Orchiopexy: an experimental study of the effect of surgical technique on testicular histology

Orchiopexy was performed in 35 mature Sprague-Dawley rats using absorbable suture, nonabsorbable suture or a classical dartos pouch technique without suture fixation. Examination of the chromic-fixed testes revealed severe acute inflammation of the suture site and most of the parenchyma in 76 per cent, with abscess formation in 65 per cent, complete absence of spermatogenesis in 82 per cent and evidence of tubular necrosis in 88 per cent. Nylon-fixed testes were adherent only at the sutures, with absent spermatogenesis in 29 per cent, moderate to severe tubular necrosis in 29 per cent and tubular atrophy in 58 per cent. Dartos-fixed testes demonstrated complete circumferential adherence, normal spermatogenesis in 94 per cent and minimal focal tubular atrophy in 23 per cent. Contralateral testes appeared normal in all animals.