The initial series of laparoscopic single stage orchiopexy for the abd
ominal or emergent impalpable undescended testis is reported. The firs
t laparoscopic orchiopexy was performed at our institution in October
1991. Between October 1991 and January 1993, 14 patients (16 testes) u
nderwent minimally invasive surgery with 6 months of followup in all c
ases. No evidence of testicular loss or acute atrophy has occurred, wi
th the entire procedure being accomplished by laparo-endoscopic techni
ques in all cases. Treatment of 3 of the 16 testicles consisted of sta
ge 2 of staged orchiopexy, and to our knowledge these cases represent
the first stage 2 orchiopexy completed by laparoscopic techniques. In
those cases stage 1 was performed by laparoscopic clipping of the vess
els. The details of the procedure as we now perform it are described.