Weill Cornell Medicine Urology
Weill Cornell Medicine Urology
Cryptorchidism - Treatment Options

Cryptorchidism - Treatment Options

Bilateral undescended testes

First, intersex (females with adrenal hyperplasia) should be ruled out. If the boy is less than nine years old and he has bilateral undescended testes, hormonal work-up is needed. This work-up may lead to a diagnosis of bilateral anorchia which means the testes never formed on either side. If the hormonal work-up is normal, an HCG stimulation test is applied and testosterone is subsequently measured. Patients with bilateral anorchia will not make testosterone in response to HCG.

Retractile testis

This is a normal variant. This phenomenon usually disappears by 13 years of age.

Reasons to treat the undescended testicle

Most pediatric urologists recommend orchiopexy by 1 to 1.5 years of age or earlier. We recommend treatment of the undescended testicle before one year of age. There is evidence that early damage to the germ cells that produce sperm begins at this age. Other reasons to treat are psychological reasons and placement of testicle in position more amenable to physical examination to pick up testis cancer. The most effective treatment is surgery, which can be performed as an outpatient.

Pharmacotherapy has the advantages of avoiding anesthesia and being minimally invasive. HCG (human chorionic gonadotopin) is the drug of choice. HCG is thought to stimulate Leydig cells of testicle to produce male hormones. The precise mechanism of action is unknown. Injections of HCG are given several times per week over several weeks. This can produce descent in some children. However, the success rates have been reported to be as low as 10%. Unfortunately the results of hormone treatment have diminished success in children less than two years of age. Usually a maximum 5-week course is undertaken. Patients failing hormonal therapy should undergo surgical treatment.

Surgical Therapy

Surgery is immediately performed on ectopic testes, cryptorchids with coexisting hernias and boys at pubertal age. When a testis is felt in the groin area, we usually explore the area through a small incision made in the skin above the scrotum called the inguinal region. Most undescended testes are associated with a hernia that must be repaired. After this is done, the testis is brought down into the scrotum and anchored in a space created in the scrotum (orchiopexy). Both incisions (in the inguinal region and scrotum) are closed with absorbable sutures.

Concealed Laparoscopic Orchiopexy

Laparoscopy can be used to localize nonpalpable, undescended testes. The laparoscopy is performed first to find out if the testicle is located in the abdomen or if it is congenitally absent. If the testis is low in the abdomen, an orchidopexy is performed laparoscopically. A laparoscope is inserted through a small umbilical opening to locate the non-palpable testis. If the testis is healthy, a second instrument is placed through a small opening in the scrotum to move the testicle into its natural position. Sometimes the testicle is located too high in the abdominal cavity to reach in a one-step operation. In this setting, the testicle will be freed of its previous blood supply and placed in a location such that it can be brought down with a second operation. The second stage is performed in 6 months.

Follow-up

Long-term issues include infertility and tumorigenesis. After the initial post-operative visits, children should be seen 1 year after surgery to note the location and size of the testes. At puberty, boys should be taught how to perform monthly testicular self-examinations. The threshold for future ultrasound examinations is based on the type of tumor and physical exams. Once the boys reach adulthood, issues regarding fertility must be further explored with a urologist.

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To request an appointment, please call our office at 212-746-5337. Our phone staff are available to help you Monday-Friday, from 9AM-5PM (EST).

You can find the office contact information for each physician specializing in Cryptorchidism by visiting their profile listed on the bottom of this webpage.

If you'd like to learn more about our providers that specialize in Neurogenic Bladder, please review the Physicians & Faculty profiles listed at the bottom of this page.

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Physicians & Faculty

Ardavan Akhavan

M.D.

212.746.5361
212.746.5361
AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Access, Affinity Health Plan, Blue Priority Network, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS Pathway X Enhanced, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Fidelis Care, Health First, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], Rockefeller University-CoreSource, UHC Compass, United Empire Plan, United Health Care [Community Plan], United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth
The LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery
Dr. Dix Phillip Poppas, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.S. | Cornell Urology

Dix P. Poppas

M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., F.C.P.

212.746.5337
212.746.5337
AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Aetna-Weill Cornell POS, Affinity Access, Affinity Essential, Affinity Health Plan, Blue Priority Network, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS Pathway X Enhanced, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Fidelis Care, Health First, Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Medicaid, Medicare, Oxford Freedom, POMCO, Rockefeller University-CoreSource, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth
Klinefelter Syndrome Care Center
Dr. Jeremy B. Wiygul, M.D. | Cornell Urology

Jeremy Wiygul

M.D.

(718) 224-2644
(718) 224-2644
AETNA, AETNA [Medicare], AETNA-HMO, AETNA-PPO, Affinity Essential, Affinity Health Plan, Amida Care, CIGNA, EBCBS HMO, EBCBS Mediblue, EBCBS Pathway X, EBCBS Pathway X Enhanced, EBCBS PPO/EPO, Elderplan, Empire BCBS HealthPlus, Empire BCBS HealthPlus (CHP), Empire BCBS HealthPlus (Medicaid), Empire Plan, Fidelis (Medicare, Medicaid & CHP ), GHI, Health First, Health First (Medicare, Medicaid, FIDA, CHP, Exchange and Essential Plans), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP), Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicaid], Health Insurance Plan of NY (HIP) [Medicare], Healthcare Partners (Commercial, Medicaid, Medicare only underwritten by HIP), HIP (Incl. Comprehealth) (Emblem Exchange Products: Select Care Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Basic), Local 1199, MagnaCare (PPO, Direct Plus), Medicaid Fee for Service, Medicare Fee for Service, MultiPlan, Oxford (NY State of Health), Oxford Freedom, Oxford Health Plans [Liberty], Oxford Health Plans [Medicare], Oxford Health Plans [Metro/Core/Charter], Oxford Medicare, UHC Community Plan - Essential Plan, UHC Community Plan - Medicaid Plan, UHC Compass, UHC Compass-HMO, UHC Medicare, United Empire Plan, United Health Care, United Health Care [Community Plan], United Healthcare Commercial, VNSNY CHOICE Medicare, VNSNY CHOICE SelectHealth, VNSNY Choice/VNS FIDA (formerly Select Health), Wellcare (Medicare, Medicaid, CHP)
Weill Cornell Medicine Urology - Queens

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