The effects of varicocelectomy on the DNA fragmentation index and other sperm parameters: a meta-analysis

Table 1 Study characteristics

Reference	Design	Population (N)	Age range (years)	Age mean	Age median	Intervention	Follow up month after surgery	Outcome
Reference	Design	Population (N)	Age range (years)	Age mean	Age median	Intervention	Follow up month after surgery	DFI assay	Sperm concentration	Total sperm motility	Progressive sperm motility	Sperm morphology
Abdelbaki et al. [19].	Prospective	55	23–41	–	33	Inguinal varicocelectomy with loupe	3–6 months	SCSA	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alhathal et al. [20].	Prospective	29	–	–	–	Subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy	6 months	SCSA	Yes	No	Yes	No
Ghazi et al. [21].	Prospective	82	20–51	35.6	–	Microsurgical varicocelectomy	6 months	TUNEL	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
La Vignera et al. [22].	Prospective	30	20–32	26.5	–	Subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy	4 months	TUNEL	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Li et al. [23].	Prospective	19	15–42	33.1	–	Subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy	3 months	SCSA	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Zini et al. [24].	Prospective	25	–	–	–	Microsurgical varicocelectomy	4 months	SCSA	Yes	No	Yes	No
Smit et al. [25].	Prospective	49	34 ± 6.9	34 ± 6.9	–	Left high inguinal spermatic vein ligation and microsurgical varicocelectomy	3 months	SCSA	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

SCSA Sperm chromatin structure assay; TUNEL: TdT-mediated-dUTP nick end labeling

ISSN: 2051-4190