Patient's question:
A friend of mine had a baby born in 2010. They didn't notice anything when the baby was born, but recently they discovered that the left testicle hasn't descended yet. The child seems to be fine and hasn't been to the hospital for a check-up. In the past few days, they've been thinking about this again and feel uneasy, fearing that the baby might have a problem.What kind of help are they looking for: Is it normal for the left testicle not to descend in children, and what should they do about it?
Doctor's answer:
The testicles of a male can be of unequal size, height, or position, but the difference is not significant, without any pain or discomfort, and they function normally without interfering with normal activities. However, if the difference is substantial or if one side is missing (left or right), it may indicate a disease, such as underdevelopment of one testicle or cryptorchidism. It is not normal for a child to have no testicle on the left side, and surgical treatment should be considered. Data shows that surgery before the age of two has minimal impact on the testicle's sperm production function. Below the age of four, it may cause significant interference, and below the age of eight, it may severely impair the function. Even if surgery is performed below the age of twelve, the testicle's sperm production function cannot be fully restored. Therefore, the surgery to fix an undescended testicle should be performed before the age of two.