LAPAROSCOPIC TREATMENT OF PEDIATRIC VARICOCELE: A MULTICENTER STUDY OF THE ITALIAN SOCIETY OF VIDEO SURGERY IN INFANCY

Purpose: We report preliminary results of a multicenter study of the Italian Society of Video Surgery in Infancy on the laparoscopic treatment of pediatric varicocele.Materials and Methods: A total of 161 children 6 to 16 years old (median age 12.5) underwent laparoscopic treatment of varicocele at 6 pediatric surgery divisions. Varicocele was on the left side in 159 cases (98.7%) and bilateral in 2 (1.3%). Two boys had recurrent left varicocele. All children were treated with laparoscopy, including ligation of the spermatic veins only in 28 (17.3%), and ligation of the testicular veins and artery in 133 (82.7%). In 10 boys (6.2%) an additional procedure was done simultaneously, including closure of an apparently patent peritoneal vaginal duct on the right side in 7 and resection of epiploic adhesions between the intestinal loops and abdominal wall from previous appendectomy in the remaining 3.Results: Average operative time was 30 minutes and hospitalization was about 24 hours. At followup there were 13 ...