Viewpoints

Typically, a testicular implant procedure is relatively routine and can last from 20 to 40 minutes. Because there are several different accepted surgical approaches to insert implants, your surgeon will discuss with you the method that he or she will use, and why it is the most appropriate choice for your individual case. It is important to know that implantation of a testicular prosthesis may not be a one-time procedure. Any complications from your surgery may require further procedures. The Patient Information section of the website contains a complete list of potential risks and complications. The rate of complication for this type of procedure is quite low, which is described in a summary of a clinical study of these implants. This study is described in more detail on the “Additional Information” page of this website.

While we have attempted to provide you with a comprehensive source of information regarding this type of implant and its usage, it is very important that you understand the procedure and potential risks, and discuss them with your doctor.

Looking for a physician in your area who is familiar with testicular implants? Try the online physician finder located on our Straight Talk website.

Dr. Paul Turek, one of the country’s foremost surgical urologists for men, recently launched an educational blog covering an array of men’s health topics. He also maintains a nice collection of helpful resources, including information about testicular implants (e.g. testis prosthesis), on his urology practice website: TheTurekClinic.com.

You may remember Dr. Turek’s name from a previous post about some groundbreaking research regarding testicular implants, mainly his 2004 article in The Journal of Urology: “Safety and Effectiveness of a New Saline Filled Testicular Prosthesis” (Note: you must sign up for a free online account to view the abstract.)

Disclaimer: Coloplast Corp. does not endorse specific physicians or clinics for patient procedures; rather, we post these links as references for patients seeking quality information about testicular implants and other men’s health topics.

While it isn’t a new article, we just found a great summary of the five year clinical trial of Coloplast’s Saline Filled Testicular Prosthesis on ScienceDaily, a medical research news portal. The summary was published in 2004, immediately following completion of the study. Conducted between 1998 and 2003, the study looked at the safety of the device, including signs and symptoms of connective tissue disorder, as well as the “quality of life” benefit of a testis prosthesis. Here’s an excerpt from the article.

“Our results suggest that a testis implant can provide an improved sense of well-being for patients who receive this prosthesis that is beyond simply cosmetic,” said principal investigator Paul Turek, MD, associate professor of urology at UCSF. The findings are published in the current issue (October) of The Journal of Urology.

At that time the implants were manufactured under the name “Mentor Corporation,” but the implants used in the study are exactly the same as the Coloplast prostheses described on this site.

Patients frequently ask: “What are the benefits of testicular implants? Aren’t they just for cosmetic purposes?” While saline-filled testicles are not designed to serve as a functional replacement for human testes, they do have benefits beyond simply providing a normal appearance.

In the medical community, it is well known that negative psychological effects can result from the loss or absence of a testicle. By contrast, a growing body of research demonstrates that the cosmetic enhancement provided by saline-filled testicular implants leads to emotional benefits and high levels of patient satisfaction.

To help readers access the best information on this topic, we have posted links to a number of articles and informational websites on this topic. See the Research and Links page for our ever-growing collection of relevant resources.

For example, in a Journal of Urology article published in 2004, Dr. Paul J. Turek and Viraj A. Master validated the perceived psychological benefits of implants:

At short-term follow-up, saline-filled testis prosthesis appears safe and well tolerated. Importantly validated self-esteem measures also suggest improvement in quality of life after prosthesis placement.

Click here to access an abstract of the article (Note: you must register for a free account to view the abstract).

Testicular implants are not the best choice for everyone, so it is critical to speak to your doctor about your long-term expectations, and the potential risks and complications.

Do you have a personal story to share? Post a comment below.

