... by the third month after birth without requiring treatment. When the testicles don​'t descend within the first few months, the condition is known as cryptorchidism.UndescendedTesticleRepairSurgery(Orchiopexy)MedicallyreviewedbyJosephBritoIII,MD—WrittenbyDebraStangandEricaCirinoandDanielPotter—UpdatedonJanuary27,2021PurposePreparationProcedureRisksRecoveryWhatisanundescendedtesticlerepair?Thetesticlesbegindevelopinginmalebabiesbeforethey’reborn,andnormallydropdownintothescrotumduringthelastfewmonthsbeforebirth.Insomecases,however,oneorbothtesticlesfailtodescendcorrectly.Inabout80percentofthesecases,achild’stesticleswilldropdownintotheircorrectpositionwithinthescrotumbythethirdmonthafterbirthwithoutrequiringtreatment.Whenthetesticlesdon’tdescendwithinthefirstfewmonths,theconditionisknownascryptorchidism.Adoctorwilllikelyrecommendsurgerytocorrecttheplacementofthetesticlethathasn’tdroppedintothescrotum.Thisprocedureiscalledorchiopexyororchidopexy.Suchrepairsshouldideallyhappenbetweensixmonthsandoneyearafterbirth,accordingtoasystematicreview.Whyisanundescendedtesticlerepairperformed?Orchiopexyisperformedtocorrectcryptorchidism,aconditioninwhichoneorbothtesticleshaven’tdescendedintotheirproperpositioninthescrotum.Ifit’sleftuntreated,cryptorchidismcanleadtoinfertilityandcanincreasetheriskoftesticularcancer.Undescendedtesticlesarealsoassociatedwithherniasinthegroin.It’simportanttocorrectcryptorchidisminyourchildinordertominimizetherisks.Foradultmaleswhoseundescendedtesticlesweren’tcorrectedduringchildhood,surgicaloptionsmayvary.Insuchcases,thetesticulartissuemaynotbefunctional,anditmaycomewithahigherriskoftesticularcancer.Therefore,yourdoctormayrecommendthecompleteremovalofundescendedtesticles.Thisiscalledanorchiectomy.HowdoIprepareforanundescendedtesticlerepair?Orchiopexyisdoneundergeneralanesthesia,whichincludescertainrulesforeatinganddrinkinginthehoursleadinguptotheprocedure.Yourdoctorwillprovidespecificinstructionstofollow.Whileyoungchildrenmaynotrealizethatthey’reg