If you have a lump above one of your testicles that is sometimes sensitive, it may be a varicocele. It is easy to fix with a light surgical procedure. Getting it fixed enhanced my sexual enjoyment and performance. More info:

http://www.uro.com/varicocele.htm

http://www.varicocelespecialists.com/

Interesting... Was the recovery time much? I had one fixed with a hernia surgery when I was 16, and... it hurt like hell healing. The doctors told me at the time that men who have not been able to have children often have had vericoceles. (Not that there is any proven correlation, just a high incidence.)...

NOTE: I AM NOT AN M.D. THIS IS JUST FYI. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FOR ADVICE.

Yes, a varicocele can lower sperm count because the extra circulation from extra blood vessels raises the scrotal temperature, which kills sperm. (The reason the testicles hang outside the body is that 98.6 F is too warm for the sperm. They should be at about 75 F I think. In feudal Japan they used to soak 'em in warm water before sex as a birth control method --don't depend on this at home!) Once you get it fixed, the live sperm count can go up. The above links have a lot more information.

It lets your balls breathe a little easier. My doctor told me that the blood vessels he tied off don't feed the testicles, which get cirulation from a different system.

Recovery time? Funny you ask because I actually had sex within twenty-four hours of surgery in the hospital! It was the most intense orgasm in recent memory! It was hot! Man I will never forget that! Whew! Your mileage may vary --but I hope not!

The doctor had told me to wait a week or two after surgery, so I was a bit worried about it. When I told him on a subsequent visit that I had been having erections like crazy since the surgery, he grinned and asked, "Did you use it yet?" (He had treated me for a urinary tract infection before, so he knew me to be sexually active.) Anyway, he told me that the reason for waiting a while before having sex was just to avoid pressure on the wound. I was relieved to learn this because it had only been a blow job in the hospital, so there had been no pressure on the wound.

I have heard that there is some bruising after the removal. Did you experience this? How much did the whole procedure cost you, in time and money?

I did not experience any bruising. It was really a breeze. After surgery I spent the night in the hospital. It cost me $1200 for everything but that was in Thailand.

I stated above that it lets your balls breathe easier because that is the only way I can describe it. They felt better and cooler. (And hornier!) Also, it gives you a more classic-looking scrotum, like you'd see on the statue of David. A minor benefit.

Hector and Book_guy. Wow. It is interesting to meet new people, even on line. Do you guys post to another chat room also?

TJD: I show up on the South America board every now and then. Usually just to inject some information that I recently gathered, or to ask a question.

I appear here and there across the internet. Funny, that's the second query of that sort I've answered today at Club Hombre. Is someone trying to chase me down?