Varicocele

A varicocele occurs when veins become enlarged inside your scrotum (the pouch of skin that holds your testicles). These veins are called the pampiniform plexus. Out of one hundred males, ten to fifteen have varicocele. Varicoceles are when the pampiniform plexus veins in the scrotum become enlarged. These dilated veins are not as efficient as normal veins in carrying the blood and toxins back from testis and this over time leads to testis damage and damage to sperm production. Clinical varicoeles should be repaired if they are causing symptoms like pain or heaviness or are causing sperm or testis damage.

There are number of techniques of varicocoele repair like Embolization(performed by radiologists commonly), Laparoscopic (performed mostly by general surgeons), Retroperitoneal, Microscopic or open Inguinal and Sub Inguinal. The latest, most advanced and best technique by far, performed by experienced Urologists world over is "microscopic subinguinal varicocoele repair". In this technique, the use of an operating microscope(with 16 to 25 times magnification) enables the Surgeon to see all abnormal veins (which may be missed by open or laparoscopic technique) and save all other normal structures such as lymphatics and testicular artery thus giving very high success rates and very low complication rates. If you are suffering from varicocoele then consult your Urologist/andrologist who is experienced in performing such procedures.