Parental perception of optimal surgical age for correction of cryptorchidism: a multicenter surveillance study.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a multicenter survey to determine how many parents understood the optimal time for surgical correction of cryptorchidism in children.

METHODS

We enrolled 377 parents of patients who had recently undergone surgical correction of cryptorchidism. These parents were divided into 3 groups according to their indicated preference of the optimal patient age for surgical correction: group 1 (<1 year old, 39 parents, 10.3%), group 2 (1-2 years old, 169 parents, 44.8%), and group 3 (>3 years, 169 parents, 44.8%).

RESULTS

The mean age of the children who underwent orchiopexy was 4.9 ± 5.2 years. The interval from diagnosis to surgical correction of cryptorchidism was 17.1 ± 29.8, 15.4 ± 14.4, and 29.0 ± 24.4 months in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P < .001). The mean age of the parents was significantly associated with the perception of the optimal time for surgical correction of cryptorchidism (P = .021 and P = .002). The number of highly educated parents was lowest in group 3 (P < .001). The number of parents with >2 children was 69.2% in group 1, 71.0% in group 2, and 84.0% in group 3 (P = .009). In group 3, the parents often delayed surgery because of the patient being too young (49.1%) and the parents' expectations of spontaneous descent (48.5%).

CONCLUSION

Parents younger in age, with higher education levels and with fewer children, preferred early orchiopexy. Active intervention by a physician and public education for parents might be necessary to encourage earlier treatment of cryptorchidism.