Objective: To compare the post-operative outcomes of open inguinal versus laparoscopic varicocelectomy.
Methods: The comparative prospective study was conducted from January 2016 to January 2018 at the Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital and a private hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, and comprised patients diagnosed with varicocele. Group A patients underwent laparoscopic varicocelectomy and Group B patients were treated with open inguinal varicocelectomy. All patients were followed up for a minimum of six months and parameters compared included operative time, post-operative need for analgesia, hospital stay, post-operative changes in seminal fluid parameters, complications of surgery, recurrence rate and patient satisfaction. SPSS 25 was used for data analysis.
Results: Of the 60 patients, 20(33.3%) were in Group A and 40(66.6%) in Group B. Operative time was shorter in Group B (p=0.066), but it was shorter in Group A in cases of bilateral varicocele (p=0.005).Mean duration of analgesia need was significantly lower in Group A compared to Group B (p= 0.001). Significant post-operative improvement in sperm count and motility was detected in both groups (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Both techniques were found to be effective in treating varicocele with a reasonable safety profile.
Keywords: Iraq; Laparoscopic; Ppeninguinal; Varicocelectomy.