What happens if testes do not descend?

What happens if testes do not descend?

If the testicles don’t drop into the scrotum, they may not function normally and produce healthy sperm. This can lead to infertility later in life. Males born with undescended testicles also have a higher risk of testicular cancer in adulthood.

How do you fix an undescended testicle?

An undescended testicle is usually corrected with surgery. The surgeon carefully manipulates the testicle into the scrotum and stitches it into place (orchiopexy). This procedure can be done either with a laparoscope or with open surgery.

Should testes be descended?

The testicles will descend normally at puberty and surgery is not needed. Testicles that do not naturally descend into the scrotum are considered abnormal. An undescended testicle is more likely to develop cancer, even if it is brought into the scrotum with surgery.

How long is surgery for undescended testicle?

During the surgery, your child will be given a numbing medication—either an injection in the low back called a caudal (COD-ull) or directly into the incision (in-SIZH-yun), or cut—to relieve discomfort after the surgery. This surgery takes about 45 minutes, but recovery from the anesthesia might take several hours.

Can undescended testicle correct itself?

ANSWER: In many cases, an undescended testicle moves into the proper position on its own within the first few months after birth. If it hasn’t done so by the time a baby is 4 to 6 months old, though, it’s unlikely that the problem will correct itself.

At what age is undescended testicle surgery?

Undescended testis (UDT) is the most common genital anomaly in boys. Current guidelines recommend surgery before 12 months of age to maximize fertility and potentially reduce the risk of future malignancy.

Can undescended testicle cause erectile dysfunction?

Infertility. Men with a history of cryptorchidism may have lower sperm counts, sperm of poorer quality and lower fertility than men with normally-descended testes. The degree to which men are affected, depends on whether one or both testes were undescended and how long they were undescended before being corrected.

Is testicular surgery painful?

There are several things you should be aware of following orchiectomy, the medical term for surgery to remove a testis. Most men will have discomfort requiring pain medicine for 1-2 weeks. After this time, the pain usually diminishes considerably, although there may be certain times of day when discomfort is worse.

Is undescended testicle surgery painful?

General anesthesia makes the surgery easier and safer to do because your child will not feel any pain or have any memory of it. Caudal anesthesia is given with general anesthesia to block pain in the low back, tummy and lower trunk area and provides up to 4 hours of pain relief in that area after the surgery.