VARICOCELE: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Purpose:: To minimize varicocele treatment in children and adolescents a multidisciplinary approach that includes surgery and operative radiology has been used at our institution since 1991. We present our results during this 7-year period.Materials and Methods:: From January 1991 to December 1997 we examined 477 patients 4 years 5 months to 25 years 4 months old (mean age 13 years 3 months) with varicocele, of whom 367 (396 varicoceles) required treatment. Percutaneous sclero-embolization was suggested as the primary treatment of choice in all cases, while surgery was reserved for select cases. A total of 366 cases followed at least 6 months (mean 1 year) were entered into this study.Results:: Only 7.1% of the patients or families preferred surgery. In 47 patients sclero-embolization was not possible due to technical problems or vascular anomalies. Sclero-embolization was successful in 79.4% of 277 patients, and retroperitoneal ligation was successful in 88.7% of 124. Since 1995 ligation of the whole spe...