Are Parents Informed Well Enough About Their Child's Long-term Risks Related to Undescended Testis?

Abstract

Worldwide, recommendations for timely surgical repair of undescended testis (UDT) are not well translated into clinical practice, potentially due to suboptimal patient/parent education. We evaluated the frequency and content of information provided to affected parents of 310 consecutive cases of UDT undergoing orchidopexy. Parents were enquired regarding details of education provided by the attending clinician. 18% of parents were not provided with detailed information regarding any long-term consequences of untreated UDT. In the 79% who were educated, information about impaired fertility was frequent, while malignant degeneration, hypogonadism and testicular atrophy were poorly communicated. 49% of all parents searched for further information on the internet or through a second medical opinion. The frequency and level of detail of information regarding long-term complications provided to parents of children with UDT is suboptimal and needs to be improved.