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Does a bilateral polypropylene mesh alter the duct deferens morphology, testicular size and testosterone levels?
Sérgio Henrique Bastos Damous1, Luciana Lamarão Damous2, Jocielle Dos Santos Miranda3
1MD, PhD, Division of General Surgery and Trauma, Department of Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HC/FMUSP), Brazil. Conception and design of the study, technical procedures, analysis of data, manuscript writing.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effect of a PP mesh on duct deferens morphology, testicular size and testosterone levels.
Methods:
Forty adult male rats were distributed into groups: 1) no surgery; 2) inguinotomy; 3) mesh placed on the duct deferens; and 4) mesh placed on the spermatic funiculus. After 90 postoperative days, the inguinal region was resected, and blood samples were collected for the measurement of serum testosterone (pg/dl). The ducts deferens were sectioned in three axial sections according to the relationship with the mesh - cranial, medial and caudal. The wall thickness and duct deferens lumen area were measured.
Results:
The morphology of the duct deferens was preserved in all groups. The mesh placement did not alter this morphology in any of the analyzed segments. Surgery, with or without mesh placement, did not alter the morphology, wall thickness or lumen area (p>0.05). In all operated groups, serum testosterone levels were similar (p>0.05) but there was a decrease in testicle size (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Surgery, with or without mesh placement, did not alter the morphology of the duct deferens and, although this treatment resulted in testicular size reduction, it did not affect serum testosterone levels.
