THE EFFECT OF VARICOCELECTOMY ON THE TESTICULAR PAIN RELATED TO VARICOCELE

Introduction: Pain is a symptom that can be related to varicocele. We tried to find out, how much the pain symptom related to varicocele recovered with varicocelectomy and how did the patients benefit from varicocelectomy when they were grouped according to their pain. Materials and Methods: The study included 65 patients who underwent varicocelectomy because of scrotal pain. The patients' age, degree of varicocele, definition of pain was recorded. Pain severity was evaluated with VAS (visual analog scale) score. According to the definition of pain the patients were divided into four groups: dull, pulling sensation, heaviness and prickle pain. The patients' scrotal pain degrees were evaluated with the preoperative and postoperative VAS scores. The preoperative and postoperative 3rd month VAS scores of patients were compared. Results: According to the results a meaningful decrease between the preoperative and postoperative VAS scores in all groups were found. But when the VAS scores were compared according the varicocele grades we couldn't encounter any statistically significance. After varicocelectomy, 26 patients (40%) out of 65 had total pain relief (VAS 0), 36 patients (55.3%) had decrease in pain (VAS score decreased) and 3 patients (4.6%) had no change in pain. Two of the patients who didn't have any change in their pain had grade 2, while the third patient had grade 3 varicocele. The decrease in the postoperative 3rd month VAS scores of all pain varieties was statistically significant. We observed wond infection in one patient (1.5%), as a complication. Conclusion: Whatever the type of pain, varicocelectomy significantly decreases or removes the pain symptom. The success of treatment is not related to the degree of varicocele.