Urology
Varicocele Repair in Nigeria
Enlarged veins above the testicle are tied off through a small cut in the groin, so blood drains through healthy veins instead. It is a day case. It is worth doing for an ache that will not settle or for a man with a low sperm count and a varicocele that can be felt, and not worth doing for one found by chance on a scan.
Also called: Varicocelectomy, Microsurgical varicocele repair, Scrotal varicose vein surgery
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Published price
₦550,000
Fixed all-in case rate, one side
Day case in most men.
What the price covers
- Surgeon and assistant fees
- Anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Your bed for the expected stay
- Routine medication while you are admitted
- The post-operative review at six weeks
What it does not cover
- The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
- Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
- Take-home medication after discharge
- Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre
- Semen analysis before and after, priced on the fertility pathway
Related prices
Both sides, one admission
₦715,000
What would change this price
- Both sides repaired, priced separately above
- A hernia or hydrocele repaired at the same time
- An overnight stay, occasionally needed after a general anaesthetic
If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- A man with a low sperm count and a varicocele that can be felt on examination
- A dragging ache in the scrotum that has not settled with support and painkillers
- A teenager whose testicle on the affected side is noticeably smaller
When it is not the right answer
- A small varicocele found only on a scan, with a normal semen test and no pain
- A couple where the female partner's fertility has not been assessed, because both need checking at the same time
- A varicocele that appears suddenly in an older man, which needs a kidney scan first
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Examination, scrotal scan and semen test₦35,000
The varicocele is graded and the semen result decides whether repair is likely to help.
- 2
Bloods and anaesthetic review
Booked in the same visit.
- 3
The operation
About an hour under spinal or general anaesthetic, through a small cut low in the groin.
- 4
Home the same day
With scrotal support, painkillers and written wound care.
- 5
Review at six weeks, semen test at three months₦25,000
Sperm take about three months to be made, so that is when any improvement shows.
Recovery, realistically
Days 1 to 3
Groin soreness and some scrotal swelling. Scrotal support helps.
Week 1 to 2
Desk work within a week. No heavy lifting or sport for two weeks.
Three months on
The semen test is repeated. Improvement, where it comes, shows from here.
Risks you should be told about
- A hydrocele forming afterwards, uncommon with careful technique
- The varicocele returning
- Infection or bruising
- Injury to the testicle's artery, rare
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Will it fix our fertility problem?
It improves sperm count and quality in many men with a varicocele that can be felt, and pregnancy rates with it. It is not a guarantee, and it only makes sense alongside a check of both partners.
How soon would we know?
Sperm take about three months to be made, so the semen test is repeated at three months.
Is it the same as a hydrocele?
No. A hydrocele is fluid around the testicle. A varicocele is enlarged veins above it, often described as feeling like a bag of worms.
Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 11 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.