A Comparative Study of Single Scrotal Incision Orchiopexy of Children with Palpable Low-Lying Undescended Testis with Traditional Inguinal Method

Abstract

Purpose: Undescended testis (UDT) is a developmental defect in which one or both testicles do not arrive in the scrotum. Its prevalence at birth and one year after is 2%-4% and less than 1%, respectively. Currently, surgery is recommended to treat congenital cryptorchidism in order to prevent testicular degeneration. Classic method is performed via incision in inguinal and scrotum and the new method is done via incision in scrotum. Method: Sixty male participants with 65 UDT undergoing surgery were randomly assigned to scrotal incision (n=31) and classic inguinal incision methods (n=34). Patients were followed for 6 months and testicular atrophy, infection, recurrence, and duration of surgery were compared between two groups. Results: Scrotal incision compared to classic incision method had significantly lower duration of surgery (19.06±2.96 minutes vs. 30±10.42 minutes; p=0.002) and recurrence during follow-up (0 vs. 5 cases; p=0.026). There was only one surgical site infection in the scrotal incision method. There were hematoma and post-operative swelling in 13.3% of cases after scrotal incision method. Conclusion: Scrotal incision is an alternative method for the UDT with lower duration of surgery, lower recurrence rate, and better cosmetic results.