Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes in adolescents and adults with varicocele
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Grade III Varicocele Surgical Treatment using Spermatic Vein-Superficial Abdominal Vein Shunt
Published on: August 23, 2024
Hun Joo Lee1, Sang Hyeon Cheon, Young Hwan Ji
1Department of Urology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea.
Purpose:
To compare clinical characteristics and surgical results in adolescents and adults with varicocele.
Materials And Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of 93 patients, 34 adolescents (mean age, 14.4±2.1 years) and 59 adults (mean age, 30.4±12.4 years), who underwent surgical repair of varicocele between 2006 and 2009. Median follow-up time in all patients was 18.7 months. The most bothersome symptoms, bilaterality, grades, surgical methods, artery-sparing rates, operation times, semen analysis, success rates, and recurrence-free period were compared between the two groups.
Results:
The overall success rate of surgical repair was 92.5%. The most bothersome symptoms were scrotal mass, pain, and hypotrophy in adolescents and pain, scrotal mass, infertility, and hypotrophy in adults (p=0.008). There were no significant between-group differences in bilaterality, grades, surgical methods, operation times, pre- or postoperative semen analyses, success rates, or recurrence-free periods. Patients who underwent artery-sparing surgery had higher recurrence rates than did those who underwent surgery that did not spare arteries. In adults, semen density increased significantly after surgery, from 35.6 million/ml to 49.6 million/ml (p=0.046).
Conclusions:
There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics or surgical results between adolescents and adults with varicocele, except for the most bothersome symptoms. Semen density increased after surgery in both groups.
Related Concept Videos
Varicose Veins II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
Esophageal Varices-II: Clinical Features and Management
In the initial assessment, a thorough review of the patient's medical history is vital to identify risk factors such as liver disease, alcohol abuse, or...
Varicose Veins I: Introduction
Urinary Tract Calculi VI: Surgical Management
Esophageal Varices-I: Introduction
Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies

