Hydrocele Following Internal Spermatic Vein Ligation: A Retrospective Study and Review of the Literature

We reviewed 82 consecutive infertile men with varicoceles and 1 teenage boy with a painful varicocele, all of whom underwent a total of 111 internal spermatic vein ligations (55 unilateral and 28 bilateral) by the suprainguinal approach (Palomo method). Of these patients 3 who underwent unilateral and 3 bilateral internal spermatic vein ligations subsequently suffered a total of 8 hydroceles after an average postoperative interval of 18.2 months. The protein concentration of the hydrocele fluid in the 2 most recent patients was consistent with lymphatic obstruction.