Guidance on how not to confuse pelvic varicocele disease with other female symptoms. Unfortunately, many women feel immediately concerned when it comes to painful twinges in the lower abdomen

A couch, a hot water bottle resting on the abdomen, and a TV series to distract oneself are the essentials for the perfect do-it-yourself first aid kit.

Menstrual period, irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis… Whatever the disorder, everyone has experienced these types of symptoms at least once in their life.

What many people may not realise is that it could be a pelvic varicocele, a dilation of the veins leading to increased blood flow in the mentioned area

The increase in blood volume leads to the development of pain of varying intensity, which is tolerable in the morning, but in the evening tends to turn into a sense of oppression that is difficult to manage.

Unfortunately, these symptoms are easily misunderstood by women, whereas for men the condition is easier to detect because it causes an abnormal dilation of the testicular venous network.

All this means that not only is the disease little known among women, but also that there is a delay in diagnosis, which leads to unnecessarily prolonged suffering.

The explanation behind these ‘ups and downs’ of pain lies, therefore, in insufficient venous circulation.

When you are lying down, the blood that stagnates in the pelvic area flows to the heart, reducing the intensity of the pain.

It is after standing all day that the blood mass accumulates in the lower abdomen, “weighing” on the venous pipes of the pelvis.

The circulatory problem is comparable to that affecting the lower limbs, so that in order to make the correct diagnosis the doctor can look for the presence of varicose veins in the thighs and vulvar area.

Varicocele: for a more accurate diagnosis, instrumental examinations are necessary

The echodoppler is particularly useful for checking the health of veins and arteries.

Specifically, it enables an examination to be carried out both externally, with the probe resting on the skin, and endovaginally, using ultrasound.

Once the pathology has been identified, surgery can be scheduled.

The surgical technique used for this type of disorder is highly advanced and minimally invasive: it does not involve any cuts or incisions of any kind and is performed on an outpatient basis.

Under local anaesthesia, with the patient awake, a probe is introduced at the femoral vein.

The deficient pelvic venous branches are then reached and “embolized”, i.e. blocked, with sclerosing material.

Alternatively, a coil is placed to occlude the pathological vessel, again with the ultimate aim of reducing venous dilatation.

At first glance, it may seem more complicated than it actually is: the procedure takes between one hour and 90 minutes and the patient is discharged within the same day.

On top of that, the convalescence period is almost non-existent as the patient can resume her normal activities from the day after the operation.

If you feel such pain, you should check it out: you may find that, as in this case, the problem can be solved immediately, without unnecessary pain.

Read Also:

Varicocele: What Is It And What Are The Symptoms?

Male Pathologies: What Is Varicocele And How To Treat It

Source:

Ospedale Niguarda