Microsurgical treatment of varicocele

The authors report their experience of the surgical treatment of varicocele. After having performed modified Palomo's method for many years, recent pathogenetic data have induced them to adopt a microsurgical technique. This technique involves vascular anastomoses which allow drainage of the testicular blood into an area with lower venous pressure. They used Fox's technique (anastomosis between 2-3 veins of the pampiniform plexus and saphena vein) and Belgrano's technique (anastomosis between internal spermatic vein and inferior hepigastric vein). The authors report their series of 30 patients treated with these techniques between 1984 and 1987. The results obtained from 20 who were followed-up one year after surgery demonstrated an improvement in the physical examination in 70% of cases and a decreases in hyperthermia in 75% of patients. A spermiogram improvement has been obtained in 66.6% of 18 patients, as two of them were of pediatric age.