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Undescended testicle - what do I need to know?

31 replies

mm22bys · 19/02/2007 09:48

Hi, my son (three months old) has an undescended testicle. What do I need to know about chances of it fixing itself, best age for treatment, waiting times for treatment on the NHS (am in east London), etc?

TIA

OP posts:
Bubbaloo · 02/03/2007 20:48

Glad to hear it all went well.
Ds had his 2 weeks ago and the stitches are now disappearing and like 2boysmacca just said,his groin scar is still quite visible,although the one down below is very small.Neither has bothered him in the slightest,although I made sure I did his nappy up not so tight for the first few days on one side as the tab was right on top of the groin wound.

Laura032004 · 02/03/2007 22:30

Haven't read the whole thread, but DS1 (now nearly 3) has/had two undescended testicles. He's had two op's to fix them. Hopefully, one side has worked (not in the scrotum, but further down), the other side is not really down, but may come down more with time.

Couple of points - I heard earlier the better, best before they're two for fertility/future health reasons. The first surgeon wanted to do both sides at the same time, but the anaesthetist wouldn't let him. It takes longer - so GA more risky, if they get an infection, it will commonly affect both sides, so you could lose both testicles, and is a lot more painful, really requiring a hospital stay. Also, no-one told us the potential failure rates initially, and I didn't ask. Apparently about 30% of testicles die on the first operation, 70% die if they have to have a second procedure on the same side. Sometimes due to infection, other times they just shrivel up and get reabsorbed. I found this a bit worrying, as the chances of my DS1 ending up with two functioning testicles are low Nothing you can do about it really, as you have to have the op I think, but poss worth checking you get an experienced surgeon?

DS1 came through both ops fine, and wasn't worried about the second one, even though the first one was only 6 months earlier. He was bouncing around the next day, with very little pain relief. I think it was worse for us than him.

mm22bys · 04/03/2007 18:18

We're seeing the urologist tomorrow. DH thinks he's actually got both undescended as well. The GPs thought only one wasn't down. I just hope he has at least one that works when / if he needs it hopefully many years down the track!

Any idea what the waiting list is like for the actual surgery if he was to have it done on the NHS?

OP posts:
2boysmacca · 04/03/2007 18:46

In SE London, he was referred at his 8 month check. A week after his 1st birthday he had the op. Like others, I was told they wouldn't operate until after his 1st Birthday as there was still a chance they could come down on their own.

Laura032004 · 04/03/2007 20:06

They only class them as undescended if they can't move them into the scrotum when they palpate them. I would say both of DS1's are undescended, but apparently, they're both down, one in almost the right place.

Try checking in a warm bath when your DS isn't expecting it.

The waiting list for DS's first op was five months, as they only do paediatric day surgery on certain days. However, we're in the depths of Cornwall! The second one was booked in on the day of the first op, so was six months to the day.

mm22bys · 05/03/2007 16:27

We saw the urologist, and he definitely has two, just one is in the wrong place. Consultant was almost 100% certain it won't fix itself, so he will need surgery, and will probably have it done when he's between 10 and 12 months.

Feeling much happier and more confident now - DH had me worried when he thought both weren't down!

All the best for everyone's DSs....

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