A Survey of the Current Practice Patterns of Contralateral Testis Fixation in Unilateral Testicular Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To query the current contralateral testis fixation (CTF) practice patterns among pediatric urologists in different clinical situations that could result in monorchism. METHODS: An online survey was sent to members of the Urology Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The survey included questions addressing CTF practice patterns in 14 clinical scenarios. Responses were anonymously submitted, blindly reviewed, and analyzed. RESULTS: Among 53 respondents, 62.3% had academic appointments and 73.6% had an exclusive pediatric urology practice. All participants agreed on CTF necessity in testicular torsion beyond the neonatal period. CTF was advocated by 84.9% in prenatal torsion, 96.2% in postnatal torsion, and 94.3% in delayed torsion presentation. Emergent intervention was favored by 64.4% in prenatal and 98% in postnatal torsion. Only 1 participant (1.9%) preferred CTF with a unilateral testicular tumor and 5 (9.4%) in trauma substantiating an orchiectomy. There was less consensus on CTF in torsed undescended testis (79.3% in prepubertal and 81.13% in postpubertal), testicular nubbin in a child (40.4%), palpable atrophic undescended testis (13.2%), and unilateral bell-clapper anomaly (47.2%). In situations other than torsion, lack of strong evidence was the commonest reason not to perform CTF. CONCLUSION: The majority of responding pediatric urologists currently performs CTF in neonatal torsion. Although there is a general consensus on CTF in testicular torsion outside the neonatal period, CTF remains controversial in other clinical situations, warranting further research. The decision for CTF should involve patients, parents, and treating physicians.

Frequency of revision orchidopexy in Australia 1995-2014.

BACKGROUND/AIM: International criteria currently suggest orchidopexy at 6-12months for congenital undescended testis (UDT). Some children require repeat orchidopexy for recurrent UDT. This study aimed to assess practice in Australia over a 20-year period. METHODS: We examined 20years of Australian orchidopexy data (1995-2014) from the Department of Human Services to explore the national revision orchidopexy rates over time. RESULTS: The total number of orchidopexy revisions was 890 over 20years compared with 25,984 primary operations. More than 50% of all primary and revision orchidopexies in 0-14year-old boys were performed in major population centers of NSW and Victoria (which hold 52% male population of same age), with a small number of revisions on 15-24year-old males. The incidence of revision orchidopexy significantly decreased over the 20-year period in boys ages 0-14years old, from 276 operations between 1995 and 1999 decreasing to 165 operations between 2010 and 2014 (-53%), compared to a population increase of +15% (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate a decrease in revision orchidopexy since 1995, which may be related to change in referral practice with more children undergoing orchidopexy (primary and revision) by pediatric surgeons over the 20-year period. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV. TYPE OF STUDY: Therapeutic Case Series with no Comparison Group.

Undescended testes: Diagnosis and timely treatment in Australia (1995-2014).

BACKGROUND: Routine primary care checks in infants and prepubertal boys aim for early detection and intervention of undescended testes (UDT). Congenital and acquired UDT cause infertility, and congenital UDT also increases testicular cancer risk. We examined 20 years of Australian orchidopexy data (1995-2014) to explore the national orchidopexy operation rates over time. METHODS: Orchidopexy and population data were collected from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for 1995-2014, and census data for each age group were also collected. Poisson regressions were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: For patients aged DISCUSSION: The rate of orchidopexy per age has decreased in patients aged 5-14 years over the past 20 years, possibly indicating that acquired UDT is not being diagnosed and treated in some boys, risking infertility in adulthood.

A 22-year retrospective study: educational update and new referral pattern of age at orchidopexy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the current age at orchidopexy in China and whether changing targets have altered practice, as research suggesting progressive deterioration in an undescended testis (UDT) has led to the reduction in the target age for orchidopexy to 6-12 months but it is still unknown whether changing targets have altered practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The demographics of orchidopexies performed in the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between 1993 and 2014 were reviewed. A survey of the general publics' awareness of UDT and survey of primary healthcare practitioners' current opinion on age at orchidopexy and referral patterns were performed. RESULTS: In all, 3784 orchidopexies were performed over 22 years. The median age at orchidopexy fell between 1993 and 2014. There was an initial drop in the median age for orchidopexy between 2000 and 2010 (36 months) compared with 1993 and 2000 (48 months) (P < 0.05); however, beyond the corresponding target age (<18 months). The age for orchidopexy between 2010 and 2014 was also beyond the corresponding target age (6-9 months). The survey of the general public showed that 0.98% had knowledge of UDT and none of them knew about the target age for orchidopexy in the survey of 5393 cases. In all, 63.46% of them were told about the UDT by healthcare practitioners at the 1-4 months postnatal baby check. Furthermore, only 2% of the healthcare practitioners knew the recommended age for orchidopexy was 6-9 months and only 14.3% of them would directly make a surgical referral to paediatric surgery specifically at this point. CONCLUSIONS: The recommended orchidopexy age is not being achieved and we recognise the national need to address this. The approach should include the right cognition of cryptorchidism among the general public and earlier primary care referral directly from the routine postnatal baby check to a specialist centre prepared to undertake surgery in this age group.

