Gastroschisis and extraabdominal ectopic testis: simultaneous repair

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Neonatal Urology
• Congenital Abnormalities

Background:

• Gastroschisis is a congenital defect where intestines protrude through an abdominal wall opening.
• Undescended testes (cryptorchidism) can be associated with abdominal wall defects.
• Management strategies for testicular anomalies in gastroschisis are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a straightforward surgical approach for managing associated undescended testes in infants with gastroschisis.
• To evaluate the outcomes of early testicular repositioning in affected neonates.

Main Methods:

• Three male infants with gastroschisis and extruding testes were identified over a 10-year period.
• Testes were repositioned into the ipsilateral scrotum and anchored before abdominal wall defect repair.
• A similar technique was applied to two infants with omphalocele and undescended testes.

Main Results:

• One infant showed persistent testicular hypoplasia at 1 year.
• Another infant required a secondary orchidopexy at age 2.
• The third infant demonstrated good testicular size and position by 6.5 years.
• Two additional patients with omphalocele had successful outcomes with this approach.

Conclusions:

• Concomitant repair of undescended testes during gastroschisis or omphalocele surgery is a simple and feasible option.
• Early scrotal placement may lead to favorable testicular outcomes in select cases.
• Further research is needed to establish optimal management guidelines for testicular anomalies in these conditions.