[Obstructive azoospermia treated by epididymovasostomy following vasovasostomy: a case report]

A case of secondary epididymal obstruction caused by vasal obstruction due to bilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy is reported. A 28-year-old patient, who had undergone right inguinal herniorrhaphy at the age of 3 and bilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy at the age of 25, was diagnosed as having obstructive azoospermia because testicular biopsy disclosed normal spermatogenesis. Vasography revealed bilateral vasal obstruction at the level of the inguinal canal. Bilateral microscopic vasovasostomy was performed but postoperative semen analysis showed azoospermia. At the operation only one sperm was found in the left vasal fluid while no sperm was found in the right. Postoperative vasography showed that the left vasovasostomy was accurate while the right vas was reobstructed. Microscopic epididymovasostomy using Silber's specific tubule technique was performed on the left side. The left epididymis was transected at its tail and numerous normal sperms were found in the epididymal fluid. Four months after the second operation, semen analysis showed normal sperm density of 34 x 10(6)/ml.