Torosa  is now featured on ORlive.  The ORlive website contains a surgical implantation video with Dr  Stanley Honig, a Torosa filling video, interviews with Dr Stanley Honig on surgical procedure tips and pearls and Dr Gerald Jordan on Torosa  implant information for patients. To learn more about the Torosa Testicular Prosthesis check out the link:

http://www.orlive.com/coloplast/videos/torosa-saline-filled-testicular-prosthesis-implantation

We recently found a fascinating article from UroToday, a free online publication about urological research and related news. Click here to read the full article. (Note: Requires free registration to view the full text.) The piece, which discusses several aspects of prostate cancer treatment (surgically and with medications), begins by touting the phsychological benefits of testicular implants: “Testicular prostheses have been shown to reduce the psychological impact resulting from loss or absence of a testicle.” The article then describes recent advances in the use of medicated implants for the treatment of cancer:

[...] zoledronic acid releasing testicular prostheses can be used in the treatment of prostate cancer patients with bone metastases after bilateral orchiectomy which is the most economical treatment option and still considered as the ‘gold standard’ for ADT. Those prostheses would reduce both the psychological impact resulting from loss of testicles after bilateral orchiectomy and the risk of experiencing SREs with those patients. In addition, placement of zoledronic acid releasing testicular prostheses can be more feasible for patients compared to recurrent intravenous infusion of this agent. This technology has the potential to become the preferred clinical management tool for prostate cancer patients with bone metasthases after bilateral orchiectomy.

We recently found this great description of testicular implants and the insertion procedure at HubPages, a popular community-driven publishing website. The HubPages platform allows registered users to publish web pages (hubs) about topics they find interesting. The testicular implant hub contains information, such as:

• Who needs a testicular implant?
• What are the types of testicular implants?
• What are the complications and side effects of testicular implants?
• Testicular implants patient satisfaction research

Please note that the article refers to “Mentor saline-filled testicular prostheses,” which is the old product name for Coloplast saline-filled testicular implants – the only FDA approved implant available.

Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism) occurs in approximately 1 out of every 125 baby boys born in the US. Technically speaking, an undescended testicle is a testicle that hasn’t moved into its proper position in the scrotum. For most boys, the problem corrects itself within the first few months of life, but sometimes the testicle remains undescended. In such cases, a doctor may recommend surgery to move the testicle into the scrotum and the testicle will appear and function normally. However, in certain situations, the undescended testicle may experience torsion or another type of trauma, in which case it may require removal.

If your son doesn’t have one or both of this testes, he may be sensitive about his physical appearance, especially if he’s an adolescent or teenager. What may seem inconspicuous as a parent may be stressful to a boy that may spend time in locker rooms with his classmates. Choosing to receive a testicular implant is a very important decision, and some physicians may not mention it because they are not familiar with the procedure. For that reason we recommend reading the information on this site and asking the right questions. Talk with your physician and be proactive.

For more information about this topic, we recommend the Undescended Testicles page on The American Pediatric Surgical Society’s Parent and Family Website.

Photo credit: Kamoteus on Flickr

On the broad spectrum of medical conditions, testicular torsion is relatively rare, but it does occur in approximately one in 4,000 males under the age of 25. Torsion can affect males of all ages, including the very young and old, but it is considered most common in adolescents and young adults. Even though torsion is just one of several conditions that may result in the loss of the testicle, many people are unfamiliar with its causes and the urgency required to treat it successfully.

The Mayo Clinic website (one of our favorite online sources of medical information), provides the following definition, along with more detailed information about symptoms and treatment.

Testicular torsion occurs when a testicle rotates on the spermatic cord, which provides blood flow to the testicle. This rotation cuts off the flow of blood and causes sudden, often severe pain and swelling. Testicular torsion generally requires emergency surgery. If testicular torsion is treated within a few hours, the testicle can usually be saved.

If you have lost a testicle from testicular torsion, you may want to consider a testicular implant. Even though a prosthesis does not serve as a functional replacement for the lost testicle, it can provide a number of psychological and cosmetic benefits that you should discuss with your physician or urologist. Many urologist websites contain information about the use of implants for men who have suffered from testicular torsion. If you’re looking for a urologist in your area, we recommend using the “Physician Finder” on our Straight Talk website.

We recently found an interesting article on UroSource, a urology-focused website for researchers and physicians, which describes the recent findings of a group of UK researchers. Entitled “Testicular prosthesis, first systematic review in paediatric population” (May 2009), this short article summarizes the results of a review, conducted by researchers from the Royal Manchester Children Hospital, of the testicular implant surgical procedure in children.

The findings, which cover reasons for testicular absence, different surgical procedures (groin vs. scrotal implantation), as well as complication types and rates, were presented at the 20th Anniversary Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology (ESPU).

Click here to read the full article.