[Venous embolization--treatment of choice in varicoceles]

Abstract

Varicocele consists of the varicose expansion of the spermatic vein. It's more frequently in the left side (10:1) as consequence of an evil functioning or absence of the valves of the spermatic left vein. Between March 1999 and December 2009 there have been gathered a total of 37 cases diagnosed of varicocele in the pediatric population of our center. After a local anesthetic we created a femoral aproach. We advance into the left renal vein using a catheter Simmons type I and then we position the top of the catheter beyond the ostium of the spermatic vein to fulfil the renal left vein by means of the administration of contrast iodized and gonadal vein could be visualized using retrograde phlebography. Transcatheter embolization will carry out across the introduction of coils (approximately from 6 to 8) of 0.038 using a hidrofilic catheter of 4 or 5F. Of the total of the 37 cases, we obtained correctly embolization in 33 patients (89.2%), being necessary a reembolization in three cases (10.8%) of which one finished in surgery. Only in a case (2.7%) surgery was practised for embolization incomplete.