Some men can feel a mass of cords in the scrotum, which some people describe as “worm-like” or “caviar-like” cystic compressible objects, or in severe cases, they can directly “see” them. The scrotum is full and swollen, and can be detected by ultrasound. The clinical diagnosis is varicocele, a common male condition that occurs on the left side and can occur at any age. The incidence in the general population is about 15%. Varicocele has been known for quite a long time, but recent technological advances have revolutionized the treatment of the disease and many deep-rooted traditional beliefs have changed significantly. Surgery is recognized as the only effective treatment for varicocele, eliminating the localized swelling and painful discomfort associated with the disease and improving semen quality. Some physicians often base their determination of treatment for people with varicocele and their choice of treatment on personal knowledge and clinical experience, but in practice, the choice of surgical treatment should still follow certain principles and should be kept up to date. The main indications for surgical treatment include: varicocele causing significant painful discomfort on the affected side, which the patient cannot tolerate; varicocele causing testicular spermatogenic dysfunction, progressive decrease in semen quality, and affecting male fertility. Commonly used surgical methods include open surgery, laparoscopic surgery and embolization and sclerotherapy. Open surgery, which includes subinguinal, inguinal and retroperitoneal ligation of the internal spermatic vein, is a classic method that has been widely performed in clinical practice for many years. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive method developed in recent years, which does not require an incision, but only 3 small holes in the abdomen and operation, observed on a TV monitor, to complete the procedure, which has a lower treatment failure rate and a shorter operation and hospital stay, especially beneficial for those with bilateral varicocele. Embolization sclerotherapy can be performed under local anesthesia and eliminates the need for open surgery, but embolization failure or recurrence is more common and is rarely used today.