Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25248652›Full record

SynthesisAsian journal of andrology

Inguinal and subinguinal micro-varicocelectomy, the optimal surgical management of varicocele: a meta-analysis.

Jun Wang, Shu-Jie Xia, Zhi-Hong Liu, Le Tao, Ji-Fu Ge, Chen-Min Xu, Jian-Xin Qiu

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Asian journal of andrology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
8.4field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 95 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Surgical or radiological treatment for varicoceles in subfertile men.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
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  6. Article
  7. Observational
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  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Fertility.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025
    Review
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  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Jun Wang
Shu-Jie Xia
Zhi-Hong Liu
Le Tao
Ji-Fu Ge
Chen-Min Xu
Jian-Xin QiuDepartment of Urology, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Medical College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University · CNShanghai First People's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Conventional meta-analyses have shown inconsistent results for the efficacy of various treatments of varicoceles. Therefore, we performed a multiple-treatment meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness and safety of 10 methods of varicocelectomy and embolization/sclerotherapy. We systematically reviewed 35 randomized controlled trials and observational studies, from 1966 to August 5, 2013, which compared any of the following treatments for varococeles: laparoscopic, retroperitoneal, open inguinal and subinguinal varicocelectomy, microsurgical subinguinal and inguinal varicocelectomy, percutaneous venous embolization, Tauber antegrade sclerotherapy, retrograde sclerotherapy and expectant therapy (no treatment). Inguinal and subinguinal microsurgery, open inguinal, laparoscopic varicocelectomy showed a significant advantage over expectant therapy in terms of pregnancy rates (odds ratio (OR): 3.48, 2.68, 2.92 and 2.90, respectively). Compared with retroperitoneal open surgery, inguinal microsurgery showed an improvement of sperm density (mean difference (MD): 10.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.92-19.60) and sperm motility (MD: 9.09, 95% CI: 4.88-13.30). Subinguinal and inguinal microsurgery outperformed retroperitoneal open surgery in terms of recurrence (OR: 0.05, 0.06 respectively). Tauber antegrade sclerotherapy and subinguinal microsurgery were associated with the lowest risk of hydrocele formation. The odds of overall complication, compared with retroperitoneal open varicocelectomy, were lowest for inguinal microsurgery (OR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02-0.19), followed by subinguinal microsurgery (OR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02-0.19). Inguinal and subinguinal micro-varicocelectomy had the highest pregnancy rates, significant increases in sperm parameters, with low odds of complication. These results warrant additional properly conducted randomized controlled clinical studies with larger sample sizes.

Indexed as

FemaleHumansLaparoscopyMalePregnancyPregnancy RateTreatment OutcomeUrologic Surgical Procedures, MaleVaricocele

Identifiers

PMID25248652
PMCPMC4291882
OpenAlexW2029343196

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.