Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Cancer
Normal results depend on the location and stage of the patient's cancer at the time of surgery. Most prostate cancer patients, however, report rapid relief from cancer symptoms after an orchiectomy. Patients with testicular cancer...
have a 95% survival rate five years after surgery if the cancer had not spread beyond the testicle. Metastatic testicular cancer, however, has a poorer prognosis.
Gender reassignment
Normal results following orchiectomy as part of a sex change from male to female are a drop in testosterone levels with corresponding decrease in sex drive and gradual reduction of such masculine characteristics as beard growth. The patient may choose to have further operations at a later date.
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Other Information
Inguinal orchiectomy is a relatively minor surgical procedure to remove a testicle. The procedure is generally performed by a urologist. Often it is performed as same-day surgery, with the patient returning home within hours of the procedure. Some patients elect to have a prosthetic testicle inserted into their scrotum.
A 6cm incision is made above the pubic bone on the side corresponding to the testicle to be removed. The testicle is then pulled up through the inguinal canal, the spermatic cord is clamped off in two places and cut between the clamps.
The inguinal orchiectomy is a necessary procedure if testicular cancer is suspected.
If the orchiectomy is performed to diagnose cancer, the testicle and spermatic cord are then sent to a pathologist to determine the makeup of the tumor, and the extent of spread within the testicle and cord.
The pathology report, along with pre-surgical imaging studies and tumor markers, will determine the course of treatment.
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