Background: There are numerous medical reasons why a young male may have undergone testicle removal. Trauma and testicular torsion usually top the list and in these circumstances removal is unavoidable. Once fully recovered one has the option of either living with one testicle or replacing the lost one. It is impossible to know how many young men who have lost a testicle never go on to replace it. While I see lots of males of all ages who present for testicular implant replacement, I have also see numerous cosmetic male cosmetic surgery patients for other procedures who have only one testicle and never yet replaced it or expressed a desire to do so.
The teenage male who has had a testicle removed is in a unique psychological situation. They are young enough that having a pair of testicles may not be particularly relevant to them. And having a more recent memory of the reason it was removed is another reason to not have replacement on their radar screen. The male parent, however, may see it a bit differently. Not only because they are an adult male with a different long term perspective but because they may also have known someone who had only one testicle. (family member, classmate etc) This makes them concerned about their child perhaps suffering a similar fate. (teasing) This creates potential conflict between father and son which can only be resolved between them.
Fortunately the surgery to replace a lost testicle is a brief one done under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure with a fairly quick recovery.
Case Study: This teen male had a left testicle removed five years previously due to testicular torsion.
Under general anesthesia a 3.5cm midline raphe skin incision was made and a left pocket developed in a blunt fashion. A 5cm solid ultrasoft silicone testicle implant was inserted and a four layer soft tissue closure done.
The decision to replace a lost testicle is a very personal one at all ages. While it serves no functional purpose in doing so it can have a psychological one in making a male feel whole again. Whether a teenage male may feel that need must be determined on an individual basis.
Case Highlights:
1) Young males that have had a testicle removed for medical reasons may later decide to have it replaced for understandable self-esteem issues.
2) Standard size solid silicone testicle implants will work for all young men as an adequate match to then outer side.
3) The intraoperative sizing of standard testicle implants is almost always a choice between a little too big or a little too small.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana