Choice of open surgery for varicocele.

To compare the two conventional surgical methods for varicocelectomy, 50 patients with varicocele were operated by using either the retroperitoneal or the inguinal techniques. Compliance with local anaesthesia was found to be poor in the retroperitoneal group. The operative time was significantly shorter (p = 0.00038), and the postoperative analgesic demand significantly lower (p = 0.012) in the inguinal group. While the inguinal approach for varicocelectomy appears more advantageous than the retroperitoneal technique, alternative methods are also discussed.