Varicocele is a progressive disease of the spermatic cord in which the varicose veins are obstructed by reflux and dilate or the venous valves are dysfunctional, causing abnormal dilatation, elongation and tortuosity of the trapezius plexus in the spermatic cord. Varicocele can usually be clinically diagnosed by physical examination and ancillary tests. Conservative treatment of varicocele is not effective, and surgical treatment should be recommended for patients with varicocele with abnormal semen parameters, or for those with clinically significant symptoms, or for adolescent patients with testicular volume significantly smaller than the opposite side. The main surgical procedures include open surgery, laparoscopic surgery, microsurgery, vascular embolization, etc. The main surgical complications include recurrence of varicocele, testicular syringomyelia and testicular atrophy. The efficacy of various surgical treatments for varicocele in male infertility is still lacking in accordance with evidence-based medical design of rational research protocols and large comparative studies to assess the safety and efficacy of various surgical treatments. Some studies suggest that the use of complementary drugs and herbal preparations may help varicocele to improve postoperative semen quality and conception rate, which needs to be studied in depth.