Adolescent varicocele repair: long-term results and comparison of surgical techniques according to optical magnification use in 100 cases at a single university hospital.
OBJECTIVE
We review the long-term results of varicocele repair, and compare the complication rates of varicocelectomy techniques according to optical magnification use in adolescents with varicocele at a single university hospital.


METHODS
We prospectively studied 100 males 7 to 19 years old with clinical palpable varicocele. Of the patients 52 (52%) underwent left unilateral varicocelectomy and 48 (48%) underwent bilateral varicocelectomy. Varicocelectomy was performed using a microscope in 49 patients (79 sites), loupe magnification in 25 (35 sites) and no magnification in 26 (34 sites) using either a subinguinal or inguinal approach. Postoperative complications were compared in all patients based on technique. Preoperative and postoperative serum hormone values and semen parameters were compared in 33 patients.


RESULTS
Mean postoperative followup was 30.4 +/- 13.06 months (12 to 65). Total motile sperm count increased from 22.6 million +/- 5.16 million to 64.53 million +/- 12.3 million postoperatively, which was statistically significant (p = 0.002). Postoperative recurrence rates were 0% in cases managed by microsurgical varicocelectomy, 2.9% in those where loupe magnification was used and 8.8% in those where no magnification was used. Postoperative hydrocele rates in these cases were 0%, 2.9% and 5.9%, respectively. The highest rates of recurrence and hydrocele were observed in cases where no magnification was used, compared to those managed by microsurgery (p = 0.03 and p = 0.116, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent varicocele repair improves semen parameters and is a safe method with low recurrence and low complication rates. Our study suggests that the postoperative complication rate significantly decreases with use of higher magnification, such as microscopy. Microsurgical varicocele repair is the best technique with the lowest postoperative rates of recurrence and hydrocele in the treatment of adolescent varicoceles.
Cayan
Selahittin
S
Department of Urology, University of Mersin School of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. selcayan@mersin.edu.tr
Acar
Deniz
D
Ulger
Süleyman
S
Akbay
Erdem
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*