Undescended Testicles (Cryptorchidism)

So, a close friend of mine was born with one testicle missing—well, technically it was there, it just never fully developed... he didn't even find out until he was about 4 years old, so by then, medical intervention wasn't really an option anymore...
He grew up in what most would call a "healthy" household, but he’s always been pretty different from the rest of us "average" folks. He’s got this incredibly positive vibe, super honest, almost child-like in his openness.
He’s a total people person and has an insane memory, but at the same time, he just doesn't mesh well with environments that aren't exactly "welcoming" to people who are a bit different.

I was reading online that people in his situation can deal with some "emotional struggles" during puberty, but I haven't seen anything else regarding other "differences" or biological factors. He honestly believes his personality stems from a lack of certain hormones, which is why he feels so distinct from everyone else.

Just speaking my mind here—since I have another dear friend with Asperger—I can't help but wonder if Asperger might be playing a role for him too...

Has anyone else dealt with something similar? I'm really curious about this "personality" aspect and if there's any actual link to cryptorchidism... you know, treating it like its own kind of syndrome...

Anyway, if there are any "cryptorchidists" out there—if that's even a word—or anyone else interested in this, please share your stories...

I suspect there is far too much unnecessary connection being made to cryptorchidism; specifically, if one testis is fully functional, it will compensate for the other, preventing any actual issues...

Sam Hall15 said:I suspect there is far too much unnecessary connection being made to cryptorchidism; specifically, if one testis is fully functional, it will compensate for the other, preventing any actual issues...

...yeah, that's basically my "layman's" take too... since I don't actually know anyone else dealing with this specific thing, I had these "logical" doubts about whether it was tied to his whole "personality"... but then again, when you're talking about hormones... the way he keeps emphasizing that his "urges" aren't quite the same as everyone else's... it definitely made me wonder...

...he actually asked me to start this thread so he could swap stories with people in the same boat...

Anyway, thanks 🙂

People born with cryptorchidism are called cryptorchids. I actually know a guy in his 70s who deals with this, and honestly, you’d never know it. He isn't any different from anyone else—mentally or physically. He’s got two kids, he’s obsessed with football, and he’s killing it in his career... I think the only place this condition exists for him is in his own head.
There is one catch, though. You have to stay on top of it. Those undescended testicles can swell up or even turn into (benign) tumors, and if there's a hernia involved, things can get "pinched." I know that in animals, there's a tendency to move those testicles because they aren't functional anyway and just cause trouble. Unfortunately, I don't know how that plays out in humans.

Peter Davis6 said:People born with cryptorchidism are called cryptorchids. I actually know a guy in his 70s who deals with this, and honestly, you’d never know it. He isn't any different from anyone else—mentally or physically. He’s got two kids, he’s obsessed with football, and he’s killing it in his career... I think the only place this condition exists for him is in his own head.
There is one catch, though. You have to stay on top of it. Those undescended testicles can swell up or even turn into (benign) tumors, and if there's a hernia involved, things can get "pinched." I know that in animals, there's a tendency to move those testicles because they aren't functional anyway and just cause trouble. Unfortunately, I don't know how that plays out in humans.

Oh, right... CRYPTORCHIDS...!😘
Hmm, I'm not sure if I should pass those "risks" along to him... he's way too detail-oriented and responsible, and I'm terrified all these "what-ifs" might turn into a total obsession!

Thanks for giving me this little "profile" on someone living with this "deficiency"... because a dear friend of mine truly believes the issue is about "hormones" he thinks he's lacking...

Actually, it was only recently—after about 30 years—that he realized he "functions" differently than most people, and this whole thing seems to be his way of "trying to understand himself"...
...from what I've seen and learned... it points more toward Asperger's!

...anyway, more stories would definitely help!🙂

My son was diagnosed with cryptorchidism—it’s been exactly one year now. I was wondering if anyone here has dealt with this specific issue with their child and gone through the surgery? I’m really looking for insight regarding the procedure itself, the recovery process, and if there are any long-term concerns to watch out for... if anyone has any experience they could share, please reach out.

