Abstract:

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy for the treatment of subclinical varicocele. Methods According to results of physical examinations and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), 40 patients were divided into the subclinical varicocele (SVc) group (n=20) and clinical varicocele (CVc) group (n=20). All patients underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy. Semen parameters of two groups before the surgery and semen parameters of patients of the same group before and 3 months after the surgery were compared. The main semen parameters were sperm concentration, sperm motility, and sperm viability. The recurrence and complications of patients 3 months after the surgery were collected. Results The differences of preoperative age and semen parameters of two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05), but the mean inner diameter of spermatic vein of the SVc group was smaller than that of the CVc group [(2.62±0.39) mm and (4.09±0.86) mm, respectively, P<0.05]. Semen parameters of the SVc group 3 months after the surgery were not significantly better than those before the surgery (P>0.05), while semen parameters of the CVc group 3 months after the surgery were significantly better than those before the surgery (P<0.05). The recurrence and complications of testicular atrophy, testis pain, and hydrocele were not found in all 40 patients 3 months after the surgery. Conclusion Microsurgical varicocelectomy can not improve the seminal quality of patients with subclinical varicocele, but can relieve the preoperative scrotum complaints.

Key words: subclinical varicocele, microsurgery, seminal quality