Editing Testicle (section)

=== Venous drainage ===

* Unlike most other venous patterns in the body, '''veins within the testis do not travel with their corresponding arteries.'''
* Small parenchymal veins either drain into a group of veins near the mediastinum testis, or they drain into veins on the surface of the testis. These two groups of veins anastomose with each other and the deferential veins to '''form the pampiniform plexus'''
* '''Pampiniform plexus'''
** '''A network of testicular veins that anastomose as they ascend surrounding the testicular artery'''
** '''Allows for a counter-current heat exchange that cools the blood flow within the testicular artery and keeps the testis 2-4°C lower than rectal temperature'''
** '''Ultimately, these veins join one another to form 2-3 veins at the level of the inguinal canal, and then they form one vein (gonadal vein) that ascends to drain into the inferior vena cava on the right and into the renal vein on the left side'''
** '''Dilated in a varicocele (see Varicocelectomy Chapter Notes);''' there may be variations where the testicular veins can anastomose to other veins and this can result in recurrence of varicocele following ablation.
* '''Deferential veins'''
** '''Follow the vas deferens and empty into the internal iliac ('''hypogastric) '''veins'''
** '''Spared during varicocele ligation surgery'''