Mangement of the impalpable testis is one of the controversial issues in cryptorchidism. So we studied to evaluate the usefulness of laparoscopy and surgical methods for impalpable testis. From January 1992 to December 1993, a total of 36
patients
with
impalpable cryptorchid was admitted to Seoul National University Children's Hospital. All the patients were examined by laparoscopy under general anesthesia. According to laparoscopic finding, in 15 patients with high abdominal testis, we
performed
5
microscopic testicular autotransplantations and 10 testicular vessels transsections (Fowler-Stephens method). In other cases, We performed 9 standard orchiopexies and 6 orchiectomies. complication of laparoscopy was not experienced. During mean
follow
up period of 12 months, success rate was 80% in microscopic testicular autotransplantation, 80% in testicular vessels transsection and 91% in standard orchiopexy. Therefore, we think that laparoscopy can be used safely to assess the accurate
location of
impalpable testic and that surgical methods including testicular autotransplantation are acceptable to high abdominal testis.
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