Doctor Duong Quang Huy, head of the Andrology Unit at Tam Anh General Hospital - District 8, discovered during an ultrasound that Toan's testicles were not in his scrotum but located deep within his abdomen. This condition, typically diagnosed and treated in infancy, is rarely seen in adult men. Toan's late diagnosis was due to an inguinal hernia extending into his scrotum, which he mistook for a testicle.

Doctor Huy determined that immediate surgery to retrieve sperm would have a low success rate. Instead, he performed surgery to bring Toan's right testicle down to the scrotum to restore sperm production and reduce the risk of cancer. The left testicle, due to its short blood supply, was removed to mitigate the risk of future malignancy.

Toan was discharged after one day and is scheduled for a semen analysis in about 6 months. If he remains infertile, doctors will perform microsurgery to retrieve sperm directly from the right testicle, a procedure with a higher success rate.

Doctor Huy (center) performing surgery on Toan. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital - District 8

Doctor Huy (center) performing surgery on Toan. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital - District 8

Doctor Huy emphasized the importance of early surgical intervention for undescended testicles, ideally between 6 and 18 months of age. In adults, the condition is often discovered during routine checkups, fertility assessments, or due to groin discomfort. The higher abdominal temperature can damage sperm-producing cells, leading to infertility. The condition also increases the risk of testicular cancer, torsion, atrophy, and reduced testicular function. Surgery is the primary treatment, reducing the risk of injury, facilitating monitoring for cancer, and potentially restoring some fertility and male hormone production.

Dinh Lam

*The patient's name has been changed.