The conventional method involves making a three to four inch incision in the groin, under general anesthesia, and lifting the spermatic cord out of the scrotum. After exposing the spermatic cord, the surgeon looks for the bundle of enlarged veins attached to the cord. The veins are tied off with sutures which relieves the pressure. Conventional surgical repair requires a one or two day hospital stay with a two week follow-up visit to the doctor's office to remove the stitches. Complete recovery takes a few weeks.
Conventional surgery is the most common way to repair a varicocele.
Varicoceles may reoccur in fifteen to twenty percent of the men who undergo this type of treatment. One potential problem with this type of conventional operation is the formation of a hydrocele. A hydrocele is a collection of fluid around the testicle. A hydrocele forms when the tiny lymph ducts that run close to the veins also become tied off accidentally. The collection of fluid allows the temperature inside the testicle to remain high.