procedure, he had great difficulty with catheter removal. He effectively ripped the catheter out. He had such difficulty removing the catheter and an operating theatre assistance came over to help, both pulling on it together very forcefully, it eventually was removed. I have since seen a vascular surgeon who has said that the difficulty was almost certainly due to test vein spasm, but I doubt this as the IR did comment at the time, during catheter entry, of the vein spasming. The catheter later stages of removal seemed more like the IR had made a mistake, and it had got lodged or stuck and needed removal urgently
     Post op symptoms- post op, my symptoms started off with a pain in the right side of my abdomen. It was like a stitch, it was very difficult to go for a run it was very restricting. It felt like blood flow in this region was haywire, flowing up and down. It seemed worse when sat down it was incredibly uncomfortable. I would sometimes get a shooting cramp pain down my right leg. On the left side, where the coils were, I could just feel the presence of the coil, a bit of tightness, not much else. Gradually throughout 2015 the pain began to migrate over to the left side of my abdomen, again the familiar tightness, cramp like sensations migrated to this side. Felt Like the surrounding tissue was flooded with blood, like it wasn’t draining away from that area. Throughout 2015, there was a migration upward on the left side of my body of this pain, it felt as if there was an upward pressure, like blood was trying to force its way upwards. Each time it got higher up, I would feel a racing, fluttering feeling, when lieing on my front in bed, it was almost audible the sound of racing of blood upwards. The symptoms have now reached my chest, when they reached there, I then began to get headaches and the feeling of blood trickling into the left side of my head. I developed a fogginess/cloudiness in my head. For well over a year now, I have had debilitating pulsating headaches, the worst possible headaches you can imagine and left sided chest pain. The chest pain has now begun to radiate to the right side of my chest and I get a tightness in my chest. I get pain radiating up to my left shoulder and sometimes up the left side of my neck.

     Symptoms at present
     -Fullness in my chest
     -Tight chest
     -Headaches
     -Pain in the shoulder (front and scapula region) and under armpit
     -Dizziness
     -Low energy
     -Weakness in my legs, like my legs have poor circulation
     -Recently bloated stomach that won’t shift and it isn’t linked to diet

     Consultants seen

     IR x2 (same consultant, not very helpful both times!!!!)
     Neurologist
     Cardiologist
     Vascular surgeon
     Urologist

     Seen them all in this order.

     All of them apart from the urologist have been very dismissive either of the coils causing these symptoms or a complication arising catheter removal.

     Neil Barber who I actually went to see thanks to this page didn’t actually say that the coils are the cause, he left it pretty open. He also states that he has never removed coils, due to pain, only removing them if they have failed to deliver relief of a varicocele, either by moving or by sticking out of the vein. From looking at this page it is very apparent that they do cause pain when they react with peoples bodies, when they lodge in strange places and people have eventually gotten relief when removed.

     For me I am happy that I have seen Dr Barber, who has expressed a willingness to remove them. I am going to give it a lot of serious consideration, however I feel it is a punt, but to me, these symptoms have gotten so serious that, I feel I have no other choice but to remove them and see what happens. But I will have to be very prepared for the physcological consequences if their removal does not clear all or any of my symptoms..

     I still feel that it is still possible that there was some form of complication or accident during catheter removal and that is the main cause of these symptoms. However a CT venogram, showed no remarkable findings, like a previous post, normal vascularity throughout and that the testicular vein is collapsed. However, CT does not show vein function etc etc the IR also did note, that if I had presented sooner, they may have found some pathology, ie in first few months of the procedure. The CT venogram was in OCT 16, OP was in FEB 14.

     I’m sort of 60/40 in favour that there was some type of complication with catheter removal.

     I tried to keep this short and I apologise for it being longwinded. I might have left some info out, please feel free to ask any questions. I greatly welcome any responses.

610. Hi Dan, reading your symptoms was like it was written by me. Every one you have written is the same for me and more. I have the same issues with bowel. The bowel pain is some time crippling but I have that constant pressure that it feels like someone is sitting on me. I too have been told there was nothing wrong till last year when I tested positive for bowel disease. But I have been for all the tests after this, barium meal, scans, and cameras in every hole they could put it in, but found nothing. It has been 4 years now and I thought it would get better as they told me it would do, but nothing. It does give me hope now that I found this site and know I am not alone. A big thank you to the auther of this site.
     Just for anyone who want to know. I went for corticosteroid injections on both sides nexts to the coils a month ago. It has helped a bit with the pain but not taken it away. I still have swelling on the left side and was wondering if any one ells still have swelling.
     Finally I read last week that there is known problems with metal implants. I just wish we could all fine someone that can stand up for us and make our cases heard to the medical profession. A class action lawsuit would suit me for the cost to get these things out even if I have to travel to the other side of the world.

611. thanks for sharing and glad to hear some doctors are catching on.
     for me what has gotten considerably better :
     bowel issues
     acute and throbbing pain
     pain associated with exercise (including sex)
     fatigue
     emotional energy connectedness / consciousness (feeling in sync with beauty)
     (amongst others undoubtedly)

612. Oh yeah, I forgot a few….

     Persistent nausea
     Weight loss
     Feeling like I’ve been kicked in the nuts all day
     Bowel issues
     Digestive issues
     Acute bouts of crippling abdominal pain
     Persistent throbbing/aching abdominal pain
     Fatigue

     I’m sure I’ll think of others…

613. I had the coils inserted 3 years ago and have had nothing but problems since. I’ve had full workups by a team of doctors and I’ve been told time and time again “there’s nothing wrong.” What else could explain the constant ache in my abdomen and testicles? Or the significant point tenderness through my lower abdomen and groin area? Or the constant inflammation and lymphadonopathy throughout the body? Thanks to this site, I’ve FINALLY found some doctors who are willing to listen to me…in fact, one of then actually referred me here. I’d like to know who has had the removal surgery and what, if any, symptom relief did you find?

614. Hello, I have not posted since the end of March. I am going to a new urologist who is also a surgeon and the removal of the coils is part of our conversation. He has said removal is an option but surgery should always be the last option. Following his orders, I just got CT scan results back of my abdomen/pelvis that were unremarkable, meaning nothing abnormal, and coils were where they were supposed to be (anterior of the psoas). This is a good thing to me, it means there is no other reason that I am feeling the pain and pressure. I am also going through physical therapy per his recommendation (myofascial release of the pelvic floor) which has addressed the pain I feel more than any other physical therapy but I do not know if it is helping yet, this week I have been in more pain than I have been in for a while. I do not want to rush into surgery but many times every day, every time I am hit with a twinge of pain in my inguinal area or feel pressure on my left side I want them out now. I will share the location and name of the urologist if we see this all the way through to the removal of my coils and he agrees for me to share his name on this website. Again, I appreciate this website and the fact I am not alone.

615. 1) I’m looking for a doctor in the states, preferably pretty close to st Louis or Tulsa. Does anyone know who would do this?

     2) I just had negative metal allergy patch testing, and am waiting for results from the MELISA test. How do I get someone to remove the coil if I’m not testing positive for the allergy?
     After some research we are being told that the coil is actually 92% platinum and 8% tungston with nylon fibers. Anyone else have this one?? Any help or feedback would be so appreciated. Going on many years of feeling like crap and now 6 weeks out of work. Diagnosed with CF right after the implant but then got back to about 100% for a few years. now im in a wheelchair, constantly sucking wind,spleen thats 4x the size it should be. But I always feel better the first 10 minutes or so after
     I wake up, even if from a quick nap.

     Symptoms:
     Shortness of breath
     Extreme Fatigue
     Near syncope when standing
     Enlarged spleen (4x normal size)
     High red blood cell count
     High hematocrit (18)

     Doctors consulted:
     Infectious disease
     Allergist/Asthma
     Cardiologist x3
     Pulmonologistx2
     Neurologistx3

     Thank you!!!

616. addison,
     sorry to hear about all that. a simple xray should be able to locate the coils. many of your symptoms may not go away after coil removal… but i suspect the digestive ones may.
     try stephen buhner’s protocol for lyme disease, if you haven’t already. it may help
     best
     ave

617. I live in south west england and have also been experiencing alot of post op symptoms. They have been going on for about 3 years now.

618. Hey All,
     I had this vericocele embolization done upon receiving the same information that many of you got: that there was little to no risk and I had “nothing to lose”. My varicocele wasn’t large, but because of a post ejaculatory dull aching/pain issue in my testicles/penis upon erection within an 8 hour (approx) recovery period with no other answers, I decided to go the route of the embolization, since vericocele can apparently cause that kind of pain that is then relieved by laying down (which was the case for me). However, within 5 days after surgery, I started having massive pain that built up over a day. Went to the hospital and nothing was “wrong”. It got better and just had a somewhat sensitive small bump on my abdomen. Months later however, I started having much more massive flare-ups with pain, and now I’m in constant pain with “pulsing” in my left abdomen where the coils are, the lower back, and even the testicle on that left side. Occasionally I also get pain on the right side, although not nearly as often. There’s always that sensation of “something wrong/foreign body” and this has caused my anxiety to be always spiking as well. Because of a complicated medical history, I always have had tight muscles, which is probably a part of my pain issue. It also feels like nerve pain too with “tickling” sensations though, that are different from the pulsing kind of pain. For some reason I can’t find my paperwork from 2 years ago in May 2015 when I had the embolization done so I can’t tell you how many coils I got and where. I know they were not all in the same vein however. The doctors didn’t want to deal with it in most cases and many basically told me one version or another of “live with it” but the pain has gotten worse and my health has in general. I’m wondering if anyone has had any luck with surgery to remove (i see some people have, just wanting more detail I guess) and or/legal battles? And the stomach issue that has been brought up is interesting to me. I’ve developed a stomach problem in recent months where I get some very intense cramping/nausea that seems to only be relieved by avoiding certain foods. I have a history of stomach issues, but nothing this odd/bad that also doesn’t have a clear diagnosis (I’ve seen GI docs that basically just blanket term it with “irritable bowel”). I’m curious as to how coils might be related. I’m just not able to deal with this pain anymore and am already dealing with Chronic Lyme Disease amongst other things. I feel like I could write an essay of notes about this, so if anyone wants clarification of what my experience is, I’m happy to add. Also I found a urologist willing to do the surgery after he was shown some stuff indicating it as a possibility, but he also gave me the same warnings others had received as to possibly losing a testicle and many other problems including the possibility of just dying outright from complications. He’s never done the procedure before, but is located in Oregon in the US. Thanks for starting this thread, although like so many others I wish I had researched instead of trusting doctors with the thinking that they were going to be doing their job of actually acting in my self-interest. Best wishes to all.
     Also, to the admin: the psychological impacts are really bad for me as well, especially as someone already heavily impacted by other health conditions including depression and anxiety disorders. I’m glad to see that you’ve made progress though overall.
     Another question: have you had any issues with scar tissue? I guess they can’t know what’s going on until they open you up in terms of adhesions/scar tissue. I guess scar tissue can’t be “healed” though? I don’t know, still trying to get my bearings on all this.

619. thanks for your message.
     just to put things in perspective, i probably wouldn’t have created this website if i hadn’t had the psychological/energy effects. the actual physical pain died down after a couple years, though flare-ups were persistant depending on excercise.
     best
     ave

620. No need to apologize admin. I am thankful for this site and if I would have read this site before the operation I would not have gotten the operation done. But for me at this point in my life having two small kiddos at home and the pain keeps decreasing over time and I am able to exercise again, the risk of a surgery at this point for me is out of the question. Will I get the removal operation done at some point in the future? Possibly but only time will tell. I do not seem to have the psychological effects like you guys do. George

621. Ive read two ladies on here asking questions as well. I know this is a guy site but can it be expanded to include women. I have had an ovarian vein coil in now for about 4 years. I wasn’t great before that but since then I started having these strange attacks( that what I called them) they would happen while asleep, a sudden nausea and full on dizziness with extreme rush of what I can only describe as electric shock like sensations down my arms and legs. Some ER trips later and no help. Would put me in bed a couple days just feeling sick. They were intermittent. I was blaming antidepressants at the time and I know they def have a slew of prob after being on for a long time so I started a plan to come off. Long story short the acute attacks stopped after getting off SNRI but I had to go on diff AD because of withdrawal syndrome. And the same feelings of those attacks are now constant. 24/7 rather than an acute attack. If that makes sense. I’m spiralling down health wise. Seen every specialist, gp, pysch docs, functional med docs, naturopaths.
     I tried to think back when all this started and the only thing I can reference as a change was the insertion of the coil. Its very long starting from the kidney down into groin.
     Horrible thing is it did nothing to stop pelvic pain. That turned out to be womb. That pain went away after hysterectomy. So now I’ve got this coil inside me and have wondered for a long time can I be allergic to platinum. Ive googled a couple times. This is the first time I’ve found someone talking about this issue.
     I live in Australia and have no idea if this can be removed. I will google the Melissa test now that I’ve seen it on here. Anyway just thought I’d throw my story in the mix. And like I said us women are suffering too, obviously. Great you’ve started this convo.

