Laparoscopic outcomes in the management of bilateral nonpalpable undescended testes in children
Main Article Content
Abstract
Laparoscopy is currently the preferred modality for the diagnosis and management of non-palpable undescended testes; however, the optimal approach for bilateral cases remains controversial. This retrospective study included 21 patients (42 testes) treated at the Vietnam National Children’s Hospital from January 2021 to December 2024, with a median age at surgery of 23 months old. Seven patients (33.3%) underwent bilateral single-stage laparoscopic orchiopexy, and eight (38.1%) underwent simultaneous bilateral two-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy. The remaining patients either received a combined approach or had unilateral testicular atrophy. With a mean follow-up duration of 21.9 ± 9.4 months, the overall success rate was 82.1%, and the atrophy rate was 3.6%. In the bilateral Fowler-Stephens subgroup, 80% of testes were located in the scrotum, and one testis (10%) developed atrophy. No statistically significant difference was observed between preoperative and postoperative testicular volumes. Our results suggest that laparoscopic management, including simultaneous bilateral intervention, is a safe and effective option for this condition.
Article Details
Keywords
Bilateral nonpalpable testes, laparoscopy, Fowler-Stephens
References
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