When varicocele of an aggravated or largely developed type is present, associated with any weakness of the generative organs, as spermatorrhea or impotency, it must be cured before the organs can regain a healthy condition, as by the constant pressure of the abnormal quantity of blood and enlarged veins upon the spermatic cord, arteries, and testicles, the irritability, weakness, and wasting, are increased. The use of suspensory bandages, with strongly astringent lotions, will, in mild cases, produce relief and many times cure. Except in the worst cases, it is well to try these means before resort is had to operative surgical treatment, unless the patient is anxious to be cured in a more speedy manner. The treatment by suspensory bandage and lotions is necessarily somewhat slow in producing remedial results; yet, many quite well marked cases have, in our experience, been cured by such means perseveringly applied. Although many who have been unable to come to us for an operation, have been cured by suspensory bandages and our improved lotions applied to the affected parts, in all cases in which the veins are very much enlarged, we recommend the sufferers to come here and undergo our surgical treatment, which is painless in its execution and radical in its results.
It has been recognized by physicians and surgeons for over a century, that in bad cases of varicocele a cure can only be certainly and permanently effected by operation. Many have been the methods of operation advanced by the prominent surgeons of every age, but all have met with such an alarming mortality, that they have been one by one abandoned, except as a last resort in extremely bad cases. A late author gives the percentage of deaths from the various old operations, now in general use throughout this country and Europe, as varying from seven to fifteen per cent. of all cases. In contrast to this, we point with pride to our records, by which we are shown to have operated upon over a thousand cases by our original method, obtaining in each and every instance a perfect cure, without a single alarming symptom or a death ensuing. This we think is sufficient evidence of the perfect safety of the operation and its superiority over every other method. So every sufferer with the disease, we would recommend it as a positive means of securing a permanent cure. Various worse than useless devices are advertised by quacks, who, as a class, are afraid to undertake surgical treatment for the cure of varicocele. One has what he calls a "varix clamp," or "clasp," to be worn upon the enlarged veins. Many "compressors" and other equally useless devices are advertised and sold for the same purpose. These are not only perfectly worthless, but positively dangerous in their application. The pressure they make upon the spermatic cord, nerves, and artery, is very apt to result in impotency and a rapid wasting away of the testicles. Patients should avoid all the catch-penny devices recommended for varicocele, as none of them are worth a moment's consideration.
Even a moderate degree of morbid enlargement of the spermatic veins will sometimes cause such engorgement and obstruction to the free circulation of the blood in the testicle, as to cause gradual wasting or shriveling of that organ. In some cases the morbid condition will give rise to seminal weakness, or spermatorrhea. Many of these cases that can only be cured by surgery, are trifled with by quacks, who attribute the spermatorrhea, or loss of semen, to everything else than its true cause—varicocele.
To illustrate, Mr. B., of Colorado, applied at the Invalids' Hotel and Surgical Institute, a few years ago, and said he had for five years been troubled with nightly emissions of semen and his testicles were gradually wasting away. He had been under the treatment of men making great pretensions as specialists, to whom he had paid several hundred dollars in the vain hope of getting cured of spermatorrhea. They treated him with medicines only, and did him no good whatever. On examination, we found a very varicose or enlarged condition of the left spermatic veins, and gave it as our opinion that the seminal loss was wholly due to this abnormal condition and could only be cured by an operation that would remove the varicocele. The operation was promptly performed. In two days he was able to leave his bed, and in a week started home to Colorado. Some months thereafter we received a letter from him wherein he said: "The enlarged veins continued to absorb and grow less and less, until, in a few weeks' time, all unnatural enlargement had disappeared. With a steady improvement in the condition of the veins, I experienced corresponding improvement in my general health, and the seminal losses grew less and less, and finally, long ago, disappeared entirely. I feel that my manhood, with all the powers that should belong thereto, are mine to enjoy. In other words, my restoration to health is complete. Had I saved the large amount of money that I fooled away on those quacks, and given it all to you, I feel that you would then have been only fairly paid for the great good you have done me."
The foregoing is but a fair sample of letters that we are almost constantly receiving from those who have pursued useless treatment for spermatorrhea, dependent upon varicocele, and have been speedily cured by our never-failing operation for this malady. Among the great variety of operations in surgery for various diseased conditions, performed by our surgeons, none have been attended with more uniform satisfaction, and perfect success, than has our operation for varicocele.
A PAINLESS OPERATION.
By the injection of a few drops of a medicated solution under the skin, at the point where the incision is to be made, we are now able to produce such complete local anæsthesia as to render the operation entirely painless without the administration of either chloroform or ether. This is an important consideration, as many are averse to taking chloroform or ether, and now that we are possessed of an agent that produces, locally, complete insensibility to pain, we are very glad to be able to dispense with their use in all such minor operations. Many examinations heretofore very painful, as of the bladder for stone, and of the deep urethra for strictures, are now rendered entirely painless by the use of this wonderful agent.
A great variety of surgical operations are now performed by our surgeon specialists, without any suffering on the part of our patients, by the local use of an anæsthetic solution injected into the parts to be operated upon. Formerly we were obliged either to administer chloroform or ether, or subject our patients to a great deal of suffering. Our specialists were among the first surgeons in this country to employ local anæsthesia successfully. We regard it as a great boon to our patients, and never withhold it in any case where it can be employed to prevent suffering, its use being attended with no danger and followed by no bad or disagreeable results.