The prevention of orchiopexy-induced testicular lesions in the pig.

From previous experiments it was concluded that failure of spermatogenic cells to differentiate after orchiopexy seems to be due to surgical trauma. Furthermore it appeared that in normally descended testes of naturally unilaterally cryptorchid pigs subjected to orchiopexy, the spermatogenic epithelium was poorly developed as compared with that of scrotal testes of unilaterally cryptorchid pigs that had not undergone the surgical procedure. Even simple inguinal surgery in unilaterally naturally cryptorchid piglets may already give rise to severe histological lesions in the spermatogenic epithelium of the normally descended contralateral testes at adulthood. On the other hand extirpation of the retained testis by laparotomy does not affect the spermatogenic epithelium in the contralateral scrotal testis. From these experiments it may be concluded that with regard to the prevention of sterility in unilaterally cryptorchid pigs it may be preferable to extirpate the retained testis rather than to perform an orchiopexy.