Histomorphological differences of spermatic cords regarding subinguinal versus inguinal levels: A cadaveric study

Aim: Varicocele is a common disorder among male population and is the most common cause of secondary infertility. Microsurgical inguinal or subinguinal operations are the preferred approaches but the two differ in technical difficulty. Therefore, we examined the histomorphological differences of spermatic cords at both subinguinal and inguinal levels in this cadaveric study. Methods: Spermatic cords from 9 adult male cadavers were examined at both the inguinal and subinguinal levels using a light microscope with an image analysis program in the anatomy and histology laboratories of Ankara University Medical School between July 15, 2006 and February 15, 2007. Results: In terms of number and wall thickness, we did not observe any significant histomorphological differences in spermatic cord veins and arteries between the subinguinal and inguinal levels. Conclusion: We conclude that the subinguinal approach is not a harder technique than the inguinal approach concerning vessel dissection, but more studies must be made to compare subinguinal versus inguinal varicocelectomy. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.