Laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy: the Westchester Medical Center experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy is performed laparoscopically both as a single-stage as well as a two-stage procedure. We hypothesize that with the right technique, the single-stage procedure is just as successful as the two-stage procedure.

METHODS

The records of all boys who underwent a laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy (LFSO) for a nonpalpable testis at our institution from August 1995 to February 2007 were reviewed. Office charts and operative reports were reviewed for all patients.

RESULTS

There were 48 testes that were brought down by a LFSO. Of these, 38 were performed in one stage and 10 were performed in two stages. The overall success rate was 91.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that both single-stage and two-stage laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchiopexies are effective treatment options for children with intra-abdominal testes. In this series, the overall success rate for one stage LFSO was 94.3%. Avoiding manipulation of the vas deferens and epididymis appears to be the key to a high success rate.