Laparoscopy-assisted pelvi-scrotal vasovasostomy

Iatrogenic obstruction of the vas deferens within the inguinal canal can be managed by direct on-site vasovasostomy. However, in cases with large defect of the vas, the anastomosis may be under tension. Dissecting through the site of a previous hernia repair is tedious, and may lead to recurrence of the hernia. The present work reports an, first of a kind, alternative technique that avoids the latter drawbacks. Fifteen cases were operated upon. Under laparoscopic vision, the pelvic vas was dissected and the lateral-most end was clipped, cut and extruded from the abdomen through a port in the external inguinal ring. End-to-end vasovasostomy and microsurgical anastomosis for the vasal vessels were performed, bridging the retrieved stump of the pelvic vas with the scrotal vas. There were positive results in the form of sperm count ranging from 1.5 to 15 million ml(-1), an average of 7.25 (SD 5.44) in nine of 15 cases (60%), within the first 6 months following surgery. "Pelvi-scrotal vasovasostomy" can be offered as a cost-effective and successful alternative or supplement to intracytoplasmic sperm injection, for cases with iatrogenic large defects of the vas deferens within the inguinal canal.