[Erin586]

hi anne:

after meeting with the new RE, we have decided against the repair. we are going to have IVF with ICSI and the RE said based on my dh's numbers that the repair was not necessary.

also, when we met with the fertility urologist to follow-up on my dh's tests (scrotal ultrasound, blood work, and semen analysis) that one of our options was to move forward with IVF/ICSI. we could have done the surgery to optimize our success but from what i understood, following the surgery there was really a 9 month wait to see results. they will tell you 3 months because a sperm sample is telling of the male for a 90 day period. for example, my dh had elevated white blood cells indicating infection. this was due to a fever/sinus infection that dh had 2 months before. so the 3 month period is the soonest that you will be able to see results, however, it takes several more months to see the FULL results of the repair. sometimes within that time frame, the varicocele can return.

i think that the repair surgery will be covered by insurance if the male has pain/discomfort associated with the disorder. otherwise, it is just considered a fertility issue and not covered by insurance if you don't have a fertility benefit. most ins companies do not cover ivf. our insurance does not cover IVF but does cover the meds, blood work, ultra sounds, and office visits, saving us quite a bit on money. we are ending up paying $9,100.00. $1200.00 iof this is for the ICSI (you would want to have this for male factor infertility), $800 for embryo freezing, and $250 of this amount is for sedation.

good luck with everything...let me know if you have any questions that i can be of help with.

is your dh working with a 'fertility urologist?'