622. Thanks JH

623. Just called the hospital: It’s Neil Barber.
     https://www.spirehealthcare.com/consultant-profiles/mr-neil-barber-c4050834/
     (Won’t be contacting him just yet, will continue to go through the NHS for the time being)

624. jh, send the Nuffield woking hospital’s surgeon name when you have it
     best
     ave

625. sorry george i’m going to have to support JH on this one.

     obviously any surgery carries serious risks, including a coil removal operation…. even more so because it is not a typical run of the mill operation and every person has coils in different places so one operation won’t be equivalent to anyone else’s operation. so, yes, the risks must be carefully considered.

     that said, i lived eight years with my coils: 2-3 years with acute pain, but 8 full years with the psychological symptoms that JH has described. and i found them terrifying. and yes physical therapy did me serious good, and allowed me to get back into exercising and it’s obviously a first option before removal surgery. But for me it wasn’t enough, and the elation and ecstatic feelings of satisfaction and pleasure were very difficult to attain with the coils in place. i just didn’t feel quite myself until the damn things were out of my body.

     the question: how do i feel psychologically now, seven months after removing the coils ? much better. More stable. More alive. I feel more pleasure, more able to synchronize with my surroundings. Before I felt the presence of a foreign body inside me, now I feel totally me. It’s not perfect, I can’t say that I’m back to where I was pre-embolization, 8 years ago. But it’s also really hard to compare because I’m 36 now and not 28…. And entering the thirties is a huge psychological transition in a man’s life regardless. I’ve also experienced many unrelated personal transitions as well over the last 8 years. but no doubt psychologically I feel indescribably more whole compared to 8 months ago when the coils were still inside me.

626. Not being able to day dream about a book? If you are able to run w/o pain I would think long and hard before getting any type of [coil removal] operation. As humans we tend to take things for granted. I know I did. Like some examples are: being able to sleep more than 2 hours without waking up in pain . Being able to run or even walk. To not have anxiety and panic attacks when the pain just doesn’t go away. Working full time and being in regular conversations. I am not trying to be critical but please do not get surgery done because you think the coils have made you unable to daydream when reading a book. That could be the result of so many different possibilities. If you are not in pain I would highly advise you to avoid surgery. Trust me any surgery has risks and I’ve seen so many people that have chronic pains after surgeries that the doctors cannot explain and they are miserable.

627. Apologies, didn’t mention my location earlier, I’m in London, UK. Have been making enquiries about private treatment, while waiting for my first check up post embolization, which I had done in November. Quite a wait! Will have to check their name, but the Nuffield Woking Hospital has a laporoscopic surgeon who has carried out coil removal. Ballpark figure for the op is £3,500, so something to consider. Still having issues getting into the flow with activities. Very difficult to put into words, but I’d describe the sensation caused by the coils to be one of ‘mental insistence’. I’ve noticed that I no longer daydream in the same way, or lose myself in a book in the same way. I can see the words in the page but can’t enter into my imagination properly. I’m assuming this is down to the coils providing some disruption to the brain’s ability to switch off/lose self consciousness, and this has been a constant since last November. Thankfully there’s no pain while running, but one other thing which has changed is the way endorphins release after intense exercise and the effect it has mentally. Pre op I’d feel elated after a hard 5K run, with a real sense of ‘letting go’, but now, with the same level of effort (and with fitness levels much better than before the op) I feel very self-conscious. Keen to tell the surgeon who carried out the embolization that the procedure carries with it quite a few psychological consequences!

628. Hi jh, this is George again. To give you some hope, I was still in a lot of pain at 6 months. I could not exercise and this gave me a lot of anxiety. My pelvic floor physical therapist also told me that my left side was freakishly tight (where the coils are) but she was a to get them to release and stay loose. It didn’t happen overnight. I saw her about 13 times and delt with a lot of pain along the way. I went up to mayo clinic in Minnesota and he said he would take them all out but he estimated that my pain would start to subside after a year after the inflammation starts to die down and the coiled veins get less ” sticky” is the word he used. He said there is a lot less risk after a year because the veins can stick to vital organs. But start to let go after about a year Nobody ever told me that! He was right though..things did get better after about a year. I am starting to jog and swim again! So I would recommend waiting at least a year and find a great physical therapist. You will have to decide whether it’s worth the risk. I’m waiting at least a couple years because I finally have my life back and don’t want to mess that up. I guess time will tell if I ever decide to get them out. I wish you blessings and hope for your sake that your pain gets better. Don’t give up!

629. I was a day away from doing a varicocele embolization with coils last month when I read this forum so I cancelled it immediately.
     Since then I have been looking for IRs who do varicocele embolization using liquid embolic agents and not coils. I found one this past week at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. I spoke with him at length and he said there is a field of IR called AVM for arterio venous malformation. Basically it deals with cross talk between veins and arteries in the body and can be fatal.
     Over the years the IRs have developed liquid embolic agents like glues and sclerosants to seal these things. Coils are not practical. This doctor performs those procedures usually in the brain and heart. But he also uses these liquid agents for varicocele embolization as he says it gives him better control for closing the secondary veins that open during the procedure.
     I wanted to pass this on for comment as I am now thinking of booking a procedure with him.
     Best of luck to everyone and thanks for warning me beforehand about coils.

630. I can attest to that. Exactly the same experience. The frustration of wanting to cut the coils out, the tightness/numbness almost dead feeling of the abdominal muscles and the constant stimulation. The issues are excarcebated when sitting and lying down. It feels like an electric wire that puts my body in overdrive. Standing relieves the stress and sitting, lying down is bearable on an empty stomach in my case so I’m fasting most of the day. I feel the coils sting and have cramps as well occassionally along with impaired bowel movement/constipation. I think some of the coils attach to muscles and/or the intestine. I’ve been ‘lucky’ that the upper coil was placed partly into the kidney vein which is why the doctors to which I’ve been referred have decided ro remove them. It’s been a nightmare at times the past six months since the embolization. I feel like I’ve been a guinea pig all this time. On top of that the varicocele returned a week after the procedure so it’s been useless also. The consequences of the embolization have been a very hard lesson learned.

631. very good description, jh. this corresponds with my feelings/experience. i wouldnt wait to take them out, i felt the difference immediately after the removal.

632. Had varicocele embolization carried out in Nov 2016, due to a left-side varicocele diagnosed in April. Immediately felt relief from the testicle ‘heaviness’ but discomfort immediately introduced on the left flank. Felt like a stopper in wine bottle, which, I guess, is what has happened with the coils in place. Kept telling myself that the discomfort would ease off and tried to reassure myself it would eventually sort itself out but six months down the line it’s still there. There are days I wish I could get a knife and ‘dig out’ the irritation. Have felt significantly stronger with more energy, stamina and strength, as the varicocele is no longer interfering with testosterone production,I guess, but mentally I’ve become an anxious person and find it hard to ‘let go’. All the previous activities I enjoyed beforehand – swimming, yoga, chess, used to lead to a contented mental state but now it’s impossible to ‘get in the flow’ with activities. It’s as if the coils are constantly stimulating the body – and when you try to do something which in normal circumstances would lead to a relaxed state of mind, your body is kicking back. It’s obviously distressing as the benefits are there, but I’ve voluntarily elected for a procedure which has had a significant effect on my life. I’ve not had a follow up urology appt so am pushing to have a check up to see if the coils have migrated. My chiropractor can see there’s a lot of left sided tightness and I agree with the previous poster, George, that if you subconsciously avoid moving part of your body it will tighten up and that is also part of the problem. Next step, I guess, is looking at laporoscopic removal, unless there’s someone here who can say that things got better after a year, post surgery!

633. I am 46, live on the Wirral in the UK. Since I had the embolization done I have been diagnosed with Bowel disease (Crohn’s), Peyronie’s disease and Carpal tunnel
     I was hoping someone here could let me know if they have tried pain relieve injections around the site of the coils. I have an appointment booked next week to have both sites injected. This is one of the final attempts by the doctors to try and help stop the pain I am feeling. I had both sides done in 2012 and had pain as soon as they pain meds wore off. Later on I found out they punctured a vain on the left side in the process and the doctor tried to hide it. It took three years to get an apology but that does not help with the pain I have to suffer every day. My own doctor is trying to help and I have asked for them to be removed, but I kept been told it is not possible. Reading your site gives me hope that one day I can get mine taken out. Thanks again for this informative site and good luck to us all.

634. Hi All, I have had the same procedure and was wandering if any one have had problems with median nerve. I think my coils have attached to the nerves and now causing untold pain. I am having so much problems since I had this done and really wish I never did it.

635. hi george yes i confirm that deep tissue massage also helped me greatly… though for me it’s a half solution, you still don’t feel quite right. removing the coils took me the rest of the way

636. Hi my name is George and I have posted on here a couple times in the past year because I just had a horrifically experience with a varicocele embolization. I had lost hope for a while and I was in quite a bit of pain and unable to exercise. But the thing I want to make clear is not to lose hope. I really freaked myself out and I did have a lot of quite a bit of pain but I let myself get to the point where I lost hope.
     So for my case and I’m not saying that everyone is in the same situation but for me it wasn’t the actual coils that were causing the pain it was the freakishly tight muscles around the coils that my therapist was able to get loosened up and release. So before you go get all your coils removed try just having a therapist get those muscles released first. My therapist said she had never seen anything like this before but my whole left side was so tight around those coils and she has been a therapist for 30 years! the good news is she was able to get them all to release and loosen up. It took about 12 visits to get them all to loosen up and stay loose.
     But I agree that if I had the choice I would never do this again thank you so much

637. Hey Admin. It would be nice to hear some follow up on the guys who have removed their coils. How the recovery went and how they feel now.

638. Usually I am a victim of the doctors but luck was finally with me that I found this site just before my scheduled embolization with coils. I cancelled it now for good. I wish you all speedy recoveries and peace. At least know that I read your stories and you saved me from going down the same road. Thank you so much! God Bless you!

639. could one really know? just don’t do it

640. I was scheduled for a bilateral varicocele embolization last week but cancelled it after finding this site. I told the doctor I have an allergy to platinum so he said he would use titanium if necessary. Is titanium just as bad? He wants me to reschedule. Thank you.

641. @Donald : i think you mean “i will cancer my embolization right away and try to get laparoscopic surgery” or another type of direct surgery. unfortunately i cannot advise on any other type of varicocele operation, i have no expertise or experience in the matter.

642. i have no opinion or experience with sclerotherapy.

643. What is your opinion on the use sclerotherapy to treat varicoceles?

644. I know how u guys feel , varicocele alone is a pain in the ass , but with the emboization , it just makes it worse , I got my embolization done back in 2011, it’s been 6 years and my varicocele pain never fully went away , I check for reoccurrence , and the docter’s say my vein is normal , now I realize that the pain that I get is from the embolization itself , I get lower back pain, groin pain , left and right testicle pain , same pain like varicocele sometimes it comes and goes , I’m 24 years old, and I hate living this life , and docter’s dont help

645. Chip & Michael,

     Could you provide more information on the removal method? Open surgery or laparoscopic and where the coils removed or the vein?

     What where the symptoms of the metal poisoning, eosinophilia, prediabetes, and inflammation? Was it determined by blood tests? Was the inflammation noticable by c-reactive protein (CPR)?

646. My coils have just been removed on both sides yesterday. I’m now “coils free”! I’m suffering from the operation. Is was a very difficult surgery. I have to take medicine to reduce my pains. A coil was taken in my muscle and involved chronicle pains and difficulties in moving. Best

647. Great to hear chip. i’ve added his name to the doctor list. keep us posted on your recovery
     best
     ave

648. Dr. Kevin Petersen of No Insurance Surgery in Las Vegas NV removed my embolization coils.

     His practice is based around removing faulty hernia meshes – which cause many similar effects to coils. He is a very accomplished general surgeon.

     His website is noinsurancesurgery.com – he and his staff are very good people that saved my life.

     He removed my mesh in 2014 and my coils in April 2017. My 6 embolization coils were installed because the faulty inguinal hernia mesh crushed my left spermatic vein.

     I developed metal poisoning, eosinophilia, prediabetes, and constant inflammation after having the coils installed.

649. i’m sorry to hear this stuart. i don’t know much about white blood cell counts sorry. perhaps someone else?

650. I had a coil migrate to my right atrium and embed on the wall and coils in my pelvic I get pain in chest and my white cell count has dropped to 0.08 could this be linked ? I am in isolation in hospital

651. hi steph
     doing great. you can see my updates on the page http://againstvaricoceleembolization.org/?page_id=111

652. Hi admin,

     Can you tell us how is your feeling after 5 months of coils remove?

     Thanks.

653. thank you very much
     you guys helped me before i take that dicision
     I WILL NOT DO VARICOCELE EMBOLIZATION NVER EVER
     god bless you guys
     and please try publish this page to everyone
     doctors should be sued for this

654. I got my MELISA (Memory Lymphocyte Immunostimulation Assay) today and am strongly positive towards Tungsten and Iridium, two metals in my coil (8% Tungsten, & trace Iridium). Considering everything I have read, I feel convinced that most of my bad health since my embolization in December 2015 starts with this reaction. Within the past two months, I had leg pain and went to the ER to find out that I have a DVT. I feel that my blood just hasn’t been right for quite some time. I feel like my body has just been fighting something. I have read about fibromyalgia and histamine reactions and many symptoms line up with what I have dealt with some say a cause for both might be metal hypersensitivity. I hope that this result opens the door for me to have my coils removed because every attempt I have made this far has failed. Has anyone else had a MELISA test done? Has anyone else had blood clotting issues?

