Outcome of surgical management of non-palpable testes

We reviewed the success rates of orchidopexies performed for non-palpable testes at our institution and correlated preoperative and intraoperative findings to eventual outcomes.

We retrospectively reviewed ninty five medical records of patients who underwent laparoscopic exploration for the assessment of a non-palpable testes between 1996 and 2009. Intra-operative data for one hundrad eight non-palpable testes were collected. Operative success was defined as a testis comparable in size or slightly smaller than the contra-lateral testis with normal consistency on the last follow-up.

There were seventy (65%) viable testes at exploration, thirty one nubbins (29%) removed and 7 (6%) absent. In the seventy six unilateral cases, contra-lateral hypertrophy was found in twinty five (33%) testes. Of which, twinty one (84%) were associated with absent testes or finding of a nubbin rather than a viable testis. In contrast, absent testes or finding of a nubbin was noted in 12 of 51 (23.5%) patients without contra-lateral hypertrophy. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Mean follow-up was seventeen months. Of the fifty testes in which the testicular artery was preserved, 7 were lost to follow-up and 3 of the remaining fourty three (7%) were atrophic. The twinty testes that underwent Fowler-Stephens orchidopexy (FSO) had a similar rate of atrophy, with only 1 (5%) atrophic testis identified following staged FSO (P > 0.83).

Testicular atrophy rate was similar in both artery sparing and Fowler-Stephens orchidopexies. Contra-lateral hypertrophy was significantly associated with absent testes or finding of a nubbin rather than a viable testis.