A urologist often is consulted after an abnormal semen analysis is obtained. The most common abnormality discovered by the urologist is a "varicocele."
A varicocele is a dilated vein around the testicle, which raises the core temperature of the testicle and can impair the process of making sperm. The correction of a varicocele involves a minor surgical procedure. The procedure ligates the dilated vein, which improves blood flow around the testicle.