The work presented by João Moreira Pinto, Hospital da Luz paediatric surgeon in the units of Arrábida and Guimarães , received the distinction of best scientific poster of the National Congress of Minimally Invasive Surgery . Entitled “Comparative preliminary study of lymphatic-sparing versus no-lymphatic sparing laparoscopic varicocele repair in children”, the work approaches the initial experience of varicocele laparoscopic repair with lymphatic vessels sparing. The 12 th Congress of the Portuguese Society of Minimally Invasive Surgery took place in Coimbra, on October 18 and 19. The distinguished poster has for authors, besides João Moreira Pinto (in the photo above, receiving the award), Catarina Carvalho , Ana Sofia Marinho , Joana Barbosa Sequeira , Banquart Leitão and Fátima Carvalho , all doctors at the Pediatric Surgery service of the Centro Hospitalar do Porto, where the scientific work was conducted. Varicocele is a dilation of the scrotal/spermatic veins, that affects 14 to 20% of male adolescents, its potential role in infertility yet to be clarified. It may cause pain and discomfort, or be present without symptoms. Varicocele can be treated : by interventional radiology; by open surgery; or by laparoscopic surgery. “Classic” laparoscopic surgery consists in en-bloc high ligation of spermatic veins – a technique with a cure rate close to 100%, but where 15 to 30% of patients develop hydrocele in post-operative stage, requiring a second surgery to correct that increase of scrotal liquid. “Lymphatic sparing” laparoscopic surgery views to preserve testicle lymphatic drainage. With this technique, it is possible to obtain a reduction to zero of the incidence of hydroceles in post-operative stage, maintaining a cure rate close to 100%. At Hospital da Luz Arrábida and Hospital da Luz Guimarães , adolescents’ varicoceles are operated by lymphatic sparing laparoscopy.
