[Laparoscopic surgery for undescended testicles].

PURPOSE

Impalpable and undescended testis is a very common preoccupation for specialized pediatric surgery teams. The laparoscopy as the single most accurate modality for diagnosis and localization of impalpable undescended gonad is well established by all authors. However the therapeutic attitude and the technique are still a matter of debate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A series of 122 boys presenting an impalpable and undescended testis was studied. All the children beneficiated of a primary laparoscopic exploration. During this exploration, when a testis was found, the clamping of the spermatic vessel was made and the final descent took place few months later.

RESULTS

In our study the testis was found in 60 cases and the spermatic vessel's clamping assured the descent of a well vascularized testis in about 80% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Clamping the spermatic vessel during the laparoscopic exploration assured, thanks to the development of a supply, a good vascularisation of the testis during its second step descent. Our retrospective study has showed the good reliability of laparoscopic surgery as primary treatment in front of impalpable undescended testicles in comparison to the one-step classical orchiopexy.