Table 1.

Rates of pregnancy, recurrence, and hydrocele formation stratified by approach used for varicocele repair

Surgical technique	No. of studies analyzed	Pregnancy rate, % (range)	Recurrence rate, % (range)	Hydrocele formation, % (range)
High ligation	4	34.21 (33.5–36)	12.5 (7.3–15.5)	7.58 (4.6–9.0)
Inguinal approach	6	30.06 (20–31.5)	15.65 (3.57–17.5)	7.47 (4.3–17.5)
Subinguinal approach	1	26.09 (26.09)	3.57 (3.57)	0
Microsurgical inguinal	6	41.78 (40.8–42.8)	9.47 (0.7–15.2)	0.29 (0.0–0.7)
Microsurgical subinguinal	13	44.75 (33.8–51.5)	2.07 (1.4–14.8)	0.72 (0.3–1.6)
Laparoscopic	9	27.53 (13.1–40)	11.11 (4.0–26.5)	7.57 (1.7–12.7)
Radiological embolization	7	31.93 (12.2–40)	4.29 (1.9–9.3)	N/A a

^aN/A (not available): hydroceles are not typically seen with embolization procedures