655. Thankyou Admin and Steph. I have a meeting with the doctor doing the procedure today. I will be highlighting my concerns arising from this blog and will either seek alternative surgery or as you say, be at peace with my body!
     Id be interested in anyones use and experience of Vitamin C products for Varicocele pain relief as I have read this online and would like further information.
     Thank you for your feedback and for the website, I hope it can assist others.

656. nodny,

     there is another technique to reduce varicoceles. it’s possible to have a surgery to close the vein. There are other complications but not the same.
     For T levels, i didn’t get a blood test done but i think it’s more of a stress reaction.

657. nodnyl
     it goes without a doubt that varicoceles are not pleasant. but embolization is worse. i, and others here, know from experience. personally, i am not hairy, but i am a fighter. i can say that my T levels dropped dramatically after my embolization although the cause and effect relationship is not certain. T levels are also related to stress, and physical conditioning, and arousal….. so if getting an embolization worsenes all of these by creating nightmarish pain cycles, T levels will probably decrease, as it did for me.
     i wouldnt do the embolization if i were you. look into direct surgery perhaps, or being at peace with your body.
     a

658. I was due for a Varicocele embolisation next tuesday. I just phoned the hospital to highlight my concerns following the finding and reading of this blog this morning. Fortunately my operation has been cancelled due to the doctor being away and is now penciled in for next month.

     Following the ultrasound results i was told that the varicocele on my left testicle is more pronounced than any the specialist has seen before (20 years experience) and whereby the ultrasound results are often hard to read, my varicocele was very engorged and the specialist feels the procedure will be very helpful to alleviate pain.
     About 6 months ago i was struggling with aching and pain worse than ever before, i have had the varicocele diagnosed 6 years ago ( im 31). This led to a disinterest in sex due to the subsequent pain following ejaculation, as well as occasional pain in daily life with exercise.

     Following the reading of the blog i am now very alarmed and don’t know if i want to go through with the embolisation.
     Major concerns i have arise regarding testosterone levels. im not a particularly hairy guy and not a very tough fighter of a man, whether this is due to a low testosterone level i am unsure.

     A few questions-
     -Do any other varicocele sufferers experience a dull pain following sex?
     -Is the pain constant or comes and goes? (mine occasionally hurts when doing strenuous activities, i work outside with animals so am quite fit and active.)
     -Does varicoceles lead to occasional ED? or could this be unrelated?
     -Left untreated will the pain increase over time?

     Many thanks for a very informative blog and for others sharing their experiences.

659. Coils can be seen on xray. To see if migration has occurred you would have to have the radiologist original coil placement scans and compare the position to your current xray. Once the tissue in the vein has clotted and scarred down I would see migration being rather difficult. I think that is why they tell you to take it easy for the first few days for the coil to set and clot.

660. – So it’s the actual migration that is dangerous, not the material being inside the body itself?
     – Can the coils migrate months post surgery or only during the healing phase?

661. A follow up to my last message. I know most everyone on here are men. I had embolisation coils put in for varicose veins and have awful autoimmune problems ever since. The coils were Balt platinum and tungsten but maybe had trace amounts of other metals. I would love to speak to Cindy above as her story is similar to mine. My condition continues to deteriorate sadly. I feel I’m dying very slowly. I’ve tried to find someone else to have a go at removing the coils. I consulted another vascular surgeon who thought it was outrageous. He said he would try to find someone willing to try. Never heard back. I consulted 4 solicitors. None wanted to take on the case. A lovely doctor I see in Harley st. A dr denning helps me and referred a patient to me who cancelled the surgery. I felt I’d saved someone’s life. I’m still desperate to find a surgeon. Meanwhile my gut is appalling. My muscles and spine are degenerating. My spleen meridian is blocked. I see the radiologist who did this is still using coils but different ones. He did not have the courage to face me ( dr Lopez) he’s written papers ! I’ve amassed so many papers. Metal should not be in the human body especially if you have metal sensitivity. Are there any pioneering doctors out there. There must be?? Any help advice please.

662. @eric, i’m sorry i have no experience or advice in this matter, though i really liked the “mourning star” metaphor. a german translation i’m assuming; quite nice

663. @michael, in my opinion: you can see the coils in an xray but there is no way to tell if they have migrated.

664. Hi michael
     thanks for the kind words. unfortunately i don’t have any experience in large varicoceles, mine was rather small. perhaps someone else could advise….

665. Hello fellas,

     Firstly I’d like to thank the creator of this site on behalf of everyone he’s helping, you’re are a hero Admin!

     After reading the full story and all comments, can we conclude that the coils, regardless of what material they are made up of, can cause the same health issues?

     I myself had a massive varicocele in my left side which caused big pain and extreme discomfort. If I kept cooling it down and stopped sitting (laying down more), which made it diminish over time. If I performed side-crunches or similar exercises, my condition got worse. I also noticed how it came back quickly if I squeezed my penis. How is this even possible? I thought the veins going to your testicles are completely secluded from the penis, please correct me if I am wrong. Since it recurred easily, I decided to have a varicocelectomy first because I read somewhere that embolization can cause cancer. Why it can cause cancer, I do not remember, but perhaps due to what’s being explained on here (metals disturbing the inner organs?).
     You can also read on many places that an embolization has a much higher success rate if you’ve gone through a varicocelectomy first.

     Surgery went okay, but I had severe pain first week. My varicocele became smaller with time but is still present today minus the pain. Overall I feel okay today but still cannot go back to side-crunches and I have to be careful with my penis (how fun is that right?). I was reading on a few forums that varicocele in most cases is due to an unbalanced pelvic floor. I’ve tried certain yoga exercises to stimulate it but without success. Perhaps this is something that can help you guys, do some research.

     Since it did not help me, I was therefore looking online for skilled interventional radiologists to visit for an embolization, but after coming here I got cold feet.
     I still need to correct it because I also need to reduce the excessive scrotum skin that came along with years of this hell. Having one nut hanging really low can be potentially dangerous when you keep sitting on it by accident :P. But before going through with a reduction, I first have to have any varicocele removed according to my surgeon.

     Thoughts?

666. Michael from Paris

     Just one question.
     If coils had migrated in the body, can i see it easily in a radiography?
     Or is another scan / ultrasound necessary to see it ?
     Thanks for your responses

667. I had coils migrate to my right Atrium and attach the Atrium wall

668. I am very glad I have found your website, but sadly I have also had my varicocele embolized already. I was told by the worker’s comp system that I had significantly aggravated my previously unknown complex varicocele and it took legal action before I could a doctor to patch me up. Having gonads the size of softballs was incredibly unpleasant, and to find that urinary issues would leave me struggling (maybe for the rest of my life) with the need for adult diapers (windeln, panales, etc) has been dire.
     I could find virtually no frame of reference when they finally agreed to help back around 2011, and I hope this board stays active so folks know what to expect.
     I found that the complications of my surgery left me with the feeling of a “mourning star” embedded in my abdomen, and as my bladder fills the pain increases. I was also told that the embolization procedure could not be causing all of that, yet I was training for a Marathon before the injury, and now 6 years later I cannot distance run without feeling that intense pain in my side/abdomen. I have two coils: one starts just below my rib cage, and the other is in my lower abdomen.
     Although coping with naproxen Sodium and/or ibuprofen has helped, one of the few NSAID methods I have found to help cope is to wear diapers to help support and cushion my sensitive parts.
     Has anyone else found relief through the use of diapers, or am I still part of the 1% of the world struggling to cope in this manner?
     Thank you (Danke) for reading this far in a very long and informative website.
     -Eric in Ohio

669. Hello, I am still trying to figure out what is going on inside my body. I am getting a MELISA metal allergy/hypersensitivity test done to see my blood has any responses to metal that might be causing my fibromyalgia-like symptoms on the left side of my body. MELISA company out of Germany has found metal hypersensitivity to cause many of the things people describe on this website. While a allergic or hypersensitive reaction to platinum is very rare, most metals coils are not 100% platinum. Cook Medical has stated that “The Nester Embolization Coils are made of Platinum wire (specified as 92% platinum and 8% tungsten) and Nylon 6,6 fiber. The “PGM (platinum group metals) impurities shall be limited to 1000 maximum parts per million each.” These include rhodium, iridium, palladium ,and ruthenium. So there might be very small amounts of these in the raw platinum that we receive.

     I am also testing for mercury, cadmium, and lead. If my blood does not react to any of the metals then I will think that it is an energy block in the spleen meridian that is messing me up. My intercostal pain and rib pain has gotten less severe over the last couple of months which makes me think it was fall related. I still get flare-ups of strong pain and anxiety but am dealing with it better, knowing that it eventually fades to a nagging new normal of not feeling myself as the lesser me. I have taken myself off of all medicine and am only taking St. John’s Wort, Ashwaghanda, and Nettle Leaf Tea. The three have helped greatly with anxiety, inflammation, and mood-leveling.

     I appreciate this site and the feeling that I am not alone and hope to have my coils removed as soon as I can.

670. albino,
     i advise against doing anything just because you’ve “heard” a varicocele affects testosterone, etc. if you have pain, or have scientific analysis showing you have reduced sperm quality, then think about doing something. i don’t know about the non-coil operations (although stephane has a non metal insertion and he has been having extreme pain).

     **if you’re subconsciously thinking of getting operations to try to help other non associated problems of self-questioning** : i suggest accepting your body as it is, and anyone who loves you will do the same.

671. stephane yes no pain here
     i had a bit of pain at the muscle scarrring located at the second insertion point but i have been doing yoga since the removal and it’s loosened up considerably so i no longer have this pain… even while running or stretching.

672. hi,

     are you totally without pains after the removal ?

673. Hi,

     I’ve been looking into having an embolization, but I have decided to reconsider after finding your website. Just wanted to leave a message thanking you all for sharing your experiences.

     Cheers,
     DP

674. Hi guys, I’ve been lurking this page for a long time. I’m 21 with a varicocele. I understand that I should avoid the coil embolization, but what about liquid embolization and varicocelectomy? Or should I just keep my varicocele? If you’re wondering why I was worried about my varicocele it’s because I heard it affects testosterone, testicle size and sperm quality.

     Thank you guys

675. Stephane
     It is interesting to know that your embolization is not titanium but in a polymer material. So it seems the problem is not just with the metal
     best
     a

676. The doctor i have consulted for coil removal is Dr Belley at Diagoneses Hospital in Paris 12 but i want have a second advice before surgery because for my case i dont know if its a muscular problem to disturb my body after the surgery or if it’s an allergy with the coils. they are not in titanium but in a polymer material.

     for the second question, actually i just joined a lawyer who is depending of anadvi to have an advice. i will have a meeting in 2 weeks.
     Anadvi is a special community of lawyers who work on bodily harm after medical surgery.

     best

677. I had a rather large varicocele from the age of 13. Like most teenaged boys, I was very insecure about it and though I learned to cope it remained bothersome. 27 years later, at the age of 40 a urologist told me that it could be dealt with.

     So, I had the embolization procedure done in March of 2014 at the Rocky View hospital in Calgary Canada. My doctor (Dr. Gotto) told me it was safe that it was being done every where. The surgeon, (Dr, Welsh) reassured me that it was completely safe. Two years later however, I started experiencing pain, and erectile dysfunction.

     When I contacted my doctor about it, I was denied service. In fact, both doctors who recommended the treatment refused to see me. I went to various clinics and emergency wards to get referrals to another urologist.

     A year later I met (Dr. Barr) who works for the same hospital. Before I could raise any concerns, he informed me that the pain was caused by a hernia I had had and that the coils were impossible to remove. Clearly, he had an explanation to give me before he heard what I had to say.

     My suspicion is that all three doctors (and likely the health system) are aware of this issue and are playing the denial game. Like many people I used to trust doctors and the Health Care System. Now I realize that we are all guinea pigs to them.

     I wish I had been more distrusting and done the research before having the procedure. It seems I will have to live with this issue as private Health Care is denied in many parts of Canada.

     Hopefully, our stories will prevent others from having it done and perhaps, one day a class action lawsuit against the Hospitals that promote this procedure can be filed.

678. Hi Stephane
     Which urologist in Paris did you see that is willing to remove the coils?
     If you go to court (justice, as you say), i would be happy to testify (i am based in Paris).
     best
     a

679. Hi guys,

     same operations in oct 2015 and same answer from the radiologist. “I understand you have pains but i dont understand why coils give this kind of problem, that never appear”. And my urologist told me “you must see with the radiologist . I can’t do anything for you and it’s not me who made the surgery”. Good guys. I’m starting to go in justice but before i want to feel me better. In france we have 2 years after the surgery to go in justice.

