Undescended testes

The testis can stop descending at any point along its path although most commonly they reach the inguinal canal in the groin.

About 4% of babies will be born with an undescended testis but further descent can occur within the first year of life. By the age of 1, a little under 1% of boys will still have a testis which is absent from the scrotum. At this stage further descent is unlikely.

The scrotum provides the best environment for the testis to develop fully and so an operation is offered to bring the testicle down which is referred to as an orchidopexy. The exact nature of the operation depends on where the testis is located but for most boys the operation is done through a small incision in the groin and is performed as a daycase under general anaesthetic.