This article is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a template for consenting patients. The person obtaining consent should have clear knowledge of the procedure and the potential risks and complications. Always refer to your local or national guidelines, and the applicable and appropriate law in your jurisdiction governing patient consent.
Overview of Procedure
An inguinal orchidectomy is performed for cases of suspected testicular cancer.The most common access is via transverse inguinal crease incision, similar to a open hernia repair incision, which allows the high tie-off of the cord structures.
Complications
Intraoperative
| Complication | Description of Complication | Potential Ways to Reduce Risk |
| Haemorrhage | Damage to the vessels of the spermatic cord | Careful dissection and identification of avascular plane |
| Damage to surrounding structures | Damage to the ilioinguinal nerve or the genital branch of genitofemoral during the procedure | |
| Anaesthetic risks | Includes damage to the teeth, throat and larynx, reaction to medications, nausea and vomiting, cardiovascular and respiratory complications | Forms a part of the anaesthetist assessment before the operation |
| Risk of seeding | Spread of malignant cells via the testicular vessels | Clamp and tie-off the structures proximally, above the suspected region of malignantly, prior to any handling of the testis |
Early
| Complication | Description of Complication | Potential Ways to Reduce Risk |
| Pain | Pain from the incisions and internal handling of scrotal structures | Regular analgesia post-operatively and the use local anaesthesia at the incision site |
| Infection | Surgical site infections can develop at the incision site | Maintain an aseptic technique throughout the procedure |
| Haematoma formation | Accumulation of blood around the testes, however this will usually gradually resolve spontaneously | Adequate haemostasis intra-operatively |
Late
| Complication | Description of Complication | Potential Ways to Reduce Risk |
| Chronic pain | Chronic scrotal pain can occur, possible when if a contralateral orchidopexy has been performed, or injury to the ilioinguinal nerve | Avoid injury to the ilioinguinal nerve during the procedure |
| Scarring | Any incision will result in a scar, which may form a keloid scar, particularly in high risk ethnicities |