Timing of orchiopexy in the United States: a quality-of-care indicator.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether orchiopexies are occurring later than recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics 1996 guidelines (around age 1). Adherence to guidelines is poorly studied. METHODS: The main cohort consisted of 4103 boys insured from birth (Innovus i3, insurance claims database). The complementary cohort consisted of 17 010 insured and noninsured boys (Pediatric Health Information System, PHIS). The inclusion criteria was age ≤ 5 years at time of International Classification of Disease, 9th revision-defined cryptorchidism diagnosis. The primary outcome was timely surgery (orchiopexy by age 18 months). RESULTS: In Innovus, 87% of boys who underwent an orchiopexy had a timely orchiopexy. Of those who did not undergo surgery (n = 2738), 90% had at least 1 subsequent well-care visit. Those who underwent timely surgery were referred to a surgeon at a younger age compared with those who underwent late surgery (4.1 vs 16.1 months, P < .00005). Predictors of timely surgery were number of well-care visits (odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.3-1.7), continuity of primary care (odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3-2.7), and use of laparoscopy (odds ratio 4.5, 95% confidence interval 1.4-14.9). Family/internal medicine as referring provider was predictive of delayed surgery (odds ratio 0.5, 95% confidence interval 0.3-0.8). In the Pediatric Health Information System, 61% of those with private insurance had timely surgery compared with 54% of those without private insurance (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: We found an unexpectedly high adherence to guidelines in our continuously insured since birth Innovus population. Primary care continuity and well-care visits were associated with timely surgery. Further studies can confirm these findings in nonprivately insured patients with the ultimate goal of instituting quality improvement initiatives.

Patterns of referral and treatment of undescended testis: a 12-year experience in a single centre.

BACKGROUND: It is now recommended that orchidopexy be performed by 18 months. AIMS: To examine trends in the referral pattern and treatment of cryptorchidism in the south of Ireland. Secondly, to see how well EAU guidelines on orchidopexy management are being implemented in current practice. METHODS: A total of 145 orchidopexies performed over two periods, 1997-1998 (n = 31) and 2007-2008 (n = 114), were reviewed. RESULTS: There was a decrease in the mean age at referral, review in OPD and orchidopexy from 5.88, 6.26, and 6.98 years, respectively, in the first period, to 2.74, 3.45 and 4.1 years between 2007 and 2008. The proportion of boys having surgery before the age of 18 months was minimal and showed no improvement over time. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a reduction in the age at orchidopexy, only a marginal number of boys underwent the surgery by 18 months of life.

Is the Fowler-Stephens procedure still indicated for the treatment of nonpalpable intraabdominal testis?

PURPOSE: There are no formal guidelines for the management of boys with nonpalpable testis. In this article, we report our experience in treating all nonpalpable intraabdominal testis (NPIT) with standard inguinal orchidopexy without dividing the spermatic vessels stating that the Fowler-Stephens technique is no longer indicated for the treatment of the intraabdominal testis. METHODS: Between June 2003 and April 2008, we treated 23 boys with NPIT confirmed by ultrasound or laparoscopy. All cases were treated through an inguinal orchidopexy without division of the spermatic vessels by fixing the testis to the scrotum by 2 absorbable stitches even if there was an upward retraction of the scrotal skin. Location and size of testis were reported at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months through physical examination. RESULTS: Average age at presentation was 24 months. Ten patients (43%) had the NPIT on the right side, 8 (35%) on the left side, and 5 (22%) were bilateral. We had no intraoperative complications. All patients were discharged on the same day. In all cases, the testis was normal in size and found in the scrotum after 6 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our experience, we believe that the Fowler-Stephens procedure is not indicated anymore in the management of NPIT. Orchidopexy without division of the spermatic vessels should be the treatment of choice even for the cases of very high intraabdominal testis because it does not affect normal testicular vascularization and is minimally invasive.