Evaluation of the age at orchiopexy

Abstract

Introduction. Undescended testis is the most common congenital anomaly of the male urogenital tract. The main issues associated with this condition are decreased fertility and an increased risk for testicular cancer, which are minimized if early orchiopexy is performed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the age at orchiopexy at the Institute of Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina and to compare it to international guidelines (American Urological Association, Canadian Urological Association and European Association of Urology). Material and Methods. A retrospective study included 457 patients operated on between 2010 and 2015. The recorded data were analyzed by Microsoft Excel Office 365 using means, medians, minimums, maximums and standard deviations where appropriate. The patient age and current recommendations for timing of orchiopexy were analyzed as well. Results. The mean age at orchiopexy was 69.47 months, and the median age was 64 months. Considering each year separately, no significant differences between mean and median age at orchiopexy were found. The percentage of orchiopexies performed before 24 months was 29% and 5% were performed before 12 months of age. The mean age at orchiopexy was 51.47 months later than recommended by current international guidelines. Conclusion. This study confirmed that the age at orchiopexy in our sample was significantly delayed than recommended. It is necessary for all medical practitioners involved in child health care to share new information, trends and diagnostic-therapeutic algorithms about undescended testis and consequences of late treatment.