Early Clinical Outcome of Staged Laparoscopic Traction Orchidopexy for Abdominal Testes.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To assess the short-term clinical outcome of the novel Shehata technique of laparoscopic traction-lengthening for abdominal testes in a single center over a 12-month period (January-December 2014). An ethics approval of the study and appropriate consents were obtained for all patients before inclusion in our study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 47 consecutive boys presented with impalpable testes in the ipsilateral hemiscrota, 3 of them were bilateral summing up to a total of 50 U of impalpable testes to a single center over 12 months (January-December 2014). Those boys underwent a preoperative ultrasound (US) Doppler scan for the ipsilateral and contralateral testes. They then proceeded to a first-stage laparoscopic exploration for the testes in which the cranial testicular artery and the caudal vas deferens were traced to their meeting point to locate the abdominal testes that were either found (peeping at the internal inguinal ring [IIR] or more cranially) or otherwise vanishing (intraabdominally blind-ending vas and vessels or extra-abdominally passing through the IIR). All 50 testes failed to stay at the contralateral IIR when brought there mandating a preliminary lengthening of the testicular vessels by lateral dissection, traction, and fixation to a point 1-2 cm superolateral to the contralateral anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), essentially a mobile traction point. After 12 weeks, all underwent a second-stage laparoscopic-assisted ipsilateral subdartos orchidopexy for the testes under traction. Occasional slippage of the testis under traction mandated an otherwise second-stage retraction and a third-stage orchidopexy. All underwent US Doppler scan 3 and 6 months after orchidopexy.

RESULTS

The 47 cryptorchid boys presented at a mean age of 3 years 2 months (range: 6 months-8 years). Out of the 50 impalpable testes, 9 were nonvisualized on preoperative US Doppler scan and 16 were vanishing on laparoscopic exploration: 5 abdominally (in utero vascular accident) and 11 scrotally (perinatal torsion). The remaining 34 testes were fixed loosely near the contralateral ASIS in the first-stage laparoscopic exploration. Out of which, 3 had slipped traction at the second stage. The 12-week traction interval went uneventfully and a predefinitive US Doppler scan confirmed viability of all testes under traction. All 34 elongated testes were mobilized and fixed in the ipsilateral hemiscrota inside a created subdartos pouch (of de Netto). All 34 fixed testes were confirmed viable on US Doppler scan 1, 3, and 6 months after orchidopexy.

CONCLUSION

The novel Shehata technique of staged laparoscopic traction-lengthening for abdominal testes is safe, easy, and convenient as evidenced by our limited early experience. Neither internal herniation complicated the traction period nor testicular atrophy (by undue tension) complicated the traction or follow-up periods. We believe it is a good alternative to the Fowler-Stephens staged orchidopexy that entails risky division of the testicular vessels.