     For me, two specials events :

     – a big pain in my back at the end of the surgery, my leg move up but the radiologist didn’t see anything… he told me 1 minute before “may be you can feel a little burn”. Yes very little…!!! I asked to an other radiologist and he didn’t understand why i had a big pain during surgery…. i think he put coils so close from the psoas.
     – The clinic loose my radio … Software problem… yes it’s possible…Now it’s difficult for other urologist to understand the surgery. Scan is not enough.

     I met an urologist in Paris who told me that he can removed them but i’m afraid to resolve my actual problem and start with other problems…

     Actually my most important pains are on my vertebral column (burn) and the night on the left part, i think it’s psoas muscle but i’m not sure.
     I saw an osteopath 2 times 3 and 5 weeks ago and a beginning of pain appear on my right.

     Well i dont know what to do…

680. hi james
     could you please specify if your pain in 2003 was post-operatoire from the embolization, or from the varicocele itself? if from the varicocele itself, have you ever had coil pain?
     obviously i, and probably most people on this forum, would suggest NOT getting a(nother) embolization.
     a

681. Hello, I had this operation back in 2003 and I had a lot of pain back then, but now the coil has failed and the vein re-built itself.

     I was ok living with the pain of the new re-built varicocele (I just wear tighter pants) but now I don’t want anymore kids, so I was booked in for ‘the snip’. I had an ultra sound to confirm the coil has failed and that to get the snip I need another coil… As the varicocele needs to be removed first

     Now I’m not sure I want another one as the first failed? And I don’t know what to do?

     Any advise? I don’t know what to do about the old coil and if I should get another one?

     Thank guys

682. Hey guys,

     I’ve been keeping a close eye on this website pretty much since I’ve had an embolization done on november 8th. The embolization itself apparantly went well even though the radiologist had trouble getting to the vein and it took a lot longer than it usually does. After the treatment I only had some lower back pain but on the 2nd day I also started to feel pain in my lower left abdomen and I didn’t feel well. It basically felt like a needle stinging into in my intestine. That’s also when I first stumbled upon this website and I wish I had before because then I would’ve just gone for the varicocelectomy or even natural treatment and spare myself a lot of trouble. My urologist thought that perhaps I had a trombose in my kidney vein so I got sent to the ER and got a CT scan of my abdomen and they couldn’t find anything serious. Back at home I discovered that when I lay on my left side the pain would subside and so I could sleep. The pain then diminished within a couple of days. A little over a week later the varicocele re-emerged with a vengeance. The varicocele pain subsided after some time but the pain in my lower left abdomen and back came back to hunt me and I’ve been experiencing it interuptedly and in various degrees ever since. It’s a very nasty kind of neuropathic pain and It’s most often triggered when I sit. It basically feels like my body is sending so many signals to my brain that I can’t think clear, concentrate and have trouble with short-term memory and it makes me feel horrible. Everytime it happens it feels like as if the coils come into contact with a nerve or something. Anybody else experiencing this as well? Just like the admin I’ve also been having constipation and my abdomen often makes weird noises and I sometimes have cramps. It also feels like my heart is pumping a little faster than normal. All in all this is slowly tiiring me out tremendously, especially because I have a lot of trouble sleeping and I’m often anxious and depressed. Like others it’s ruining my life. Luckily my urologist has offered to try to remove the coils, but he doesn’t quite seem sure on how to do it yet. He was thinking of just removing the vein in which the coils are placed. I’m not sure whether that will be a good idea even though the vein is supposed to have died off the way I understand it. I’ve told him that these procedures have already happened with success and I’m going to give him the names of the doctors who performed it next time I see him as well as a link to the videos. I hope that will make a difference.

     Last but not least I want to thank the admin for setting up this very helpful and important blog and I really hope you’ll keep it running for as long as possible. I don’t know where I would’ve been without this. Probably losing my mind and instead this has helped me make sense of it all and it’s reassuring knowing that there are many others with similar issues.

683. Good morning,

     Scott,thanks for your reply.
     If I understand, your pain was due to your hypersensitivity towards metal.
     As far I’m concerned, my coils are Nester. (100% platinum ?)
     However, did your coils play a part in your pains too? (I mean, a “mechanical action” on your pelvis, independently of metal itself )
     Do you feel really better after your coils were removed ?

684. salut michael,

     speaking for myself, yes the removal of the coils helped me much and i would do it again. it helped reduce the pain, yes, and above and beyond, it reduced this weird sensation of having something foreign in the body and that something is wrong. also, my removal surgeon confirmed that the coils were attached to the colon, thus confirming my suspicions that the coils had a major impact on my digestive system. since removal, my digestive system has been much more regular.
     the removal recovery has not been perfect, see http://againstvaricoceleembolization.org/?page_id=111 for more info, but i have no regrets and would do it again.
     you can find fabio’s story here: http://www.topix.com/forum/med/urology/TUUCU6D07IG3MPM8J/p5

685. hi
     i have already done a fair amount of emailing to google, via all the various feedback pages; they haven’t yet responded. as for calling, i don’t know where i should call.
     best
     a

686. Why don’t you call or email Google. And ask why the site has been black listed. There are a host of potential reasons and it may have nothing to do with the content. It might be a simple issue to correct.

687. My family doctor referred me to Virginia Mason to get my coils removed. They basically said they would need to do a consult first to diagnose (medically) why and recommended that I have a consult in Ohio before I fly to Seattle and waste the time and money. I called my original urologist and radiologist team that recommended and performed the embolization in the first place. My radiologist ordered a ESR Sed Rate test and a CT Scan to look for inflammation and abnormalities. I am expecting both to come back normal and be stuck with my coils. I have looked into a MELISA test for metal hypersensitivity towards metal. Those of you that have got the coils removed, what testing (positives) have you had that triggered a doctor to order the coils removed? Thanks.

688. So I tell you about my “short” story.
     My English is not fluent and I apologize.

     In may 2014, a bilateral varicocele (grade > 3!) was diagnosed by ultrasound.
     My spermogram was a disaster !

     We had then a “baby plan” with my wife.
     So I quickly decided (I was 38 years old!) to undergo a first operation in the left side.
     2 left spermatic veins was embolized “with succes” accordind to the Radiologist…

     However, in the days after I left hospital, I felt some discomfort in different areas : pubis, groin, pain went up along the right side.
     It was not an unbearable pain, but my movements were annoyed.
     It was a strange sensation, difficult to be described.

     Unlikely to most of the stories I read in your webside, I felt pain on the side where the Radiologist had opened to introduce the catheter, and not on the left side where coils were placed.

     I felt permanent symptoms since the embolization : digestive problems, important sexual problems, fatigue chronique syndrome, pelvic pain.

     In august 2016, a chronic prostatis was diagnosed. (without a bacterium was identified)
     Il feel to the famous “numb” as you said in your story, a loss of sensibilty in the pelvis.
     It’s difficult to say if the relations exists between coils and the prostatis.

     My Urologist recently said my that coils could be involved in my pains.
     Coils might probably stick to muscle tissues and disturb moves.

     So I ask you these questions :
     What do you do to reduce your pains ?
     Finally, did your coils be removed ?
     If “yes”, do you feel better after the removal?
     Do you think that coils could generate a chronic prostatitis ?

     I’m suffering more and more each day… My life is a nightmare. Thanks for your reply.

     Yours sincerely

     PS. Could you please give me the link of the “story of Fabio”

689. scott
     thanks for the link. i have filled out the google form but i have no idea if it will work—that page is for copyright infringements, which is obviously not the case here. but i gave it a shot.
     it’s quite frustrating for such an informative and beneficial site to be blacklisted.
     a

690. https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905?hl=en, if you click on web search there is a section that says, One or more pages on my site have been removed due to a legal complaint, and I would like them restored. I wonder if you click on that if you woild get any more information on why your results have been pushed away.

691. I hope I am not responsible in any way for your google censorship. I am a teacher and had time off work for the holidays. I contacted a couple medical malpractice attorneys via contact forms online, mentioning the againstvaricoceleembolization website as proof that their are more like me. My conspiracy theory side of me thinks that maybe one of those websites works for the medical industry and with a company like reputation defender pushes unwanted results off google’s search list.

692. Hi Chris
     i have definitely experienced degree erectile dysfunction. this began about 1 1/2 years after my embolization. see section “NUMB, DEAD FEELING” in the “full story” page on this website
     as mentioned in previous posts, i have suspicions that embolizations affect testosterone levels in a negative way, at least for me, though certain scientific studies have shown that the opposite seems to be true, at least short term. because they affect blood flow to/from the testicules, this does not seem impossible. but i have no scientific evidence for this statement, just my own subjective opinion.
     good luck, and i hope you don’t have any pain issues in the future.
     a

693. scott, i am not sure, but i have nestor coils https://www.cookmedical.com/products/di_mwcen_webds/ and i think they are all platinum
     best
     a

694. I had a varicocele embolization procedure (single cool / left side) in August of this year (unfortunately prior to finding this site) – within 6 weeks I had developed erectile dysfunction – something I have had no previous history of. I am mid 40’s have normal blood pressure, no diabetes and all my blood test and testosterone levels checked out normal. I have no other underlying health problems.

     I have seen 2 consultant urologists, a specialist andrologist and spoken with the interventional radiologist who carried out the procedure (who reviewed the video of my operation with a colleague) -all of them tell me there is no possible link between my ED and the varicocele embolization. This is either an enormous coincidence or I am not getting the full facts. I would be very grateful for any similar experiences or thoughts on my position.?

     I don’t however experience any back, side or abdominal pain that others have described here.

695. Does anyone know if the coils are 100% platiinum or are they mixed with other metals?

696. yes it come and go, bt my scrotum usually remain hot and red..

697. Rahul, do you still have the “pain of extreme nature” or did it go away with the emoblization?
     a

698. Hi Scott,
     I have tried to contact Kevin, as of now to no avail. So I don’t know how he is doing. I will keep you posted if he responds.
     Best
     A

699. I do have a pain which is of extreme nature sometime, during color doppler test it show varicocele of grade 1 , my doctor insist me to get it repaired by embolization.

     Now i having i strange kind of pain on my leg/thigh and some time lower back pain, i am afraid that it is related to embolization.

700. Can you see if Kevin will give me his email. I want to see how he is doing with the coil removal recovery? I am interested in flying to Seattle to have my coils removed. I am wondering how his follow up has been and what his pre-removal consult and surgery prep was like.

     I would really like to locate a doctor closer to Ohio that will remove the coils, but so far I am unsuccessful.

     Toronto is not to as far as Seattle, but I would have to have my passport renewed. I also tried to contact Finelli and didn’t have any success. I talked with the schedulers at Virginia Mason and all I need is an order from my family doctor or urologist to get the ball rolling with Dr Kozlowski and Dr Brandenberger.

     Thanks,
     Scott

701. Hi Rahul
     Why did you get the embolization if you didn’t feel the “worms” in your scrotum before the operation?

702. I had varicocele embolization done on me. Before this procedure i had pain which come and go and never feel worm like thing in my scrotum. But after procedure i start feeling bundles of worm like thing in my scrotum and on both testis.from few days i am having l leg/thigh pain and lower back pain. Did any one feel lyk the way iam feeling post embolization.
     Mohamed and admin can u please tell my after your surgery ( removal of coil) is that vein has blood flow or it dead.

703. thanks for the clarification mike
     indeed you are right about the varicocele explanation.
     i am aware that certain scientific studies have proven that embolizations actually increase testosterone (see http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/10/2303.long for example). but this study measured before embolization and 4-6 months after. it is not impossible that i happen to fall in the 3% of population (according to their study) that had a negative testosterone impact after embolization, or that things change after more time.
     personally, i noticed a distinct change in energy levels after about 2 years after embolization.
     is this my isolated case, is it related to pain or other complications, or even other unrelated coincidental occurrences? hard to say.

704. Hey admin the actual purpose of the embolization is to block the vein not the artery. The artery is what supplies blood flow to the testicle and the vein pumps deoxiginated blood away from the testicle back to the heart. The embolization is done because a faulty valve in the vein is causing blood to drain back down to the testicle causing pooling of blood and excess heat.

705. hi Daniel
     Yes if they placed metal coils they will be visible via x-rays. if they used sclerosing agents, i would guess that the embolizations are not visible via xray.
     and yes, obviously we think the coils are messing up your body.
     to respond to your comment, your symptoms indeed correspond with many symptoms of people who have commented on this website, including myself.
     i have a suspicion that embolization has a serious impact on testosterone levels, which in turn has an impact on many of the things you mentioned. For me, it felt like i was “dead” inside. No drive to do anything.
     Could embolizations have a negative impact on testosterone over time? Testosterone is a hormone that affects men not only sexually, but has a huge impact on many aspects of the body, hormonally, physically and metabolically. (see for example http://www.healthline.com/health/low-testosterone/effects-on-body ) . It seems logical to me that changing the blood flow to or from the testes could have an impact on testosterone. (admin note: see next comment for more info)
     Please note : these are not professional opinions, so i do not know if scientifically they are solid.

