Undescended testicles in children: Early surgery should be done before 1-2 years of age

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

Undescended testicles can be found in 3% - 4% of babies at birth. Many families find that their children have undescended testicles, but they wait until they are adults to have an examination and surgery. This is completely wrong because the testicles left in the abdomen for a long time are not good. So when should undescended testicle surgery for children?

During infancy, the testicles migrate from the abdomen through the abdominal wall in the groin into their normal position, the scrotum.
If during this process there is something wrong with the testicle, it stays in the abdomen, in the groin, it is called an undescended testicle.
About 30% of premature babies have undescended testicles and 3% of full-term babies. About 70% of undescended testicles in babies will descend into the scrotum in the first few months. After 1 year of age, this rate is very low.
Undescended testicles is one of the most common developmental disabilities in men.

Surgery to lower the undescended testicle should be performed as soon as possible. For children with undescended testicles, they should be detected and treated early before 2 years of age, and operated as early as 1 year old.
Because after one year of age, the undescended testicle cannot move down to the scrotum on its own, but begins to have structural and functional changes in the direction of worsening. Testicles will begin to shrink and complications such as testicular torsion, cancer and male infertility will appear in the case of bilateral undescended testicles.
If the patient waits until after puberty to see a doctor, then the undescended testicle is usually atrophied. At that time, the treatment method is surgery to remove the testicle because the testicle has lost function and to prevent the risk of testicular cancer, then insert an artificial testicle.

An undescended testicle can be resolved surgically, i.e. surgically lowering the undescended testicle to fixation in the scrotum. This method is indicated in cases where medical methods are not effective.
In undescended testicle surgery, sacral anesthesia is being appreciated for its effectiveness in treatment and is widely applied today. This method is quite safe, simple and easy to implement; In addition, it also helps to reduce pain for the patient during surgery.
Vinmec Danang International General Hospital is one of the leading hospitals to successfully treat undescended testicles in children with sacral anesthesia. Besides the modern and advanced machinery system, the technique is also performed by a team of reputable medical doctors, who have long experience and are always wholehearted and dedicated in medical examination and treatment.