title: Effectiveness of laparoscopic varicocelectomy.
abstract: Laparoscopic varicocelectomy is a new technique which has been described in a limited number of clinical reports. We reviewed the results of 46 patients undergoing laparoscopic repair of 75 varicoceles over a two-year period to assess the effectiveness of this operative technique. The internal spermatic artery was preserved in 80 percent of the varicoceles and two arteries were present in 5 percent. Our ability to preserve the internal spermatic artery improved significantly with the use of the intraoperative Doppler probe after the first six months of performing this operation (p < 0.01). Nineteen infertile patients had a minimum follow-up of twelve months with seminal improvement in 68 percent and a pregnancy rate of 26 percent. Complications occurred in 2 patients (4%), inferior epigastric vessel bleeding in one, and genitofemoral nerve injury in the other. There was one persistent varicocele (1%). Our results with laparoscopic varicocelectomy are comparable with those reported with standard open surgical approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jarow
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Assimos
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pittaway
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013076:Sperm Count; D013085:Spermatic Cord / Q000098:blood supply; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014646:Varicocele / Q000601:surgery*