An undescended testicle is a surgical operation in which one of the testicles is lowered into the scrotum if it remains in the abdomen after birth. The operation is performed in Turkey after the child is over 6 months old.
An overview of the undescended testicle
cryptorchidism or the so-called Migratory testicleA testicle that has failed to descend into its normal position in the scrotum.
Most cases of undescended testicle involve one testicle, but it may occur in both together in 10% cases.
You may see the condition of the undescended testicle in premature babies who were born prematurely. Because the normal testicle does not descend from the abdomen into the scrotum until the seventh month of life inside the womb, it may also be associated with lack of growth, hormonal disorders and cleft thorns.
The American Urological Association has reported article It is found that 3-4% of children born after termination have an undescended testicle, while the percentage rises to 21% in children born before termination of pregnancy.
Sometimes the testicle ascends into the inguinal canal and gets stuck in it after it has descended into the scrotum due to the natural reflex that moves the testicle up when cold and frightened (retractile testicle).
An undescended testicle can occur in adults, although this is, of course, rare.
An undescended testicle in Turkey is easily diagnosed by palpation of the scrotum to look for the testicle immediately after birth and noticing the disappearance of one or both testicles.
Surgery remains the basis for determining the location of the testicle and differentiating between an undescended testicle and an undescended testicle if the doctor notes that the testicle is not in its place at birth.
Undescended testicle treatment in Turkey
The treatment of undescended testicle disease in Turkey depends mainly on the severity of the condition and the age and general condition of the child studies The operation to install the undescended testicle is the best treatment for the condition and is associated with a high success rate, but it is necessary to delay the procedure for more than 6 months.
In most cases, descent of the testicle occurs spontaneously during the first six months of life towards the scrotum, but if it does not descend during this period, the probability of its descent in the future without treatment decreases, and it becomes in need of an undescended testicle operation.
If the testicle does not descend and remains suspended in the abdomen or inguinal canal, some long-term problems may result, such as:
- infertility: The failure of the testicle to descend to its place exposes it to high temperatures, which leads to poor sperm formation and a decrease in their number. The probability of infertility increases when both testicles fail to descend.
- Testicular cancer: Patients who were born with an undescended testicle have an increased risk of testicular cancer when they reach the age of 30-40 years, especially if the testicle is in the abdomen. It will greatly reduce the incidence of testicular cancer.
- riskfor inguinal hernia;: A weak area in the lower abdominal wall or in the inguinal canal that herniates to allow the intestinal loops to cross.
- Testicular torsion: Which results in a twisting of the cord that carries blood to the scrotum.
Undescended testicle operation in Turkey
The ideal time for an undescended testicle procedure in Turkey is between the ages of 6-18 months, because waiting more than that will put the child at risk of infertility or testicular cancer in the future.
The pediatric surgeon in Turkey performs the operation of the undescended testicle, which takes about one hour, and is performed on an outpatient basis, which means that he can go home on the same day.
How to perform an undescended testicle operation
Initially, the child is placed under general anesthesia and the doctor makes a surgical incision approximately one inch in the lower abdomen or in the groin to locate the undescended testicle.
For a testicle that is stuck in the abdomen, an undescended testicle is performed laparoscopically, where the doctor performs laparoscopy (a minimally invasive surgical technique that allows viewing the testicle that has settled in the abdominal cavity through a special scope).
The ventral testicle may need a second operation to return it to the scrotum.
Then the doctor makes another small incision in the scrotum and gently pulls the testicle down through it and places it in a small pocket in the scrotum.
In the end, the testicle is fixed in the appropriate place inside the scrotum with the surgical suture and all the incisions are closed.
See the details of the process of installing the testicle attached tothe video.
After the operation of the undescended testicle
After the undescended testicle surgery, the child is transferred from the operating room to a regular room in the hospital, where he stays for an hour and a half or two hours, and then returns to his home.
The feeding of the child after the operation should be limited to clear liquids. After two hours or more, soft foods should be introduced into the diet such as bananas, rice and soup. The patient can return to eating all foods after two days of the operation.
Your child should rest a few weeks after the undescended testicle operation, so he does not do strenuous work and do not play games that require him to sit in the area of the wound, such as riding a bike or a walker, in order to speed up the recovery rate.
It is possible that the scrotum will swell for a few weeks after the operation. This is not dangerous, but the swelling will go away on its own.
Even after surgery to fix the testicle in place, the development of the testicle must be monitored to ensure that it grows normally. The testicles are responsible for puberty and the emergence of male characteristics, so any problem in normal growth may indicate a defect in the testicles.
Treatment of undescended testicle without surgery
Other ways to treat an undescended testicle without surgery are available in Turkey, including:
- riskfor hormonal treatment: By injecting the chorionic stimulus directed at the gonad (HCG), which stimulates the body to secrete testosterone, this hormone may help lower the testicle into the scrotum. This method is currently not used due to the superiority of surgery on it.
- Testicular saline replacement: Usually used for children who have the absence of one or two testicles, these substitutes have no benefit other than that they fill the place of the testicle and give the scrotum a natural appearance.