706. I had a varicocele surgery 10 years ago, my life changed and have never recovered, I don’t know if they a placed coil, is there a way to know? Like with x rays? Since the surgery I have suffered a lot of symptoms that have ruined my life, some veins around the shaft and in the left part of the penis dilated, I feel varicose stiffed veins in the left hip bone, more varicose veins on the left last rib, a lot of chronic fatigue and fibromialgia symptoms, brain zaps, neck stiffness, eyes sight problems, hearing problems, muscle stiffness, cramps, bruxism, temporomandibular problems, anxiety, depression, tingling sensory feelings around my head, irreality and desrealization perception, irritable blader and colon, compression around the head, neck, memory problems, balance problems, during all these years I have tried multiple treatments like anxiety pills but nothing has helped, seen a lot of doctors without results, do you think that it is the coils messing up my body?

707. Thanks Mike for the comment and i can say that things are already starting to get back to normal. i am still quite busy, but i will write a status update this weekend
     all the best

708. Hey admin it’s Mike from Toronto. When I said surgery went well and with out complication did not mean I was back 2 normal 2 or 3 days later. I meant that there was no complications with the surgery and that it took some time to recover like any surgery would. I agree with Mohammad in that you must take it easy and give your body a chance to recover. It’s best to ease into resuming your normal activities but don’t push it.

709. Hi Admin
     Since i am A doctor , And i went through the healing process after my first procedure ,
     i Just want to clarify some of yours concerns which might be helpful ….
     1) the Antibiotic Allergy is something that could happen with anyone regardless of the procedure. And its can be treated and avoided next time .

     2) hematoma at the incision site as you said its related to the early strenuous activity so take it easy for the first few days …and even it happens it will resolve spontaneously it just need some time.

     3) total healing take time usually reach stability at 3 month .in the mean time its normal to still feel the surgical inflammation which you can take bruffen temporary to reduce and regarding the activity increase it gradually the body will adapt in a better way ….

     4) regarding the colon and bowls.. after any abdominal laparoscopic operation the colon and bowls take some time to get back to full normal function and i didn’t see your operation video so i don’t know exactly the relation of the removed coil to the bowl and the colon & how was there surgical technique because some time they dissect and relase small part of the colon to have afull access to the vein & upper coils …which in general will heal perfectly as well but also need some time …i see it all the time post operative patient who had operation around that area as well…

     So no worries ….just wait …you are still in what they call the acute phase …
     from my experience all these symptoms will go away within 2 to 3 month maximum…..
     Take it easly ….

710. Hi scott
     thanks for the inquiry
     sorry i have been very busy recently so i haven’t had too much time to post. i will try to update my pages more in depth in the upcoming days.
     my situation is complex because i had serious sharp and dull radiating pain for 2+ years after the original surgery in 2008, and slowly this pain subsided but things still didn’t feel right. notably super tightness during sports and intestinal issues. The past couple years i have not had sharp pain but it seemed that the coils affected the flow of my intestine.
     post surgery, overall this weird “something not right feeling” is much better, which i know is difficult to quantify but my abs and colon are notably much much less tight, on a daily basis.
     this being said, the removal operation has not been so perfect and without consequences as some have alluded, as if it’s quick in and out and everything is perfect.
     1) my antibiotic rash is almost gone so that’s good and on the right track
     2) i have developed a hematoma right beside the middle incision point. probably due to sneezing/laughing/being too active post-surgery. theoretically this will dissolve and disappear over time. I have also noticed some smaller nodes in the tissue below the bottom incision point. hard to tell what is hematoma and what is scar tissue forming
     3) i am experiencing what seems like interior inflammation where the coils were removed. I am trying to take it a bit easy but not too much bc i would like for the tissue to heal in a way that is adapted to normal usage. so i have been stretching, i did yoga and went running this past weekend. not sure if i should do this or not.
     4) my colon is still experiencing some degrees of tightness. seemed much much better after the surgery but now some tighteness has come back.
     will post more as soon as possible
     best

711. How are Kevin and the admin of this website doing in regards to the coil tortures:

     Are these things you described in earlier posts gone? I know both have said you have felt better since the removal, but I am hoping for more specifics.

     “a strange left side, dull, mid abdomen cramp,” “the crease of my waist pinched the inflamed point while sitting,” I read somewhere, someone described it, “as a deep internal inflammation? Kevin, could you describe the pain and discomfort in more detail when you said, “I noticed pain and discomfort in the area where the coils and metal devices were placed.” and is it gone?

     I am trying to differentiate from pain I might have received from a fall and pain that might be caused by my coils. Has anyone that has had the varicocele embolization had a dull ache like a pulled muscle from your left pectoral or nipple down toward your hip joint or inguinal area? When I lift my head and look up at like the ceiling, I feel the dull pain pull all through my left side. Has stress or anger ever aggravated or elevated anyone’s pain or inflammation to a higher level? Has anyone experienced pain in between ribs, intercostal pain, on your left side after the embolization procedure? Has anyone experienced a fairly constant side-stitch like cramp between your ribs and hip on the left side? Has anyone experienced anxiety after the coils have been placed inside you?

     Thanks for your responses, I am trying to figure out what has been going on inside me since I have had the coils placed inside me.

712. Hello Everyone Again
     Its Angel peace from the youtube vedio laparoscopic varicocele coil removal
     This was my first operation :
     https://youtu.be/WPk011t__OE
     https://youtu.be/xu3bNv882TI

     On December 4 2016 , yesterday , i did my second surgery with the same surgeon of the first operation Dr.Fahad Bamehriz to remove more remaining coils.
     i am doing fine , procedure went smoothly without any complications.
     Again I can feel the difference already.
     the site of removal is pain free .
     people who is suffering from these coils don’t wait..put a stop to this suffering…..go and find General surgeon or laparoscopic Urologist to remove these coils and get free from there complications…

713. thanks fabio for your input
     i’m sorry i don’t do facebook unfortunately but i hope this site will continue to keep up the conversation
     good luck. there is also another italian, Davide, that is searching for a doctor in italy.
     you could come to Paris to do it but it seems this would be costly
     best

714. Dear all,
     I underwent a varicocele (IV degree) embolization procedure in 2007 in Italy; the doctor implanted a number of “Balt” coils in my left spermatic vein. From the moment of the operation I started feeling a sense of slight pressure in my bottom-left abdomen, basically where the coils are located, and, intermittently, a slight pain. In the years, both the sense of pressure and the pain increased in frequency and intensity.
     In 2014 this pain increased significantly and, unfortunately, I discovered that the left varicocele returned again of IV degree. Given that I did not have kids yet, in 2015 I underwent another procedure, with a different doctor and using only a sclerosant foam (no additional coils this time). During the operation the doctor saw the coils implanted in 2007 and said he was surprised about the number of coils what were used (at least 4) that cover a length of 15 cm and have a diameter of 8-10 mm.
     I am 44 and I am a very active person, I practice a lot of sport and I am very conscious about my health and fitness. At this point, both physically and emotionally I cannot stand any more the idea of having these coils in my body for the rest of my life.

     I have decided to start my journey to find a surgeon that is willing to remove the coils; I had some initial conversations with a few doctors and, as you can imagine, they all said that it is “impossible” to have the coils removed.
     Despite this, I will certainly not give up.
     I decided to share my story both to contribute to the stated goals of this website and hoping to get some inputs on how to find a way to get rid of these coils preferably here in Italy, or anywhere else. If anybody knows a doctor who can do this, please share. If I manage to find one, I will be happy to share as well.
     Just an idea for this group: would it make sense to create a closed FaceBook group? It would probably make the conversations easier. In any case I would like to thank he creator of this website an all those who have shared and will share their stories!

715. my personal, unprofessional opinion: get the coils out asap. don’t wait for the unconfortableness or pain to go away. if the pain is in the same zone as the coils, i would be very surprised if it wasn’t because of the coils. if you want to play it safe, wait a couple months to hear about kevin’s recovery as well as my own. that being said, it takes a while to find a doctor willing to do it, so you could probably go ahead and start that search.
     best

716. I had a varicocele embolization performed Dec. 21st, 2015 using platinum coils. I noticed immediate relief in the pressure of my “bag of worms” and felt relieved that I had made it through my first major surgery alive (I hate hospitals). After surgery, beside the relief of pressure, another thing I noticed was a fairly constant side stitch pain that wouldn’t go away, under my ribs and above my hip on my left side. It wasn’t any pain that was over the top it just felt like unusually tight and not normal similar to a running cramp and pretty constant. Looking back, I also realized my attitude and behavior started to be more erratic, irritable, and aggressive. I am a school teacher and things would annoy me easier and I would not respond to situations in the calm way that I used to. I called the Doctor that performed my embolization and told him about the discomfort and he told me that the side stitch pain was unrelated to the embolization.

     I thought the longer I wait the better I will feel. I thought maybe this discomfort is from the vein die off or just the after effects of the stuff used in the procedure.

     Then, in February of 2016, I fell and suffered physical trauma to my chest. This pain mingled with the side effects from the embolization made me feel like I was going to die. I had terrible anxiety and could not think about hardly anything but my pain. Between February and August, I went to the ER twice, my family doctor many times, had chest x-rays, EKG, ECG, Upper Quadrant Ultrasound, and a Colonoscopy. During all of this time, my family doctor simply keeps telling me, “I am fine and that rib injuries just take time to heal.” In the last 8 months, I have thought I have had, heart problems, hiatal hernia, enlarged spleen, pancreatitis. IBS, Gluten sensitivity, costochondritis, intercostal sprain or tear with a hematoma, periphreal nueropothy, clogged lymph system and any other diagnosis that google can tell me when I type in my symptoms. Sometimes I wonder if my fall caused any of my symptoms at all and if all of my symptoms were embolization related?

     Now that I am nine months since my fall, the worst of my chest pain has disappeared and now my side stitch is more prevalent. I have a fairly constant pressure on the left side of my chest and abdomen. I have inguinal pain that gets stronger when I am active and when I sit down for long periods of time. When the inguinal pain gets stronger, my chest seems to get more inflamed and my side stitch pain gets worse. like all three are related. I do not know where exactly my coils are located, but I assume the are around my hip joint because that is where I feel the most persistent pain. I am managing the pain with Duexis. But am tired of taking pills and not feeling myself.

     I feel lucky that I have not went through some of the side effects listed on this website or other discussion threads. I am 36 years old and have a 1 year old, a seven year old, and a nine year old. I want to enjoy life and be there for my kids and not be thinking about the pain and discomfort that I am in.

     I appreciate this website and the information on it. I feel like I am not alone.

     Do you think I should give things more time to figure out if my symptoms I’m experiencing are embolization related or from my fall or should I pursue removal and put this phase of my life behind me? I appreciate any feedback. I look forward to the updates from Kevin and the Admin of this site as they update us about their post-operative status.

717. They took out 4 pieces of metal. Three of them were medical devices called Amplatzer. The final piece was a coil. They made 3 incisions at about the same locations as yours. These are quite painful. I am taking Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen) every 4 hours. I do walk around my apartment as much as I can.

718. wow kevin incredible, same date…
     thanks for sharing, glad everything went well. agreed about the ab incision points, but still if noone makes me laugh i find it bearable. unfortunately my girlfriend is funny

     if you’re having intraperitoneal gas pain, apparently it’s very good to walk around as much as possible: https://healdove.com/health-care-industry/Getting-Gas-Pain-Relief-after-Surgery

     how many coils did you have taken out?

719. Hello,

     I just wanted to add my story to this board. I underwent varicocele embolization in 2010. Soon after the procedure, I noticed pain and discomfort in the area where the coils and metal devices were placed. I decided to wait it out but relief never came.

     After 5 years, the pain and discomfort had progressively worsened somewhat, and I decided to investigate. I figured out from doctor reports that the coils and metal devices used in my case contained nickel, a metal to which I am allergic.

     I then started searching for a doctor who could take them out. I was lucky because the first urologist I saw did not dismiss my problem, and, while he did not want to remove the coils himself, he directed me to the right group of people.

     Laparoscopic removal was done on November 18, 2016 (same date as the admin!) While the pain from the incision sites is significant, I can already feel great relief in the area that previously contained the coils.

     The hospital where the removal was done is Virginia Mason in Seattle, WA. The doctors who helped me were Dr Kozlowski and Dr Brandenberger. They were both very helpful, and I’m sure they would be willing to help other people with similar varicocele embolization problems, especially since they now have experience in dealing with this (I was their first case).

720. I had a right side embolization done for a grade three varicocele. The interventional radiologist told me it was a success however absolute nothing changed in the size of my testicle. I have had severe anal itching and bleeding (i think due to damage to the veinus system as the rectum is highly involved in that) and have had pain/tightness near my left kidney where the testicular vein starts.

     The medical journals misrepresent this surgery as easy, low risk and successful. While in truth the doctors just want to bill insurance companies for worthless procedures.

721. as mentioned in a previous post (i know they’re really starting to accumulate…) my coils are also nester platinum coils
     a

722. Just wondering who is the manufacturer of every one coils. Mine are Cook Nester Platinum coils. I want to see if maybe there is something wrong with a particular manufacturer’s coils.

