Varicocoeles are odd swellings of the veins around the testicle and are very common. Varicocoeles may cause trouble with either pain or with abnormal sperm counts. Although they present as a problem in the scrotum the primary abnormality is in fact in a vein valve up the level of the kidney and the operation is designed to divide any abnormal veins inside the abdomen before they come down to the testicle. Laparoscopic varicocoele ligation is a key hole operation to remove the abnormal communications between the top and the lower part of the testicular vein.