Abstract
Background: Varicocele is a vein anomaly affecting 15% of adult males, with prevalence increasing to 35% in men seeking infertility evaluation and 81% in those with secondary infertility. It is primarily due to a prevalent and remediable factor.
Objective: The objective of this study is to do a comparative analysis of the post-operative outcomes between open inguinal varicocelectomy and laparoscopic varicocelectomy.
Methods: The present investigation was undertaken within the surgical department of (Hospital name) over a duration of two years, spanning from December 2019 to December 2021. This study employed a prospective design and involved the inclusion of a cohort comprising 50 patients diagnosed with clinically severe varicocele. The participants were allocated into two distinct groups. Group A consisted of 25 individuals who underwent laparoscopic surgery, while Group B consisted of 25 individuals who received an open approach.
Results: In our study comprising a cohort of 50 patients, we observed a range of ages from 20 to 49 years. Among these patients, 19 reported experiencing scrotal pain, 25 exhibited testicular swelling, and 7 presented with infertility. The mean operation time for laparoscopic varicocelectomy was 48 minutes, while for open surgery it was 57 minutes. Interestingly, we found that the postoperative analgesic requirement was similar in both groups. Furthermore, the average duration of hospital stay was 35.6 hours for laparoscopic procedures and 50.6 hours for open procedures. The duration of the operative procedure in Laparoscopic Varicocelectomy was found to be 17.25 ± 2.1 minutes in cases where the condition was unilateral, whereas it was 29.32 ± 2.8 minutes in situations where the condition was bilateral. The average length of surgery for unilateral cases in Open Varicocelectomy was found to be 42.5 ± 3.4 minutes, whereas for bilateral presentations, it was 67.25 ± 2.5 minutes. The observed difference between the two groups was found to be statistically significant, with a p-value of less than 0.001 . The recurrence rate was higher in laparoscopic group.
Conclusion: Laparoscopic varicocelectomy offers similar outcomes to open techniques, with minimal morbidity and shorter hospitalization periods. It treats bilateral varicoceles without extra incisions and has a higher recurrence rate, but overall patient satisfaction makes it a preferred surgical technique.
Keywords: laparoscopic varicocelectomy, Open varicocelectomy, Infertility.
References
- Choi WS, Kim SW. Current issues in varicocele management: a review. World J Mens Health. 2013 Apr;31(1):12-20.
- Clarke BG. Incidence of varicocele in normal men and among men of different ages. JAMA. 1966 Dec 5;198(10):1121-1122.
- Gorelick JI, Goldstein M. Loss of fertility in men with varicocele. Fertil Steril. March 1993;59:613-616.
- Alsaikhan B, Alrabeeah K, Delouya G, Zini A. Epidemiology of varicocele. Asian journal of andrology. 2016 Mar;18(2): 179-181
- Dubin L, Amelar RD. Varicocele size and results of varicocelectomy in selected subfertile men with varicocele. Fertil Steril. 1970;21:606‐609.
- Dubin L, Amelar RD. Varicocele. Urol Clin North Am. 1978;5:563-572.
- Hargreave TB. Varicocele: A clinical enigma. Br J Urol. 1993 Oct;72(4):401-408.
- Bebars GA, et al. Laparoscopic versus open high ligation of the testicular veins for the treatment of varicocele. JSLS. 2000 Jul-Sep; 4(3): 209-213
- Lynch W J, Badenoch D F and Mcanena O J Comparison of Laparoscopic and open ligation of the testicular veins. British Journal of Urology dec 1993;72:796-798.
- Hagood PG, Mehan DJ, Worischeck JH, et al. Laparoscopic varicocelectomy: preliminary report of a new technique. J Urol Jan1992;147:73-76.
- Al-Shareef ZH, Koneru SR, Al-Tayeb A, Shehata ZM, Aly TF, Basyouni A. Laparoscopic ligation of varicoceles: an anatomically superior operation. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 1993 Sep;75(5):345-348.
- Verma D, Lal C, Sharma A, Sirwi M. Laparoscopic versus open surgical management of idiopathic varicocele: a study on 100 patients. Int Surg J 2017;4:3071-6.
- Osman T, El-Shourbagy A, Moustafa H, Maged W. Laparoscopic versus Open Retroperitoneal Bilateral Varix Ligation for Obese Patients Presenting with Primary Sub-Fertility: A Randomized Comparative Study. African Journal of Urology. 2004;10(1):50-57.
- Podkamenev VV, Stalmakhovich VN, Urkov PS, Solovjev AA, Iljin VP. Laparoscopic surgery for pediatric varicoceles: randomized controlled trial. Journal of pediatric surgery. 2002 May 1;37(5):727-729.
- Ogura K, Matsuda T, Terachi T, Horii Y, Takeuchi H, Yoshida O. Laparoscopic varicocelectomy: invasiveness and effectiveness compared with conventional open retroperitoneal high ligation. International Journal of Urology. 1994 Mar;1(1):62-66.
- Farag, A., Abo-Elsaad, A., Ahmed, Y., Azzam, A. Laparoscopic varicocelectomy initial experience at Al_Azhar Hospital (Demietta). The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2018; 73(11): 8077-8083. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2018.21923
- Saeed AB, Ahmed S, Iqbal J. Comparison of surgical techniques used in adult varicocele. JSZMC 2017;8(1):1101- 1104.
- Al-Kandari AM, Shabaan H, Ibrahim HM, Elshebiny YH, Shokeir AA. Comparison of outcomes of different varicocelectomy techniques: open inguinal, laparoscopic, and subinguinal microscopic varicocelectomy: a randomized clinical trial. Urology. 2007 Mar 1;69(3):417-420.
Corresponding Author
Md. Atiqul Haque Sarder
PCPS, MCPS, FACS, FICS, FMAS, Surgical Specialist, Department of Surgery Combined Military Hospital Bogura, Bangladesh