LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY FOR ADOLESCENT VARICOCELE - PRELIMINARY-REPORT ON 80 PATIENTS

Laparoscopic clipping and division of the internal spermatic vessels w as performed without complications in 80 adolescents to treat varicoce le. In four cases the procedure had to be converted to open surgery. T wo of the cases were converted because of technical errors during CO2 insufflation and in two cases because dissection of the vessels was im possible owing to abnormal adhesion of sigmoid colon. At 6 months' fol low up there was only one relapse. Only one hydrocele was noted postop eratively, and testicular size did not decrease in any patient, The au thors believe that laparoscopic varicocelectomy is a simple, safe, and effective surgical procedure, which could be proposed as an alternati ve to open surgical or percutaneous embolization approaches. However, much more experience is needed to obtain a definitive conclusion. Copy right (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company.