Patient's question:
One of my brothers, who was just born, was found to need surgery for undescended testicles at a nearby hospital. After hearing this, I was very concerned about his health condition, so I wanted to know if the surgery for undescended testicles is dangerous for little ones?Doctor's answer:
During normal development, the testes descend from the posterior part of the peritoneum in the abdomen to the scrotum. If they do not descend or only partially descend, there may be no testes in the scrotum or only one testis. This is known as cryptorchidism. Clinically, it is also referred to as incomplete testicular descent or partial testicular descent. Cryptorchidism is one of the most common congenital anomalies of the pediatric urogenital system. Most cases are unilateral, while the other side remains unchanged. Cryptorchidism is best surgically treated around six months of age, with the latest not exceeding two years.