Using Data Mining to Assist in Predicting Reproductive Outcomes Following Varicocele Embolization

Abstract

We carried out a retrospective analysis of infertile couple data using several methodologies and data analysis techniques, including the application of a novel data mining approach for analyzing varicocele treatment outcomes. The aim of this work was to characterize embolized varicocele patients by ascertaining the improvement of some of their clinical features, predicting the success of treatment via pregnancy outcomes, and identifying data patterns that can contribute to both ongoing varicocele research and the more effective management of patients treated for varicocele. We retrospectively surveyed the data of 293 consenting couples undergoing infertility treatment with male varicocele embolization over a 10-year period, and sperm samples were collected before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after varicocele embolization treatment and analyzed with World Health Organization parameters—varicocele severity grades were assessed with medical assessment and scrotal ultrasound, patient personal information (e.g., age, lifestyle, and embolization complications) was collected with clinical inquiries, and varicocele embolization success was measured through pregnancy outcomes. Varicocele embolization significantly improved sperm concentration, motility, and morphology mean values, as well as sperm chromatin integrity. Following this study, we can predict that a male patient without a high varicocele severity grade (with grade I or II) has a 70.83% chance of conceiving after embolization treatment if his partners’ age is between 24 and 33 with an accuracy of 70.59%. Furthermore, male patients successful in achieving pregnancy following embolization are mostly characterized by having a normal sperm progressive motility before treatment, a normal sperm concentration after treatment, a moderate to low varicocele severity grade, and not working in a putatively hazardous environment.

Diagnoses and medications associated with delayed ejaculation

“…Data mining has been used to identify predictive factors associated with various urologic conditions, such as urinary tract injury during surgery, reproductive outcomes following varicocele embolization, and treatment response for benign prostatic hyperplasia. 13 , 14 Our data suggest that data mining is an efficient and accurate way of identifying clinical factors related to conditions of sexual dysfunction in large cohorts of men. While basing clinical practice on statistical methodology can be problematic, it is reassuring that our model showed reasonable accuracy in predicting eventual DE as well as confirmed several known factors (eg, depression).…”

Case Report: Abnormalities of sperm motility and morphology in a patient with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy: Improvement after idebenone therapy

“…Due to the lack of clear improvement in the spermogram 6 months after the treatment of the varicocele, it could be considered that this malformation played only a modest role in this infertility. Usually, most of the effect of its treatment occurred usually within the first 3 months ( 25 ). There are many data showing that varicocele induced a poor sperm quality and infertility due to oxidative stress ( 26 ).…”

Varicocele: To Treat or Not to Treat?

“…It is clear, hence, that the decision to perform VR before ART should be individualized based on other variables such as the female partner’s age, history of prior failure, varicocele grade, SDF levels, duration of infertility, etc., and, of course, wide counseling of the infertile couple. As a matter of fact, different studies have investigated several factors implicated in ART success rate after VR [ 69 , 70 ]. EAU guidelines do not indicate whether VR prior to IVF will improve pregnancy rates but suggest VR in men with OAT or when elevated SDF is present [ 9 ].…”