So, I actually dealt with cryptorchidism myself. I had surgery at seven to drop my right testicle, and they told me the left one would just descend on its own during puberty. It did, eventually, but it used to retract upward whenever I sat down or felt even the slightest pressure.

As far as hormones go, I never had an issue—in fact, some of my lab results actually showed elevated testosterone. But when it comes to fertility, that’s where things get really rough. Someone once mentioned that undescended testes can turn into benign tumors. 🙂 While that's true, it only happens in about 10% of cases. In 90% of cases, it's a malignant tumor, and those are among the fastest-spreading because they're so close to the lymph nodes.
I read somewhere that if a testicle hasn't descended, the risk of developing a tumor is ten times higher than in the general population.
And of course, I wouldn't know all this if I hadn't faced it firsthand three years ago when I was diagnosed with a seminoma in that left testicle—the one that kept pulling upward. Naturally, I ended up losing it.
It's not all bad news, though. My daughter is due to be born in just 19 days, and I'm praying she arrives healthy and strong. 🙂

I won't keep rambling because I don't want to bring everyone else down, but if anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

Anthony Barrett12 said:My son was diagnosed with cryptorchidism—it’s been exactly one year now. I was wondering if anyone here has dealt with this specific issue with their child and gone through the surgery? I’m really looking for insight regarding the procedure itself, the recovery process, and if there are any long-term concerns to watch out for... if anyone has any experience they could share, please reach out.

Get that surgery scheduled ASAP. From what I've heard, if they get corrected within the first year, you usually dodge any long-term complications. If you wait too long, you're looking at potential fertility issues and other headaches you definitely don't want. Honestly, dealing with those later on is way worse than just getting the surgery done now. Usually, it's a 5cm incision in the groin area under general anesthesia. They use five or fewer stitches. He'll be up and moving the next day, likely heading home shortly after, and the stitches come out in about 8 to 14 days. Easy enough.

So, here’s the deal...

If there's no other way to go about it, you really want to get it lowered as soon as possible—even if that means going under the knife.

Once puberty has already wrapped up, that undescended testicle is likely non-functional anyway, so it's probably best to just have it surgically removed.

On the psychological side of things, it’s a bit of a toss-up since everyone handles stuff differently; for some people, it's a huge deal, while others don't give it a second thought. It mostly boils down to self-confidence, which makes it a pretty sensitive subject during those awkward teenage years.

We’re heading in for surgery in two months. We really want to get this sorted out now—rather than waiting for bigger issues to pop up down the road. The hardest part is just how little he is—only a year old—so I can't help but worry about the anesthesia and potential complications... but we don't have any other choice.
Morgan Williams4, thanks for getting back to me and huge congratulations on your baby girl!

If anyone here has been through a similar surgery with their child at the Cleveland Clinic, would you mind reaching out? I'd love to hear about your experiences...

Thanks for the kind words.

Don't sweat it; everything is going to be just fine. This isn't some massive, scary surgery. Honestly, the consequences of skipping this are way worse. I know it’s gut-wrenching to send a little kid into an OR, but trust me, it’s much easier than dealing with the regret later—like when they grow up and wish you'd taken care of it so they could have their own family. Or God forbid, having to bury your own child down the road.
Maybe I sound blunt, but life can be pretty blunt too, and the fix here is actually pretty straightforward.

I’m dealing with the exact same issue myself. I was wondering if surgery is actually an option at 24, and honestly, what are the realistic odds of it being successful?
Thanks in advance

Excuse me? You’ve been living with cryptorchidism for twenty-four years without doctors or even your own parents noticing? Why are you only reacting to this now? You need to get in front of a urologist immediately.

