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Updated: May 22, 2026
Microscopic Varicocelectomy under Local Anesthesia as the Treatment of Varicocele
Published on: October 25, 2024
[Microscopic versus laparoscopic varicocelectomy in the treatment of varicocele: effects and complications]
Tao Song1, Chun-Yang Wang, Lei Zhang
1Department of Urology, General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China. songtao6669@163.com
Objective:
To compare the effects and postoperative complications of microscopic varicocelectomy (MV) and laparoscopic varicocelectomy (LV) in the treatment of varicocele.
Methods:
We assigned 72 varicocele patients to two groups of equal number to be treated by MV and LV. We compared the two groups in the semen parameters before and 3 months after surgery, postoperative complications, and pregnancy rates of the patients'wives.
Results:
The operative time was significantly longer in the MV than in the LV group (P<0.05). The postoperative hospital stay showed no significant difference between the MV and LV groups ([2.2 +/- 2.7] d vs [2.8 +/- 0.8] d). Sperm concentration, sperm motility and the percentage of grade a + b sperm were significantly increased in both groups after surgery (P<0.05), but with no significant differences between the two. The pregnancy rate was 65.2% in the former and 57.1% in the latter. Postoperative hydrocele occurred in 5 cases in the LV, but none in the MV group. There were no statistically significant differences in recurrence between the two groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
MV is superior to LV for its minimal invasiveness, economical anesthesia, faster recovery and lower rates of postoperative complications and recurrence.
