Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 La radiologia medica https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-018-0968-2 VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY Varicocele, conventional laparoscopic ligation versus occluding balloon embolization Alessandro Motta 1  · Giuseppe Caltabiano 1  · Marco Pizzarelli 1  · Giovanni Failla 2  · Dragos Botezatu 3  · Horia Muresanu 3  · Pietro Foti 4  · Sandro La Vignera 4  · Rosita Condorelli 4  · Stefano Palmucci 4  · Antonio Basile 4 Received: 17 June 2017 / Accepted: 5 December 2018 © Italian Society of Medical Radiology 2019 Abstract Introduction Varicocele is a relatively complex pathology that afects the pampiniform plexus of veins in the spermatic cord. Modern treatment involves both urological/surgical and interventional procedures. Our objective is to compare outcomes of conventional laparoscopic ligation (LL) and occluding balloon embolization (OBE) a percutaneous interventional procedure. Materials and methods We treated retrospectively a total of 98 patients, divided in two cohorts; arm A with 48 and arm B with 50 patients. Arm A patients underwent LL, while arm B ones were treated in interventional radiology suite, via OBE method. No comorbidities were reported, especially scrotal ones. Hence, all patients have been asked to respect 3 and 6 months’ follow-up, clinical examination and ultrasonography were performed. Age range of the entire sample: 15–45 years old, with average of 28 years. The study involved two European centers. We performed a comparative analysis (Fisher’s test) of intra-operative time, hospitalization and patient’s postoperative recovery time. Results and limitations Outcomes have been in line with the recent literature ones, allowing the occluding balloon emboliza- tion a small advantage for quicker operative average time, hospitalization needed and full recovery to normal activities for the patient. Main limitation was the unfeasibility of cost-efectiveness analysis due to national diferences, limited sample and lack of complete semen analysis pre- and postoperative. Conclusion Both OBE and LL are safe and efective procedures in the treatment of varicocele, conceding OBE a slight advantage in terms of hospital stay and full recovery to normal activity of patients. Keywords Varicocele · Laparoscopic ligation · Occluding balloon · Embolization · Interventional radiology * Alessandro Motta alemotta.doc@gmail.com Giuseppe Caltabiano g.calta@yahoo.it Marco Pizzarelli ziopiz@hotmail.com Giovanni Failla failla.giovanni@gmail.com Dragos Botezatu dragosbotezatu@yahoo.com Horia Muresanu hmuresanu@gmail.com Antonio Basile antodoc@yahoo.com 1 Department of Interventional Radiology, “ARNAS” Garibaldi Hospital, Maria di Gesù 4, 95100 Catania, CT, Italy 2 Diagnostica per Immagini e Radiologia Interventistica, Azienda Ospedaliera per l’Emergenza “Cannizzaro”, Via Messina 829, 95126 Catania, CT, Italy 3 Vasile Goldis Western University, Str. Liviu Rebreanu, nr. 86, Campusul Universitar “Vasile Goldis”, Arad, Romania 4 Department of Radiology and Radiotherapy, Policlinico Universitario Gaspare Rodolico, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, via Santa Sofa n.29, 95100 Catania, Italy