• Xiao-Dong Zhao, Xiao-Ling Ma, Peng-Cheng Ma, and Jian-Wen Wang.
• Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Mar 5; 100 (9): e21150e21150.

BackgroundSurgical treatment of varicocele is still one of the most common important treatments for male infertility. Surgery regimens for varicocele (VC) is various, including high ligation, sub-inguinal, inguinal, retroperitoneal, laparoscopic, and microsurgery. The surgery regimens applied for VC patients are various in clinic, however, the significance, advantages, and disadvantages of different varicocelectomies for male infertility are still in controversial. Therefore, this network meta-analysis is mainly to assess the relative efficacy and safety of different surgery regimens for VC patients with infertility.MethodsTo compare the relative efficacy and safety among different varicocelectomies for VC patients, we systematic searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs were in five electronic databases: Pubmed, Web of Science, EMBASE database, Clinical Trials, and Cochrane Library. Using R-3.4.1 software to process and analyze data. The bias risk of RCTs and non-RCTs will be evaluated through the tool of Cochrane Handbook version 5.1.0 and non-randomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I), respectively.Results And ConclusionThe result of this network meta-analysis aim is to evaluate the relative effectiveness and safety and rank the interventions among all surgery methods for VC patients and provide more evidence-based guidance in clinical practice.Protocol Registration NumberCRD42020162051.Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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