Surgical treatment of varicocele 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%.