723. hi Davide
     My surgeon says the operation is not difficult. He is convinced that it is a straight forward procedure. However, the comment of your surgeon seems logical and prudent because i have been under the impression, with no proof whatsoever except my own symptoms which may be deceiving, that the embolization attached scar tissue near the intestine and affected its mobility. thus it is logical what you say. i will bring this issue up with my surgeon, thank you.
     saluti
     a

724. Hello Admin. My name is Davide, I’m 25 and I come from Italy. I write for the operation of the spiral removal. For more than two years that I have severe pain in the back and abdomen, and I would also like to have surgery. My urologist surgeon says that the operation is difficult and there is a risk of puncturing the intenstino and losing a testicle. What says your urologist about the risks? Can I talk to Fabian?
     A greeting

725. i will try to have it filmed… but no promises though
     best
     a

726. Dear people,

     I’m Ross from England. I had this same procedure performed on me in 2008 when i was 17. I now totally desperate to have it removed ASAP. I please beg and urge that whoever it is having it removed on the 18 Nov. in Paris, PLEASE GET IT FILMED SO THERE IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW EASILY AND NON INVASIVELY IT CAN BE REMOVED.

     Doctors messing me around here telling me what I can and can’t feel and how I should feel. It’s a joke and an insult. If they felt it for one day, they would understand. My regards and respect to you all.

     Ross

727. hi LM
     how long ago was that? your phrase was missing a word — “2 __ ago”
     i don’t know the answer to your question. my advice, in the early stages after their placement, is to take it a bit easy excercise-wise. out of curiosity, why did you find this website? were you having pain?
     best
     a

728. Hi guys, im from Ireland and have just had coil embolization in which about 10 coils were inserted into my veins about 2 ago. i was fully assured of how little risk was involved and now after having read these posts i will be getting them removed asap. i very angry about the the false assurance the doctors gave me and i now have to have another op just to be back where i was. does anyone here know how long it takes for the coils to kill the vein??? as i really want to have them removed rather than take the whole vein.
     any information is much appretiated

729. God bless the people who set up and contributed to this website. You have saved many from endless pain and may Allah (God) reward you for this. I really do pray that each and every person suffering is relieved from their pain. I have been diagnosed with a varicocele but will definitely be avoiding the embolisation after reading all that I have read here. May God be with us all.

730. Hello!

     I am currently 23 years old and had a left varicocele embolization procedure done by a vascular radiologist about 7 years ago. I had a pretty bad case of “sack of worms” and it was ruining my self confidence as a teen, causing pain and major discomfort. I had the surgery and besides me having normal soreness at the incision site and internal bruising from the coils being inserted inside of my abdomen and being forced around for over an hour, I have had zero pain, a successful decrease in testicle size, normal sex drive. As of a few weeks ago, I started having strange stomach problems and pain/ numbness in my left leg. The pain comes and goes, but almost makes me sick to my stomach every time it does show up. I feel pain in my groin area up to my stomach. I went to a gastroenterologist who ran blood work, mri, and xray to try and find the sudden strange pain. He suggested the pain must be from the embolization because my digestive system seems to be normal. As of now, I am living off pain killers and destroying my stomach on a daily basis. I am off to revisit my vascular surgeon tomorrow who is ” Board certified in Diagnostic Radiology – American Board of Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology and
     Vascular/Interventional Radiology – American Board of Radiology/Vascular-Intervention”. He is a leader in vascular embolization and has preformed thousands of this kind. I will show him this website tomorrow and ask him what he thinks and try to find out what is really going on. I feel all of your pain, this is the strangest feeling I have ever had in my body and it makes me an anxious mess. As per usual, sometimes messing with nature is not the greatest idea, especially when it comes to your own body. Thank you to the creator of this website, your creation has brought attention to many real issues and has made me aware as well as many other of the risks and strange side effects of this condition and surgery, Thank you.

731. bb
     it is pretty well documented that trigger point massage can cause muscular tension pain “flaring” up before getting better, notably in the pelvic area.
     best
     a

732. Worried mama,

     As you can gather from posts from everyone on here, myself included, the risks far outweighs the benefits from coil embolization.

     There is a method of embolization that is well documented that does NOT involve the use of coils, where only the sclerosing agent is injected. This is the only type of embolization I would even consider looking at if I had to go through it again, and even then approach with extreme caution. A medical journal study detailing this approach is here:

     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18227549/

     Best of luck to you & your son

733. Charles, thanks for that helpful advice- much appreciated. Did you find that there was a period after being treated where the pain increased before it got better? I had some work done by a therapist yesterday and experienced some of my worst pain yet last night, but today am feeling like there had been a significant improvement. Thanks again,

     BB

734. Charles
     Excellent advice, i had forgotten about that. in 2012 (4 years after embolization) I found an incredible physical therapist/osteopath in Paris and he really really helped. Also a deep tissue massage therapist because i had accumulated so much tension everywhere. I still go regularly to these doctors.

735. Hi, my son is 15 and has a large vericosele on the left causing his left testical to be smaller than the right. He is a stage 3 and has been having pain for about 2years off and on. (Not an easy subject to chat about with your ma)
     We’ve been to his pcp and the urologist many times. 3 ultrasounds now and just met with the dr to perform his embolization this afternoon. We have NOT set an apt yet.
     Things all sounded almost to good to be true and just to easy a solution.
     I’ve been searching the web since, yours is really the only site i’ve found that has any negative results to the procedure. Thank you!
     I’m not sure what to do now. I surely don’t want my child in pain, I definitely don’t want to create any more problems or pain having the procedure done.
     At this point this isnt anything to do with fertility. I would love any suggestions I can pass along for relieving or lessening his pain until we figure out what to do.
     Thanks in advance.
     ~concerned mama

736. BB,

     I would suggest a physical therapist who does myofascial release. He helped reduce my pain a lot. I wasn’t able to sleep before seeing him. He was able to at least loosen up the muscles around the veins.

     Hope it gets better for you.

737. Hi Ave, thanks very much for advice on natural approach to pain management- I am going to try those. Congrats on getting your coil removal scheduled & fixing this unacceptable situation for yourself, I hope it goes smoothly and quickly for you and that your travels are safe around the procedure.

     Best,

     BB

738. Jeandre, having been through both the open surgery and the embolization for a large left sided varicocele I can tell the following:

     1. Neither of these procedures worked for me. It has recurred within 12-18 months after both.

     2. After surgery my right testicle started to atrophy… Sounds odd since the surgery was for left side? What the doctors don’t tell you is that there is risk of testicular arteries getting damaged during this operation. These arteries affect blood flow to both testicles. In my case the doctor “nicked” an artery and it has caused my right testicle to shrink.

     3. After embolization I was fine for 12-18 months until the varicocele recurred, and then in the last 3 months my life has been utter hell since something has migrated down there and I now have coils pinching/pressing nerves and other tissue. I also ended up with a large hydrocele in the process. The pain is pretty much ruining my life.

     4. Doctors are in the business of selling expensive procedures, and they also have huge egos and love to be “right”. Don’t think for a second that they will encourage you to pass on a procedure that will make them thousands of dollars in profit in a matter of an hour or two. Also, when confronted with info that is contrary to their opinion they are very, very, reluctant to concede that someone else is right and they are wrong.

     5. You only need one testical for your body to function with full fertility and testosterone levels. If you had issues on both sides I would tell you to consider doing something about the varicocele, but get your sperm and test levels checked. Then check again in 3 months.

     6. If I could go back and opt out of ever doing any of these procedures I 100% would. The risk is no where close to worth the potential / expected reward.

     7. Doctors lie. Never forget that. Malpractice and fraud litigation are very common against even the most reputable doctors so be warned that they don’t always care as much about you as they do about their own bank accounts.

     Hope this is useful info for you, I wish you the best in your journey here

     BB

739. jeandre

     you should clearly avoid coil embolization.

     your second doctor has no clue about the true consequences of embolization and is an ignorant ignorant man for categorically ignoring blogs.

     the fact that you are reading this message means that the information on this website presents convincing anecdotal evidence. you can choose to believe and/or follow it or not.

     for your information, my testosterone levels dropped dramatically after having the embolization. so the “preventative measure” for future testosterone problems is in my opinion not a good reason to have the operation. KC thinks (see previous comments) that this drop was due to the original varicocele but, as it came much later, 6-8 years, i do not believe this to be the case. Since his comments, i have began semi-natural supplements according to stephen buhner’s book “the natural testosterone plan” and have been having really great results (i’m taking DHEA, vitamin B5, zinc, rhodiola and stinging nettle root). i have more energy and drive (sexual and otherwise) than i’ve had in years.

     if you are really worried about fertility in the future, instead of paying a lot of money for surgery, i would freeze your sperm. probably cheaper and without all the medical risks.

740. hi bb
     yes my operation is still planned. probably is going to get pushed back one week, but i’ll keep everyone posted.
     as for the drugs: i am very anti-pharmaceuticals, in general. there are just so many side effects of prescribed drugs. i also found that they didn’t help me much. there are loads of websites listing natural anti-inflammatories. in my experience, fresh ginger juice is quite powerful and i have also had excellent results with stinging nettle for the prostate/genital area.
     best

741. Hey guys. I live in South Africa and was told by my urologist that my vericocele on the left has vein diameter of 3.4mm. He furthermore noted that my left testes is smaller than the right. I have pain which is a 1/10 even less. I will be able to live like this the rest of my life if it does not get worse. My sperm parameters are completely normal. Hence, essentially I am healthy as a horse.

     I was told by one urologist to leave the vericocele and monitor the semen parameters as well as the testicular atrophy at the left. He moreover suggested that if I decide to have it repaired, open surgery is suggested. He is quite old with a lot of experience in my opinion.

     A second opinion from another urologist was that I must immediately have it fixed. This doctor said that my left testicle is very small and that, if not fixed, I will have problems with testosterone and fertility in future. He furthermore pushed only for embolization as this is apparently by far the best operation to have it fixed. He says there are almost no risk and that I should not read blogs on the internet stating it otherwise. They apparently know what they are doing and I will be fixed up in no time.

     My medical aid refused to pay for the operation. They are of the opinion that this method is still in a trial period and that open surgery is the way to go. They will furthermore pay for open surgery.

     What the hell should I do. My wife and I are worried that I may become infertile. I am affraid that I will have to live with excessive pain for the rest of my life. Do I leave it as is, go for open surgery or have the embolization done and hope that I am not one of the few with complications? Or are there a lot more unsuccessful stories than we are being told by doctors?

742. Hi Ave, any word on whether you will be getting your coil removal performed in October as initially planned?

     Anyone had success managing pain without the conventional drugs?

     Quick update on my situation; the pain has been intense enough over past few weeks that I can’t sleep or work properly. My GP prescribed Tramadol (mild opiate with ASA, basically a T3) but it isn’t very effective and completely disorients me. The combination of tramadol and ibuprofen (600mg or more) seems to be only thing that works. Unfortunately, I’m now getting weird side effects from all the NSAIDs going through me taking these meds. One example is that my ears feel like they are plugged/full a little bit like being underwater.

     If anyone on the forum has had any success with pain killers / anti-inflammatorjes that are not Advil/ibuprofen, ASA/Tylenol, or naproxen/Aleve I would be greatly appreciative to learn from you?

     Best,

     BB

743. Jose,
     This is a good question, mentioned previously in some of the posts. i have no idea.

744. Hi
     Anybody knows if the problem is the coils or if it is the embolization itself?
     I ask this because I think coils are only a type of embolic agent that can be used in embolization, but not the only one: there is a kind of glue, a quimic embolic agent, wich maybe doesn´t cause any pain or side effects.

745. As predicted, my urologist pushed for a surgical repair of my hydrocele combined with surgical ligation of the varicocele veins again. That was Aug 30. I explained the pain & symptoms (which are not symptoms of hydrocele, or varicocele typically) and asked about the coils possibly being cause. He completely avoiding discussing it. I asked about removal and his response was that it would require “a massive incision opening up entire abdomen” because the coils are “buried so deep in there”. I got the sense he had never heard of coils being removed. No discussion of alternative treatment for the hydrocele was offered (there are other approaches than surgery). I get the sense that a lot of doctors like to sell routine surgeries and embolizations and really don’t like discussing things might disrupt their normal way of doing things.

     All that being said, I have since initiated contact with Dr. Finelli’s office (in Toronto) about coil removal and they said yes just get your GP to make a referral. I’m based in Calgary and will have to travel but definitely see it being worth the trip. Pain has been continuous throughout lower abdomen, hip, back, and scrotum and is often stabbing in & radiating from the area where the coils were deposited. I’m taking 800mg of ibuprofen multiple times per day & night to function. Add the hydrocele on top of it and the situation is less than enjoyable.

     I had another X-Ray taken that I’ll be seeing results on in a few days so will circle back with anything noteworthy from that. In the meantime, my plan is to get in with Dr. Finelli’s clinic and have the couls removed and hydrocele addressed concurrently (via aspiration & sclerosis rather than open scrotal surgery which is what my current urologist is wanting to do for the hydrocele)

     Best,

     BB

746. Hi everyone. …
     I did a varicocele embolization last week. Before the procedure i had pain coming in and out…but now it’s continuous and more dense….
     I don’t know what should I do….is there any body in India…how can i do reversal of this???

