Undescended Testis
A male reproductive system comprises a penis, testicles (testes), and scrotum/ scrotal sac. People assigned male at birth have a pair of testicles within a pouch-like sac called the scrotum below the penis. The testicles produce sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone. The scrotum helps keep the testicles at the right temperature.
Normally, testicles are formed during the growth of a baby boy while he is in his mother’s womb. They are formed in the lower belly of the baby and dropped into the scrotum towards the end of pregnancy. Toward the end of pregnancy, the testicles enter through a tube into the scrotum. When the infant is a year old, both testicles should be in the scrotum. Within the scrotum, the testicles are attached with stretchable tissues at the bottom. All of this is controlled by hormones inside the body of the baby.
What is Undescended Testis?
Undescended testis, medically termed Cryptorchidism, is a male reproductive condition when one or both testicles fail to take their destined place in the scrotum before birth. It is considerably more common in premature babies. Out of every twenty male newborns, one is born with an undescended testicle.
As per Best Testicular Surgery Doctors in Hyderabad at Arete Hospitals, ‘In some children, the testicles may be in the scrotum for much of the time, but they cannot be touched there because they usually rise back into the body in response to fear or cold conditions’. A parent can determine this by putting their child in a warm bath and feeling both testicles. If this is the case, there is no need to be concerned.
Truly undescended testis requires treatment. At Arete Hospitals male reproductive and urology department, there are top-notch Pediatric Urologists in Hyderabad on staff who are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of undescended testis.
Benefits of Undescended Testis Treatment
- Treatment may aid in the prevention of infertility (in the long run)
- Timely treatment reduces the risk of complications like testicular torsion (twisting) and inguinal hernia
- It may also help minimise the chance of a child acquiring testicular cancer
- The process offered at Arete Hospitals is relatively safe, with fewer complications or side effects
- It can help boost the self-esteem of the child and improve their quality of life.
Causes and Risk Factors of Undescended Testis
The root cause of undescended testes in many newborns is still under research. One or both testes may fail to descend for various reasons during foetal development. Numerous genetic and hormonal factors can influence testicular growth. One can get these tests done with experts at Arete Hospitals, the Top Testicular Surgery Hospital in Hyderabad.
A combination of multiple factors is thought to increase the chances of undescended testicles. These are some risk factors:
- Exposure of the mother to harmful drugs, some pesticides, chemotherapy, or radiation when the baby boy is in her womb
- Premature birth of the baby boy resulting in underdeveloped testis
- Having a family history of undescended testicles
- Low birth weight of the baby boy
- Baby boy suffering from health conditions such as cerebral palsy or problem with abdominal wall
- Mother having diabetes before or at the time of pregnancy
- Mother smoking cigarettes or passively smoking or else consuming alcohol during pregnancy.
Symptoms of Undescended Testis
- The condition is asymptomatic for the child, although the affected side cannot be detected in the scrotum. The child will not be in discomfort, and the remaining testicles will not interfere with physical function.
- The absence of one or both testicles in the scrotum (a fold of skin between the abdomen and the legs) is a clear symptom of an undescended testicle. In the scrotum, the testicle feels like a soft, bouncing ball.
- The testicles form in the back of the abdominal cavity throughout foetal development and begin to descend lower to the scrotum through the groyne canal in the last trimester of pregnancy.
- A boy with undescended testicles will have an empty scrotum on one or both sides. The condition is not painful, and urine is unaffected.
If one's child is diagnosed with symptoms of undescended testicles, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention. Consult the Best Undescended Testicles Treatment Doctors in Hyderabad at Arete Hospitals to ensure the best care and treatment for your child's health and well-being. Don't delay; prioritise your child's health today.
Diagnosis of Undescended Testis
If the testicle has not descended into the scrotum by three months of age, the baby boy is diagnosed as having an undescended testicle. A physical examination just after childbirth or shortly thereafter is conducted to feel or palpate undescended testicles. This helps the paediatrician eliminate the possibility of a retractile testicle. The absence of a testicle can be felt in the lower abdomen in rare cases.
Around the time a child starts school, his doctor should check him for acquired undescended testicles. The condition, however, can emerge later in childhood, up to approximately the age of ten. If parents suspect that their child's testes have returned to his groyne (for example, if you can't see them in his scrotum when he's in a warm bath or if he can't find them himself), consult a doctor.
To determine the exact location of an undescended testicle, if not easily felt or palpable, a paediatric urologist may order a pelvic ultrasound. Pelvic ultrasound is an imaging test wherein the doctor places a transducer device on the baby’s groyne and abdomen. The transducer emits sound waves of high frequency to get computerised images of the pelvic organs including testicles and scrotum.
In the first 6–9 months following birth, the primary treatment for an undescended testicle is conservative, and the Doctors for Undescended Testis Treatment in Hyderabadwait to see if the testicle or testicles descend on their own. If the testicles have not descended by 6–9 months, it is unlikely that they will and the baby must be referred to a paediatric urologist.
Hormonal Treatment
The failure of the testes to descend is most likely caused by a malfunction in the hormonal pathway that signals the testes to descend (hypothalamic-pituitary-testes axis). HCG injections or LH-RH intranasally may help stimulate the natural descent of the testicle(s). However, surgery is usually preferable because it is more successful and produces quick results.
Surgical Treatment of An Undescended Testicle (Orchiopexy)
In this treatment, the Orchidopexies Doctors in Hyderabad at Arete Hospitals manipulate the testicle into the scrotum and fix it with sutures. If there is a hernia (a bulging tissue or an organ through an abnormal opening), it is also fixed. This surgery can be performed laparoscopically through a keyhole incision made in the belly button area. Traditionally, it is performed through an inguinal incision to locate the testicles and two scrotal incisions to put the testicles in the right place. The surgery lasts for about 45 minutes and is performed under general anaesthesia. In 98 out of 100 cases, orchiopexy is successful.
For more details on Undescended Testicle Surgery in Hyderabad, consult the urologist and experts at Arete Hospitals.
Problems Caused by Untreated Undescended Testicles
It is critical to treat undescended testes. The following are some of the problems that might result from undescended testicles:
- Poor self-image: Abnormal testicles can undermine a boy's confidence and self-esteem.
- Hernia: Inguinal hernia (abnormal bulging in the groyne area) is more likely in a boy with undescended testicles.
- Trauma: An undescended testicle is more vulnerable to injury.
- Infertility: Testicles are kept in the scrotum because sperm generation requires a temperature a few degrees lower than the body. Undescended testicles will not produce sperm. Even with surgical repair, men who had undescended testicles when they were young have a higher rate of infertility.
- Risk for testicular cancer: This risk increases dramatically at 30 or 40. Men who have undescended testes must go for monthly testicular self-exams with Undescended Testicles Doctors in Hyderabad at Arete Hospitals.
1. Do undescended testes cause pain?
Unless the spermatic cord linked to the testis becomes twisted, undescended testes do not cause pain.
2. How likely is it that men will have reduced fertility as they grow older?
Approximately 10% of men with a surgical correction experience lower fertility later in life. That’s because if the testes become trapped in the groyne or abdomen, they do not generate sperm. The testes require a temperature lower than body temperature to produce sperm, so they are placed in the scrotum.
When should surgery be performed?
If the child has undescended testicles that do not descend independently after birth, surgery should be performed between 12 and 24 months.
If you or your child develop testicular torsion, you should have surgery immediately. The doctor might have to remove the testicle surgically if blood flow fails to return in six hours.
For more details on this procedure visit Arete Hospitals, Best Nephrology Hospital in Hyderabad.
