I agree that
Bathmate has many positive effects on the penis, but I'll explain in detail exactly what my concern was:
A varicocele is a distorted/dilated/convoluted vein of the spermatic cord. This anomaly is seen in a large number of infertile males, suggesting a correlation (but not a causation or etiology for infertility). After correction, sperm count/morphology/motility has been often reported to increase, and other possible varicocele side effects, such as testicular pain and atrophy, have also been shown to resolve/reverse after corrective measures. "Corrective measures" includes two things - embolization (less invasive) and surgery (they ligate the affected veins to redirect blood flow). Embolization is essentially using radiographic imaging to send a small coil through your venous system and depositing it right in the area above the varicocele (to block blood flow through such veins and re-route blood flow - same goal), and this area tends to be right at the groin. So, obviously someone getting this procedure would want that coil to stay in place and not be dislodged or mobilized from the area it was placed so that the condition or symptoms do not recur. This embolization is the procedure I would prefer because of my research on the subject, which shows that it is as effective if not more, and has more patient satisfaction in general.
My concern with the
Bathmate in this particular scenario is that there is a lot of suction, of course, around the base of the penis, and includes some of the groin skin areas, as well as the upper part of the scrotum. Therefore, I was concerned that I would disrupt the spermatic cord too much, or that perhaps if the
Bathmate were to venodilate some of the veins in its suction field, that the coil would not be stable in the place that it was deposited.
Now I do agree that perhaps it is possible that the
Bathmate would allow the varicocele-induced abnormal blood drainage to be offset, as it would stimulate blood flow and drainage in that area. But as far as it being a tool to completely correct the problem, basically untwisting and straightening out those veins that are like a little "bag of worms" (<-- typical clinical description for varicocele), it does not seem intuitively likely, because the
Bathmate "sucks in" the upper part of the scrotum/spermatic cord, whether actual balls are rubber-banded or not. I sometimes have to readjust my
Bathmate after the initial pumps because it may be in a position that imparts soreness upon my left ball, which hangs higher than the right because of the varicocele. It never goes in the
Bathmate, but it does get sore sometimes so I often have to reposition or cut a session short. Nothing too bad though, I just listen to my body when it tells me to stop or try again. But that's why I do shorter sets (with like 30-60 seconds of uli's or iso compression squeezes in between the 2-3 5-minute sets).
Turnover and DLD, does your recommendation still stand? To others, any other thoughts?
