LAPAROSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS OF CRYPTORCHIDISM AND LAPAROSCOPIC ORCHIOPEXY: THE FIRST REPORT FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

Laparoscopic orchiopexy (LO) was used in place of open surgery in 10 patients for diagnosing cryptorchidism in our department. In this method a large abdominal incision was not given in search of intra-abdominal testes. Anorchia was diagnosed in four patients, which was shown to be bilateral in one. In one subject with ambiguous genitalia, revealing the presence of intra-abdominal gonads established the infant's gender as male. In four patients, five laparoscopic orchiopexies were performed without celiotomy for the first time in Iran and the middle east which was bilateral in one patient. Except for two patients, all procedures were performed on an outpatient basis. Today laparoscopy is the method of choice for diagnosing cryptorchidism. Our report has shown that orchiopexy can be performed for intra-abdominal testes without submitting to open surgical techniques.