Five Year Follow-up Testicular Growth Results after Orchiopexy in Palpable Cryptorchid Testis

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Purpose: Postoperative long-term follow-up studies after orchiopexy are rare as compared for other studies such as for histological changes and proper operative age. We analyzed the five-year long-term follow-up results after orchiopexy, expecting a proper prognosis of testicular growth. Materials and Methods: A total of 57 patients were selected from a follow-up study in 211 boys who underwent orchiopexy between January 1999 and July 2001. Patients were divided in several categories (operation age, testis consistency, pre-operational position of the testis) and were analyzed by examination of the previous medical records, preoperative and postoperative testicular volume (measured by ultrasonography), followup history taking, and from a physical examination. Results: For the 57 patients, 14 patients had bilateral and 43 patients had unilateral cryptorchidism. All of the cryptorchid testes were smaller than a normal testis in the unilateral group of patients as determined by testis ultrasonography. Sorting by operation age, only patients that received orchiopexy within two years from birth showed a significant recovery of testicular volume percentage (operated testis/normal testis x100%: in the unilateral group) at follow-up. Sorting by consistency, the patients with normal testicular consistency showed a significant recovery of testicular volume percentage (operated testis/normal testis x100%: in the unilateral group) at follow-up. Sorting by the preoperative position of the testis, the proximity of the testis to the scrotum was a significant factor for recovery of delayed cryptorchid testicular growth. Conclusions: Orchiopexy performed at less than two years from birth and the proximity of the testis to the scrotum were significant factors for recovery of delayed cryptorchid testicular growth. Consistency of a cryptorchid testis can be a meaningful factor for expectation of testicular growth by the establishment of an objective measurement for testicular consistency and studies for histological correlation. (Korean J Urol 2008; 49:271-276) 󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