Surgical treatment of undescended testes

Surgical therapy of undescended testes is indicated when the testis is located in any site other than the scrotum, especially after unsuccessful hormonal treatment. If the testis can be palpated pre-operatively, a classical orchiolysis should always be carried out first, followed by orchiopexy. In the Sophia Children's Hospital orchiolysis and orchiopexy are always carried out following the techniques developed by Schoemaker. If the testis is not palpable, laparoscopy should be carried out to determine whether a testicle can be located intra-abdominally. If orchiolysis and orchiopexy would prove inadequate to achieve scrotal fixation due to shortness of the vasa spermatica, autotransplantation with microsurgical techniques can be carried out.