Treatments for undescended testicles

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vo Thien Ngon - Urologist, Department of General Surgery, Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Currently, there are a number of methods to treat undescended testicles such as hormonal medical treatment or surgical treatment such as open surgery, laparoscopic surgery. Depending on each case, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate method to bring the best treatment effect.

In many newborn boys, the testicles have not yet descended completely. In cases where the testicle is palpable in the inguinal canal, the undescended testicle descends on its own without treatment. However, if by the time your baby is 6 months old, the testicles still haven't moved down on their own, some intervention is needed.
In children under 1 year of age, medical methods can be used, ie treating undescended testicles with hormonal drugs. The doctor will inject the hormone HCG to stimulate the testicles to descend. However, the effectiveness of this method is only about 20% and there are some contraindications. Therefore, most cases of undescended testicles are now resolved by surgical methods.

Currently, there are 2 surgical methods applied depending on the disease situation, including open surgery and laparoscopic surgery.
2.1 Laparotomy of the undescended testicle The method of undescended testis is indicated in the case of palpable testicle in the groin. The best time for surgery is when the child is 6-12 months old, because after 1 year of age in the undescended testicle will appear abnormal Leydig cells, reduce the number of germ cells and appear fibrosis around the seminiferous tubules. The open surgery method is relatively effective and safe. However, compared with laparoscopic surgery, open surgery causes more pain and longer recovery time for patients.
2.2 Laparoscopic undescended testicle Laparoscopic undescended testis is applied in case the testicle is still in the abdomen. Similar to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery should be performed as soon as possible. The best time is when the baby is about 6-12 months old to minimize testicular damage and future fertility.
The laparoscopic method of undescended testicle has the following advantages:
The rate of successful testicular hypoplasia is higher than that of open surgery due to maximum mobility of the testicular vessels and vas deferens Aesthetic and less painful than Open surgery Quick recovery time, patients can be quickly discharged from the hospital and return to daily activities Especially for adult men, immediate surgery is required. If the testicles have not been cancerous, surgery to lower the testicles is performed, combined with the use of hormones to balance hormones. But if the testicle has been cancerous, it is necessary to remove the testicle, remove the lymph nodes in combination with supportive cancer treatment measures.

Currently, the same technique is one of the techniques used to treat undescended testicles at Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. This is a regional anesthetic technique that is performed by introducing local anesthetic into the epidural space through the sacral and sacral fissures. This technique has the advantages of being simple, safe and reducing pain for the patient during surgery.