What does orchiectomy mean

Also, performing a biopsy on a testicle before it is surgically removed can cause cancer cells to spread, making successful treatment more difficult. Orchiectomy is the most effective way to remove cancerous tumors of the testicles. In some cases, orchiectomy is followed by additional surgery to remove cancer that has spread or by other therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

In some cases of early-stage testicular cancer, orchiectomy is the only treatment needed and is followed only with a surveillance program. Surveillance is a period of time during which your doctor watches you closely with checkups and testing but without using medical treatment. Testicular cancer is a very curable form of cancer, especially if it is diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

Orchiectomy is important to the successful treatment of this disease and offers the best chance for cure. Orchiectomy surgery is relatively low-risk, and complications are uncommon. But orchiectomy carries all the risks of any major surgery, including:. Bilateral orchiectomy removal of both testes is rarely done and carries the possibility of side effects.

They are related to the loss of testosterone following the removal of both testes. These include:. In most cases, orchiectomy does not result in long-term sexual side effects or infertility, though it may increase these problems if they were present before the surgery. If a man has one healthy testicle, he should not notice any negative change in his quality of life. Men who do not have one normally functioning testicle after orchiectomy will need to take hormone therapy to fulfill the body's need for testosterone.

Some men choose to have a prosthetic testicle s. After an orchiectomy, the surgeon places the artificial testicle s in the scrotum to maintain the natural appearance of the genitals.

Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: E. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. The external oblique creates a tunnel through which the spermatic cord travels — a hernia can form when there is weakness in these layers of the body wall. Once the external oblique fascia is identified, the cord can then be identified exiting the external spermatic ring. To deliver the testicle, the scrotum can be inverted until the testicle is visible, facilitating dissection of the testicle from its scrotal contents.

Once the testicle and spermatic cord are entirely free from the inguinal canal, the testicle can be removed. Care should be taken to close the external oblique fascia to the level of the external ring to prevent future hernia. The biggest risk of a radical orchiectomy is hematoma or bleeding into the scrotum. It is very common for the scrotum to be bruised, swollen and tender for two to four weeks after surgery. However, a large, purple-appearing scrotum can indicate a hematoma.

Ilioinguinal nerve injury can occur if the nerve is damaged during dissection of the spermatic cord. This is more common in men who underwent prior inguinal surgery usually for an undescended testicle or hernia repair and can occur during dissection or be inadvertently trapped in the closure of the external oblique fascia.

The deficit is often decreased sensation to the medial thigh, scrotum or base of the penis. It is often transient, but can take several weeks or months to improve. Inguinal hernia can occur if the external oblique fascia is not closed properly or if the closure breaks down. First Known Use of orchiectomy circa , in the meaning defined above.

Learn More About orchiectomy. Time Traveler for orchiectomy The first known use of orchiectomy was circa See more words from the same year. Statistics for orchiectomy Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. Medical Definition of orchiectomy.

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