747. thanks, will know more at the beginning of september when the doc comes back from vaca. yes, definitely plan of getting it removed. i showed the doctor the youtube video of the embolization removal, he was confident that it was a straightforward operation. but i didn’t want to risk doing it in late july and ruining my august vacation with recovery (if needed). don’t worry will keep everyone posted.
     as for the pulsating, i just have testicle tingling above all. wouldn’t call it pulsating, and i am not sure if it is related to the embolization.
     best
     ave

748. Hi Ave,

     Any updates on your procedure? When are you planning to get the vein removed or are you still not sure if you are going to do it?

     Also, Anybody else get a “pulsating” feeling down low around the back of the scrotum? It’s hard to describe but the best word I can come up with is pulsating.

749. Hi BB, have not heard of anyone having hydroceles on my end, neither do i understand the atrophy of the other testicle. perhaps the other forum users here. best of luck, keep us posted

750. Thanks for creating this site- I had microsurgical repair in 2010, which didn’t work (large grade 3/4 left side var. recurred to pretty much full size within a year/year and a half). I then had embolization down in 2014 by a radiologist who deposited coils and within a year had veins 3mm+ diameter showing up on ultrasound. The radiologist still claimed that the procedure was a success and that these (large) diameters were within the “normal” range/that there was no increase in size since the coils were placed. Not sure how that can be deemed a success when the whole purpose of the procedure was to decrease the diameter of the veins / get rid of varicocele…

     Flash forward to 2 months ago (mid June 2016) and I find myself sporting a painful scrotum the size of a grapefruit. Trip to hospital results in diagnosis of left sided hydrocele. Subsequent ultrasound confirms it, and also that a left sided varicocele is very much present.

     First two weeks with hydrocele was accompanied by pain that was bad enough that I couldn’t walk properly or do any exercise whatsoever. For the past several weeks I find myself having fairly continuous pain in my lower abdomen and left side of groin/scrotum- worse after sex and exercise.

     Interestingly, I had an X Ray done maybe a year ago by a chiropractor who noted that their was a strange object showing near the bottom of my abdomen (it was the coil(s)) and when I explained that I had embolization performed she was surprised that the coils were so low. I did bring this up with the radiologist and he shrugged it off that they were exactly where they were supposed to be. At that point I was extremely skeptical of his unwillingness to consider that they may have migrated, as I recalled him stating that he was depositing them around the height of my navel when he performed the embolization.

     I have an appt on Aug 31 with my urologist (the one who performed the failed micro surgery) and will update the forum with what he says about the whole situation. My expectation is that he’ll pitch me another surgery for combined hydrocele-varicocele repair, but I’m ready to start consulting with the Toronto surgeon who did the coil removal. I’m not sure if the hydrocele has anything to with those that could be moving around but it would be hard to not suspect that the tissue in the area was / is being effected by it, thus potentially being related to the spontaneous hydrocele.

     One other item worth noting is that my right (good) testicle had atrophied significantly (1/2 the size it used to be) since starting down the path of varicocele repair 6+ years ago

     Anyone with hydrocele as a result of varicocele treatment on the thread here?

     Thank you all for sharing your insights and experiences-

751. Yeah, there is no longer blood running through the embolized vein, so I’m not sure removing it would affect blood flow? But 2 months is awful fast too. I am a very skinny person, so my theory is that things are tight down there for me (I’ve had some hernia surgeries on other side), so muscles might be pressing against these coiled veins. Are you also a skinny person? I also was a runner like you. Not right now, that’s for sure.

752. The question is how long to wait… yes, you should wait long enough to remove them safely but in my opinion it is a bad idea to wait too long bc it seems, in my opinion and just from my experience of what others have expressed, that their presence can lead to other autoimmune responses. So.. Yes, i have had many other symptoms, you can read them all in the “story” sections of this website. as you can see in the image above, i have coils in two spots.

753. Thanks for the response about waiting – that makes sense. Removing the vein vs trying to pull out coils also seems to make more sense to me. Have you had any other symptoms other than the abdominal cramping? How many different areas of your vein has coils in it? Mine is in 3 different locations, but thankfully none in my scrotum. Highest point is lower back area and lowest point is above inguinal canal. All coils are located in the gonadal vein.

754. removing the vein seems to be what my surgeon is proposing. because the vein has been embolized, it is theoretically “dead” thus removing it would not be, in theory, a problem. however, my doctor also said that it can take a while, even a couple years, for bloodflow to stabilize and find other pathways so that’s where i would be careful if i were you. my operation was 8 years ago so things have probably stabilized. but your’s was just recently.
     don’t know about the pressure question; nothing seems weird anymore to me according to my experiences–the body (re)acts in unpredictable ways.

755. He said he would remove the testicular vein, which holds the coil. He wasn’t familiar with the technique of just taking out the coil. He wasn’t familiar with the technique of just removing the coil. I’ve only talked to him once, so not sure how much of the vein he could even remove.
     I’m located in Indiana. I have tightness and pressure on both sides, even though I just had it done on the left. Does that seem weird?

756. Hi Charles,
     My advice is to trust your instinct on whether it’s unrelated or not. From your brief description, i would say yes it’s obviously related. I had sharp pain in the embolization area 4 days after my operation (in 2009), went back to the doctor and he told me it was unrelated.
     Had I read all of these comments in 2009 I suspect I would have reflected/reacted much differently…. especially with respect to my doctor.
     In my opinion, if you’ve noticed muscular or functional changes in the perineal area since the embolization–it’s clearly related.
     Fyi, i began having consistent abdomen cramps while excercising after the procedure—i never had this in all my then-28 years of heavily athletic life. I still have ab tightness to this day–even now, while typing (no pain though, thankfully, which lasted for many months, perhaps years).
     Your doctor proposes removing the vein or the embolization coil? i would say–remove the coils above all, and don’t wait.
     where are you located, if you don’t mind telling us?
     ave

757. I had the left varicocele embolization done 2 months ago. 3 sets of coils placed in different areas of the testicular vein. It seems to have affected my urinary functions and I have a lot of pressure in the testicles, buttocks, and anus area. Does anyone else have this pressure feeling or could it be un-related? All My muscles down there feel tight also and my abdomen seems to contract on it’s own sometimes. My urologist said he could remove the testicular vein. Thoughts and anyone have similar symptoms?

758. Bonjour Fabian

     Merci pour ton post très utile, notamment pour d’autres médecins chirurgiens.
     Je me permets de redemander le nom de ton médecin. Je ne harcèlerai pas mais il y a bcp de personnes qui souffrent et tu as la capacité de les aider, comme certainement tu as voulu être aidé avant l’opération. Si tu préfères tu peux m’envoyer un mail personnel : je ne le publierai pas et je distribuerai son nom seulement sur demande.

     Merci d’avance
     cdlt
     AVE

759. Below, in French, is what the surgeon did to save my life by removing the coils.
     If somebody can translate…

     Technique opératoire
     ————————–
     Patient en décubitus dorsal sous rachianesthésie. Zinacef 1.5g i.v. à l’induction.
     Incision arciforme au pli inguinal gauche à point de départ para-pubien où on individualise le cordon spermatique qui est chargé sur un Lacs. La palpation locale démontre qu’il y a quelques nodules durs qui seront excisés dont un suspect d’être un coil. On va alors chercher le coil le plus latéral qui sera retrouvé dans le cordon spermatique. En effet, il y a là clairement un morceau de fer adhérent à un petit nerf. ce dernier sera coagulé et sectionné. Excision du coil in toto. On retourne alors au niveau du para-pubien gauche pour retrouver le même type de matériel, de fait, para-pubien gauche, au contact de l’os. Excision. A noter que pour l’excision du premier coil on aura dû ouvrir l’aponévrose du grand oblique pour suivre le cordon jusqu’à l’orifice profond. Lavage du site opératoire à l’eau physiologique. Fermeture de l’aponévrose du grand oblique au Vicryl 2.0. Fermeture superficielle au Vicryl 3.0 et surjet intradermique de Monocryl 4.0 à l’eau.

     Suite post-opératoires
     ————————–
     – Contrôle de plaie 48h
     – Contrôle de plaie à 10 jours puis 6 semaines.

     GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE, NOW MY LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.

     (NOTE FROM AVE: I WILL TRANSLATE THIS WHEN I HAVE TIME… it is worth reading)

760. riccardo, thanks for your message. if i hear of any doctors in Italy I will let you know. best regards

761. Dear friends , I had the same problem . I am Riccardo from Italy, excuse me for my english. I underwent in November 2009 an scleroembolization for the left varicole and they inserted the famous spiral without asking permission and without telling me. I only found out two months ago , that is now in 2016 , to have inside the platinum spiral. Since then I have never been well and just now I associate all my problems with the damn spiral. I have pain pre and post sex, I have difficulty pissing , I have strange allergies with eye irritation given to me by a chronic blepharitis as well as strange itchy rashes . Now I’m looking here in Italy for a doctor who can put in writing my problems and associate them to the spiral of platinum. This is very difficult. I need to find a doctor that will support me in court in order to ask for damages to the hospital. I ask for help to all of you to refer me to a doctor in Italy or that has relationships with Italian doctors who can support me . Thank you. Greetings. Riccardo

762. Yes interestingly, my doctor was surprised that i had metal coils in my body… in fact he didn’t believe that radiologists still used the coil technique. i unfortunately had to tell him that yes it was still being used, and I showed him my xray. he said that normally today only liquid should be used. So i would assume it is probably safer, but i have no details on the matter.

763. How about embolization without coils, using liquid? Any stories on that?

764. Hi KC, thanks for your message. Yes, i have been tested for testosterone levels–in 2014 i tested at 1,44 ng/ml and one month ago i tested at 0,84 ng/ml. According to the laboratory, reference values for ages 20-35 (i was born in 1980) are between 1,00 and 3,70 (i’m assuming by 350ng/ml in your message you mean 3,50ng/ml) so my level is indeed a bit low. 2014 was 4 or 5 years after my “numb dead feeling” began so i’m guessing my levels were much higher before the embolization (i had lots of energy before).
     After my latest T results, I was interested in compensating my T levels but my urologist does not seem to think it is all that low (he says that T levels come up and down easily according to many different variables) so for the moment I will not be compensating my T levels with drugs, etc.
     I have not yet been tested for the other things you mentioned (e2 and LH)

765. Upon reading your symptoms (“numb, dead feeling”) and your (long) history, my first inclination would be that you have very low testosterone, likely caused from testicular atrophy, which could have been caused from the original varicoceles, embolization, or both. I would have it checked out. Below 350 ng/ml would definitely cause all of those symptoms. Low testosterone may also be due to higher estrogen (e2). I would have your T, e2, and LH all checked. There are plenty of drugs to regain your T.

766. also, fabian, i was unable to send you an email; it came back… would it be possible to repost a message using a valid email address?
     best,
     ave

767. Fabian
     thanks for your response.
     i would be more than happy to provide my anecdotal evidence in court but i am not currently interested in suing — any court proceedings would be extremely time, energy, and cost consuming. this website hopefully can have the same benefits as a court procedure without these negative aspects (of course, unlike a courtcase, we can’t win any money from this website…).
     but most importantly, i hope that we can save possible future patients from undergoing this procedure.
     the second most important thing is that people that are suffering can find a solution. considering the number of people that have written on this website and the topix site, i think it’s safe to say there is a really enormous and systemic risk involved in the embolization. with the help of this website, sensible doctors and surgeons will realize that these are not isolated incidences but a systemic problem with varicocele embolizations.
     so i hope that your surgeon will realize that he will not be the only person doing this surgery; there are people all over the world trying to solve the same issues. his experience could help others immensely. the information and experience he has gained, if shared, can help just as many people as doing more procedures.
     let’s stay in touch
     ave

768. Hello,

     Really sorry about the time.
     I work a lot, to try to recover the lost 20 years of real work, because of the tortures of the Coils.

     It is not the metal, that make the incredible suffering.
     It is another more simple an without doubt system, that produce :
     1) The difficulty of movement
     2) The smooth tortures of the complete body (muscular, digestion, …)
     3) The change of the behavior
     4) The stress in the brain
     All that is known by the producers of the coils, but money seems more important for them.
     So if somebody go on justice, I can help… I have twenty years of coils/torture experience and a full understanding of structure effects and their reasons 🙁

     I ask the surgeon, about doing the same to other people. It is not really interested to become the only guy that do this surgery, even to save lives. But email to me and I redirect the mail.

     After two year of coils removal, I really think there is a lot of risk. I start only now to have a normal feeling, where there was.

     I write the same on :
     http://www.topix.com/forum/med/urology/TUUCU6D07IG3MPM8J/p5#lastPost

     Now I will be more available.

