Surgical treatment of varicocelle in oligospermic patients: a re-evaluation

Left varicocele ligation was performed in 64 infertile men seen at our clinic during 1974-1978. High ligation of the left internal spermatic vein was done in all cases. The ages of patients were 23--46 yr. The criteria for operation were: palpatory findings of varicocele, primary or secondary infertility, and abnormal sperm analysis. Statistical analysis of the 3 main sperm parameters before and after surgery shows a significant increase in sperm count (P < 0.005) and motility index (P < 0.005), while the sperm morphology was not improved (P = 0.2). The pregnancy rate was 43.8%.