When a male experiences a varicocele, his fertility can be affected.  In addition, for some men, shrinkage of the testes and pain associated in the area of the scrotum can be additional symptoms.  An outpatient procedure called a varicocele embolization is quickly becoming the treatment of choice for many men because it is a safe, non-surgical procedure in which the varicocele is closed off.  The procedure is performed when a numbing agent is applied to the skin in order to allow a tiny incision (or hole) to be made so that a small catheter or tube can be inserted through the abdomen and into the varicocele vein using X-ray image as a guidance tool.  A dye is then injected so that the X-ray can determine where the blockage is occurring and then the veins are repaired using a steel coil or hardening solution.