     I hop everyone of you will remove the tortures tools as soon as possible and if you go to justice…

769. Mike, as you are in contact with 4 people that have had coils removed, could you ask them to give us the names and locations of their surgeons?
     Thanks much if possible, best
     Ave

770. thanks much for the info mike
     keep us posted of any updates if you can

771. If I could do the surgery again I would make sure the doctor has xray capability in the operating room. This way the doctor could make sure all the coils are removed before closing the incisions. When looking for a surgeon to perform this operation you should try to get a urologist who specializes in laproscopic urological surgery. This way they will be very familiar with the anatomy. For most laproscopic urological surgeons a gonadal vein resection is a walk in the park. My doctor was originally going to remove the entire vein but when he was in there he realized he could just pull and the coil would come out. He said mine pulled the same way as in the video. I do not beleive the risks are overly high. All 4 people I know who have had their coils removed are for the better. No one lost a testical or has any other issues as a result of the surgery. All the surgeries were performed by different doctors in different countries all for the first time.

772. mike, your comments are of great interest. what did you learn from the youtube poster? is there any information that you find pertinent to share with us? as you can see, i think there are probably many people interested here in the removal process. As most of us don’t live near mr. Finelli, do you have any suggestions about what to tell/ask our (likely first-time) surgeon before the procedure? also, what is the risks involved in a varicocelectomy? thanks for your time.

773. The doctors name who did the removal is named Toni Finelli. He is an excellent surgeon. I was reffered to him from my radiologists. He only removed the 1 coil as that was all he could visually see at the time. Also it was a 40 cm coil that was packed tight and he thought he had removed the lower one as well as he had removed so much coil. Only after the xray did he realize he did not get the lower one. If he would have pulled up on the gonadal vein he most likely would have seen the top of the lower coil. This was his first time ever doing this type of procedure so he wanted to see the results if there was any improvement before he would consider removing the upper one which is closer 2 the kidney. I was under General anethesia and the procedure was 1.5 hours. I had 3 small incisions. The procedure was equivalent to a laparoscopic Varicocelectomy in terms of risk. I lost almost no blood at all during the surgery. He is open to attempting the removal of the remaining coils at my request. I also have spoken in depth with the poster of the removal video on you tube. He was of great help to me.

774. this is very interesting, good news mike thanks for sharing. if you don’t mind, could you leave the name of the Canadian surgeon? how did you find him? feel free to give any other details of the procedure (general anesthesia, etc…). and why didn’t he remove the other 2 coils?
     all the best,
     AVE

775. So you guys know I had an vericocel embolization done in July 2013. I has nester platinum coils implanted. I was in very bad chronic pain especially in my back and abdomen. In December 2015 I had 1 of the 3 coils removed laprascopic ally by a surgeon in Toronto Canada. The area where the removal occurred is now pain free. I wish he would have gotten the other 2 coils while he was in there. He did it the same way it was done on the video on YouTube . Luckily he removed the coil in the problem area. The other coils still give me some problems but are nothing compared to the problem I was having from the one that was removed. There were no bad side effects as a result of the coil removal. Recovery was not bad either.

776. Hi Im 26 and had Varicocele embolization in 2010 which was highly unsuccessful. I then went on to have (key hole surgery) laparoscopic embolization in 2011 which was 80%-90% successful as an ultra sound confirmed. I have had another ultra sound, which has shown that there have been recurrences so I would give a rough estimate and say it was about 60% successful.

     From my own experience I would not recommend these operations especially varicocele embolization. If you were to have any of these operations go for the laparoscopic embolization. But only consider doing so if you feel dull aches in your testicles, like I did, and it is unbearable, or if it is for fertility treatment. But even then I still would tell you don’t do it , take the pain and hopefully it goes away.

     I have visited numerous gp’s that have referred me to multiple urologist to try and get these coils removed, as I still get pain especially in the lower back only to be told that they wouldn’t do it and it would be a big operation to remove them and that I could end up losing a testicle, and they could end up causing more harm then good, and finding these coils as they are tiny would be very difficult. They also claim that this procedure is completely safe and there is no evidence to suggest the coils are contributing to the pain I am getting.

     I also saw on this thread the mention of dr crowe who actually preformed my Varicocele embolization procedure. He’s a top Radiologist. I had a telephone conversation with him about my concerns. I will list the questions I asked and response he gave me.

     Can these coils ever move in the body?
     Response: “No. The chances of these things moving are virtually nil”

     How safe are these coils in the body long term?
     Response: he said he has been using the nester platinum coils over 15 years and there has been no problems thus far. However they used to use coils made out of tungsten that turned out to bio-degradable in the body and they had to stop using them.

     I have also asked the coil migration question to Radiologist Dr. McCafferty and he said make sure you rest in the first 48 hours as they are still clotting in the body and stay off strenuous exercise for at least 7 days.

     I try not to regret much in life but these operations are something I really do regret doing. I believe the body with the right nutrients can repair itself. At the time of having these operations I was young, naive and at university studying and did not take the time to research anything on this.

     I would really like to find a surgeon to have the metal removed from my body. I don’t believe putting foreign objects in your body is healthy at all and their isn’t enough research to say if these (Nester platinum coils) are safe in the body long term.

     Could you please send me the name and contact details and as much information on that surgeon in paris? @admin

     Kind Regards

777. Hi Chris
     Unfortunately, statistics are precisely the problem. Before I did the operation i found only good reviews about embolization…. no side effects, little operation problems, etc.
     The reality of it, clearly, after reading blogs and the posts here, is that post operation pain and problems are evidently an important risk and far more frequent that the radiologists and operation pushers would have you believe.

     Not a chance in hell that i would risk it, even if i had heavy varicocele pain, with all i’ve been through. if your problem is just “annoying” or “maybe a fertility problem” even more so. if your varicocele is horribly painful then you should talk to a really good doctor. I’ve sent the urologist’s name to you via email (if you left your accurate email address). I’d rather not post it here bc i’m still verifying if i think he’s good. so far, seems very competent.

778. Hi, I’m 20 and I’ve left varicocele grade 3 since I was about 11 or 12. I wanted to get it removed to prevent testicle shrinkage and possible fertility problems, so better get it treated earlier than later (as it’s been almost 10 years already…).

     Doing my research it looks like embolization has less dangers and side effects than microsurgery, so maybe you’re part of a small minority whose body can’t accept metals maybe allergy or something? Do you have any articles, numbers, or statistics about the problems and side effects of embolization?
     As i’ve been doing my research I couldn’t find anything, except this website and a video on youtube (from which I came from), please send me any information you have about this !

     Since microsurgery seems to present even more problems and side effects, what am I supposed to do to cure my varicocele?

     sorry if I sound a bit nervous, i’m really concerned about this issue.

     Also I live in France so i’m interested in that surgeon in paris, what’s his name? @admin
     thanks

779. Hi Andrew, thanks for your comments. In my opinion, no surgery or embolization should be performed unless your circumstances/pain is intolerable. A very good urologist recently told me (while meeting him for the first time) that varicocele operations are senseless unless you have specific, measurable blood flow issues that do not necessarily coincide with varicoceles. We are performing tests and depending on these tests he may be willing to operate to remove the coils. I will keep everyone posted. the doctor is located in Paris, France.

780. I have had a varicocele in my left sack since puberty, I thought this was totally normal as I have never suffered much pain. I recently asked my doctor to check for lumps as it is common advise to regularly check for lumps, he instantly notices the varicocele. Without hesitation he tells me I will need surgery (the worm bag is golf ball size when fully flooded), and even if the specialist says “no surgery” the doctor told me to insist on surgery.

     I’ve been referred for an ultrasound appointment which should be soon so I will know more then. In the mean time I started my research into the issue. the first procedure I found when searching google was embolization. I was instantly relieved as it sounds very simple and has great results – or at least that is what I have been lead to believe. Now after research and reading peoples feedback from the procedure i wont be undertaking embolization. And the more you think about the procedure the less sense it makes, you will be blocking the main vein into the testes with a foreign object inserted inside the vein!

     I’m now going to try alternate healing practice, and only go for surgery as a last resort.

     What I did find suspicious when searching about varicocele was 2 Daily Mail pages that were high on the search results. Both articles mention a patient Andrew Pennington with successful results from an embolization, and both seem to promote Dr. Paul Crowe and his surgery and procedures. The daily mail is well know to promote products and services as news.

781. sorry to hear about this cindy. i have learned that my coils are made by the company “Nester” and are probably nearly 100% platinum. see the naturalnews website for alternative cancer treatments, if interested. they have posted some webinars on the subject. good luck.

782. Have had pelvic floor coil since 1999. Was happy immediately, then became severely ill in 2005. Auto-immune issues so severe I was debilated, now cancer, and the past two months such pain post radiation in my lower back/legs, that I cannot walk.
     MRIs are coming back inconclusive because the coil is blurring the image. My doctor is looking at removing coil.
     I’m hypersensitive to Nickle and most metals (so having one internally can’t be good?!), and now have celiac disease as well.
     I have no idea what is coil related and what is not, but after reading so many comments that sound like mine, and knowing my current pain and auto immune issues, I would highly warn anyone looking at this surgery to be forewarned.

783. Hi guys, I had varicocele embolization 4 weeks ago. Swelling is large than used to be. I get pain if I exercise, which I never experience before the procedure. I am thinking to remove the coils. Any suggestions? A good surgeon? I live in Atlanta, ga. I don’t mind a good surgeon in Barcelona Spain, Lyons France, or Monterey ca.

     Thank you

784. thank you for creating this website, i was going to get the embolisation done, but you have changed my mind.

785. 15 year old who got embolization today, really hoping for none of this

786. I’m sorry, I do not. As soon as I know of a doctor that does embolization reversal surgery, I will post it. If anyone knows of such a doctor, anywhere, please share.
     Best,
     AVE

787. Do you know a doctor who can make de reversal of the embolization in Houston Tx?

788. Alex, wow… 18 years. Thanks for your comment. Keep us posted on your situation.
     A

789. in 1998 at the age of 12 had the operation, 3 days after had a lumbar pain I could hardly move for 3 months, after have had abdominal and back pain ever since.
     I had no clue I was going to have coils in my body.
     The decision wasn’t mine, but would 99% of mothers do when you have a doctor telling you its the safest procedure out there, the term he used was its half operation,its nothing.
     I had 1 coil very strangely place right next to the solar plexus region and after the operation was told to be careful with the coil (how can I be careful?).
     Now I have a an abdominal aortic aneurysm and my life is at a high risk, the coils have caused circulation problems.
     If your deciding to the have the operation, DONT. A little testicle pain is not worth it even for fertility reasons, adopt! its not worthwhile.

790. I have been 10 years with it all. I “knew” it wasn’t right immediately. Metals in the body are toxic. I’ve subsequently been diagnosed with idiopathic neurological symptoms, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, lichen planus, and vit b12 deficiency with celiac disease. I have tried every diet and every fast/ cleanse but pain continues. I have uncovered all the autoimmune stuff over that time and all the research points to metal issues. I got a small sample of the metal for analysis. It’s platinum and tungsten which are supposedly inert! Have a look at the pubmed site for info on these metals in the human body and how they can be toxic and migrate. I was heartened by the story of Fabio ( on the Topix site) who had variocele coils removed after 20 years of pain. He is now pain free.

791. Hi Pam, Every day that passes i am more and more amazed by how widespread these problems are with embolization and the medical establishment lets it continue. These procedures must be either stopped or potential patients made aware of the possible effects. Could you please explain what “a botched try to remove [the coils]” entailed? And when were the coils first inserted? I will also send you an email privately but I’d like to keep the discussion as public as possible—other people can gain a lot from it.
     Thanks, good luck

792. Hi. It’s not just men who have problems. I had platinum and titanium coils put into my groin for varicose veins. I never had the rest of the surgery because I became so I’ll. I crashed. Since then I’ve seen 12 consultants and been diagnosed with CFS and fibromyalgia. But I have localised pain where the coils are. I’m in constant pain but the radiologist and vascular surgeon denied it was anything to do with the coils. Professor Whiteley of the Whiteley clinic said there was no medical evidence in the world of people suffering problems. They lie. A friend of the radiologist made a botched try to remove them in Jan this year. He told me to get on with it. I have taped the conversation. I’m now trying to find a surgeon to take me on. Worldwide. It has ruined my life. I posted on the website topix because there are women out there too. The only literature I could find was on pubmed. Melissa the metal blood testing people were helpful but the tests for platinum and tungsten came back positive. But I’m in constant pain. I have trained myself in many holistic therapies to help myself but these are metal and block energy flow. Every osteopath says the same thing. Fabio from Italy found a surgeon to remove the coils after 20 years. I’m on a quest to do the same. I want my life back. I’d like to get in touch if you are willing. This needs to be stopped. I’ve also considered suing !! Pam Burn

793. Thanks for your comment James. If you can, please post a more detailed account of your story.
     On my end, I am still interested in surgery, waiting to find the right doctor. Looking into it. Will keep everyone posted.
     Best regards

794. Had the embolization done in 2013, also the worst decision I’ve ever made. The pain has been steady, and awful, since I left the hospital. Left back, side, hip, leg, and testicle. I found a urologist in SC who said he would remove the coils, trying to decide If I will risk a third surgery. Any progress on your end?