Laparoscopic management of spermatic cord entrapment after laparoscopic inguinal herniorrhaphy

Spermatic cord entrapment is an unusual complication of inguinal herniorrhaphy. The case of a 52-year-old man who presented with severe pain along the left spermatic cord and testicle, varicocele, and dyspareunia after a laparoscopic bilateral inguinal hernia repair performed elsewhere is reported. Medical treatment failed, and laparoscopic exploration showed the vas deferens and spermatic vessels entrapped by a mesh slit that was pulling the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve. The vas deferens and spermatic vessels were released, neurotomy of the affected nerve branch was performed, and a new mesh was positioned in the residual space. The patient's pain disappeared completely after the surgery and the varicocele decreased progressively. The patient remains asymptomatic at 1-year follow-up. Laparoscopy might be the approach of choice to treat some of the complications of laparoscopic hernia repair, not only because it allows better observation of the anatomic structures, but also because the surgical therapy can be done with minimal tissue damage compared to the traditional approach.