The effect of physical activity on varicocele pain and resolution of this pain by different varicocelectomy...

To evaluate the effect of physical activity on varicocele pain and how different varicocelectomy techniques relieve this pain.

Between November 2012 and January 2015, a total of 64 patients with left groin pain and clinical varicocele were enrolled in this study. A visual analogue scale (VAS) classifying the pain in ten scores was used to assess the severity of pain before and after beginning continuous physical activity, and after operations. Patients were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 had open sub-inguinal varicocelectomy, Group 2 had loupe-assisted sub-inguinal varicocelectomy and Group 3 had microscope-assisted sub-inguinal varicocelectomy.

The mean VAS score of patients before and after beginning continuous physical activity was 3.10 +/- 0.9, and 7.65 +/- 0.93, respectively (p = 0.001). These values were 3.36 +/- 0.9, and 7.45 +/- 0.82 in Group 1 (p = 0.001), 2.90 +/- 0.83, and 7.54 +/- 1.29 in Group 2 and 3.06 +/- 1.06, and 7.87 +/- 0.71 in Group 3 (p = 0.001). After the operations, the mean VAS score decreased to 1.90 +/- 1.13 in Group 1 (p = 0.002), 1.63 +/- 1.32 in Group 2 (p = 0.003), and 0.81 +/- 0.71 in Group 3 (p = 0.001). Comparing the postoperative results among the groups, there was no statistical significance between Groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.190), and Groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.378), but a statistically significant difference was determined between Groups 1 and 3 (p = 0.011).

Physical activity has a significant worsening effect on varicocele pain. Microscopic sub-inguinal varicocelectomy offers the best results for pain resolution.