EVALUATION OF LAPAROSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF THE IMPALPABLE TESTICLE AND VARICOCELES

Abstract

Laparoscopic management of the impalpable testis and varicocele, are of the easiest and most established laparoscopic procedures. Our aim in this study was to report our early experience with them as a beginning for learning laparoscopy. A prospective study was conducted on two main categories of patients, namely 24 patients with impalpable testis and 20 patients with varicocele, each category was further divided into two groups, one is managed laparoscopicaily and the other by the alternative open surgery. The impalpable testis: A. Methods: A total of 24 patients with 34 impalpable testes, underwent ultrasound examination which was accurate m 51.5% of the testes, followed by surgical or Iaparoscopic exploration then subsequent management for the present testes, which was orchiectomy for those not viable and orchiopexy for the viable testis. Fowler Stephens orchiopexy was done for sixteen abdominal testes, in either single (12.5%) or two stage (87.5%) operations. All patients underwent orchiopexy were followed up for 3 months postoperatively, in order to judge the vascuiarity and final position ofthe testis. B. Results: Laparoscopy successfully localized all the actually present testes (100%), allowed their proper management, and saved all those patients with absent testes from the unnecessary laparotomy.