I don't want to cause a panic here, but there is actual scientific data showing an increased risk of testicular cancer and infertility for anyone dealing with an undescended testicle. In children, this is something that needs to be tackled right away through hormone therapy or surgery if the hormones don't do the trick. The longer you drag your feet on treatment, the higher the chance of facing serious complications down the road. Dealing with this is straightforward, and for some people, it’s literally life-saving. Don't play games with your health.

Thanks for the reply, and honestly, a huge thank you to everyone on this forum—you guys seriously saved my life. I had the surgery this past Friday and I’m currently on the mend... they had to remove one testicle, but the right one is perfectly healthy, and according to the doctors, there shouldn't be any issues with having kids down the road...

Once again, a MASSIVE THANK YOU

I’ve never really spoken out about this publicly before—and honestly, this isn't even much of a speech—but I feel like I should. I'm 33 years old, and I’ve been living with just one testicle; doctors removed the other one when I was a kid, though they actually couldn't find it during the procedure. At the time, I didn't think it would ever turn into anything complicated. It hasn't caused any issues for me, really, aside from the fact that I’ve dated a few girls over the years and usually managed to keep it under wraps. Not that I consider it a real problem, though. What I really want to say—or maybe use my story to encourage others—is that I have two daughters, and we have a third baby on the way! I’ve always been pretty active, too—lots of biking, skating, rollerblading, snowboarding—and I've never had any trouble being an athlete. The reason I’m even lurking here reading these posts is that I’ve been dealing with this nagging pain in my leg, right around the groin area, for about a month now. It got me wondering if there's any connection to my missing testicle. My doctors are telling me it's just a muscle issue, but I haven't actually mentioned my situation to them yet. Just wanted to say hello to everyone.

Hey everyone... I think I might be dealing with something here, so I figured I’d drop in and see if anyone can help me make sense of it... Ever since my biology class about a month ago, I've had these weird thoughts swirling around my head. We were studying the male reproductive system, and the term cryptorchidism came up. I did a bit of digging online, and at first, I convinced myself it couldn't be me because I can feel both testicles... But then I remembered back when I was around 14, before those routine physicals they do in middle school, I noticed one side—the right one—was hanging significantly lower than the left. I went back online to calm my nerves and realized that bodies aren't perfectly symmetrical, which is true, obviously... But then I kept reading and stumbled upon the idea of retractile testes, where the testicle stays high up in the scrotum. That actually describes my left side pretty well; it sits much higher than the right and feels noticeably smaller... My brain is just spinning with all this nonsense and I really could use some advice. I do plan on seeing a doctor, but honestly, it's a bit of a hassle since I live in a small town where finding a specialist urologist isn't easy, and I'd hate to drag my whole family out for something that might just be in my head... One thing to mention, though, is that when I was maybe 7 years old, a family friend who happens to be a doctor saw me while we were on vacation, and he told me there was nothing to worry about, that no surgery would be needed and that things would settle down on their own... and they seemingly did... Thanks!

My little one is 20 months old now. When he was born, the doctors told us his left testicle was missing. Honestly... I thought they were just talking nonsense—figured it was just tucked away somewhere in the groin or the abdominal cavity... But we went in for a checkup at Cleveland Clinic recently, and they were adamant. They told us there’s a 99% certainty that he was simply born without one. To be absolutely sure—to rule out that tiny 0.1% chance that it might actually be hiding in the abdomen—they want to schedule a laparoscopic procedure when he turns 9 months old. I'm wondering if anyone else here has dealt with something similar??

If you’re dealing with a child who was born with just one testicle, my best advice is to just get ahead of it—it’s honestly much easier to manage these days than it used to be, given how much medical science has actually progressed. While there might not even be any physical repercussions, I suspect the emotional fallout is where the real struggle lies. It’s not just about the physical stuff; it’s about the kid avoiding those awkward school physicals, or being hesitant about sports—because, let’s face it, you need that post-game shower with the rest of the team, right?—and eventually, it becomes about navigating dating... not to mention that inevitable phase where they start blaming their parents for not catching it earlier and getting them to a specialist sooner.