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Undescended testicles

10 replies

Tel · 21/05/2001 12:04

Reading Steve Biddulph's "Raising Boys" last night prompted me to start a topic that I would like to know more about. My son was born with one undescended testicle (both are down now) and Steve says in his book that extreme stress during pregancy can cause this. Does anyone know if this is a viable theory or what else can cause it? Both my partner and I were frantic with worry initially , probably due to the way we were told (there is a problem with your child, he only has one testicle and visions of genital surgery ensuing) but I would also like to reassure anyone else that for the majority the other one tends to drop soon after, or if it is visible, you can actually encourage it down yourself.

OP posts:
Bloss · 21/05/2001 13:43

Message withdrawn

Elvis · 07/06/2001 21:15

My son has an undescended testicle. How long did you have to wait for it to drop on its own? Also Tel talks about encouraging one down, any tips?

Bloss · 08/06/2001 17:59

Message withdrawn

Elvis · 04/10/2001 20:50

Unless nature intervenes (fingers crossed) my son may soon be heading for surgery for his still undescended testicle.
Does anyone have experience of their little boy going through this. He will be 2 by the time the surgery goes ahead.

Jacquikd · 05/10/2001 10:10

I haven't had direct experience of this, but I have a son of a good friend and also my nephew had this problem.

When they were both born with one undescended testicle, they were told to wait and see if it "dropped" on its own. Neither child's did.

Joshua (who is now 6) had his operation when he was about two and it worked first time. Now you cannot even see a scar.

Callum (my friend's baby) also has had his operation, although this was only about 3 weeks ago. He has a tiny thin red scar which you can hardly notice. He has to go back to hospital (at some time, I can't remember when) to make sure it is still descended - sometimes I think they can pop back in.

Rivi · 05/10/2001 10:53

Elvis, our son had to have the op at around 2 as his had not descended. If you are worried it's as they say: you really have nothing to worry about. When we were first told this I wish I had known someone who had first hand experience of this as I felt totally in the dark and very concerned.

On the operating table they found only one needed to be stitched in place the other was fine it's because at this young age children are so small. (Just think of their hands in relation to your own.) As the time approached I was in a bit of a state about how he would cope and manage after the op but shouldn't have worried. It's as they say: the best time to have the op as they bounce back from it so quickly - you can hardly believe that they have just had an operation. He was his usual self playing drinking etc etc within minutes of waking and as for nappies there was no problem at all. Also you had to look really hard for the stitches and now you can't tell he ever had stitches. Hope this helps - if you have any other questions just post them and I'll be happy to let you know what his/our experience was. (I kept thinking that they would descend but one didn't and later being really glad that we live where they check our childrens development so throughly.) You might like to contact NHS Direct 0800 service as I did and they were helpful in that they sent a photocopy from a book which explained it all. Anyway, who knows your son's may descend - best wishes.

Azzie · 05/10/2001 11:46

Elvis,

My son didn't have an undescended testicle but did need surgery for an inguinal hernia when he was 2 and a bit. Just like Rivi's son, he bounced back really quickly from the op - he was crawling around under the bed when the consultant came to see him shortly after he came round!

We prepared him as best we could for the experience without frightening him, and told him there would be a present waiting for him after it was all over (Henry for his Brio train set, something he really wanted) as a reward for being brave. When the day came the nurses were brilliant with him. He took his koala bear (his favourite cuddly) with him. They gave her a wrist band just like his, and she went down to the operating theatre tucked up on the trolley with him.

The worst bit for me was when they knocked him out - seeing him go wobbly and then unconcious made me really shaky, then seeing his incredibly small form being wheeled into theatre - I shall never forget it. I'd brought a book to read while the op was going on but I never managed to get through a page.

When he came round he threw off his bedclothes, then took off his hospital gown and his nappy (not sure why exactly, but it seemed important to him), then asked where his present was. Within a couple of hours of the op he had demanded and downed a large plate of sausage, beans and chips and obviously felt fine. They sent us home with various painkillers (which he never needed) and now, nearly 2 years down the line, you can't even see the scar unless you look very hard - the glue stuff they use now instead of stitches is incredible.

Before the op the consultant told me that the whole thing would bother us far more than it would bother our son, and he was absolutely right. I think that we tried so hard to be totally matter of fact and calm about it all that he considered the whole experience as something totally normal, and even rather enjoyable (the being made a fuss off bit, anyway!).

Rivi · 06/10/2001 13:11

Snap Azzie, about it being worst for the parent. I cried as they took our son away I just didn't want him to have to go through it and having to let them wheel him away to the op theatre without me was really awful. I told the staff in no uncertain terms that they must call me as soon as he was out of theatre and in the recovery room! They did, and as I said and you have also said he was playing etc etc as soon as he woke giving himself no time to lie still which was wonderful. The staff were really good looking back as I guess they wouldn't be working in a childrens ward if they didn't put the children first.

Elvis · 09/10/2001 20:18

Thank you so much for replies. It's reassuring to hear from people who have been through what we may be facing soon. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

mollipops · 10/12/2001 05:27

Hi just found this thread and wanted to let you know about my son's experience with an undescended teste. He was born with only 1 teste down, then referred to a specialist at 2 months who agreed there was no teste and it was either up in the abdomen or was absent. We hadn't considered the second possiblity at all! But it does happen apparently.

Anyway he said to come back at 7 months for another check to see if it was present - it wasn't (even I could tell that!) So it was off to surgery. He was about 10 months when he had it - I agree the worst part was for me when they gave him the GA, seeing his eyes roll back and him go all floppy...I left the theatre and went to cry in the loo! He was fine afterwards, a bit groggy but as I was still breastfeeding he went straight on to the breast and settled really well. The best thing about the bf was that I could feed him two/three hours (can't remember which!) before surgery, as breastmilk is digested so quickly, rather than him going without food or drink for five or six hours.

The specialist was lovely and explained it was best not to wait as the longer the teste stayed in the abdomen the more risk of that teste becoming infertile, due to higher temp in the body as opposed to in the scrotum. His other teste is normal so even if it has affected the fertility of the one operated on, he should still be able to become a father in adult life.

He had a lot of swelling and pain around the site, but paracetamol helped. He was crawling around again before too long! Now he has only a tiny scar on his abdomen and you can hardly see the one on the scrotum at all. So if your son hasn't already had the op, I say GO FOR IT! Better down than up I think!

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