Em. Smith et al., INFLUENCE OF VAS-DEFERENS MOBILIZATION ON RAT FERTILITY - IMPLICATIONS REGARDING ORCHIOPEXY, The Journal of urology, 150(2), 1993, pp. 663-666
Children who undergo bilateral orchiopexy often have oligospermia or a
zoospermia in adulthood. This subfertility generally has been attribut
ed to histological alterations in the cryptorchid testis. However, the
possibility that an iatrogenic factor, such as mobilization of the va
s deferens during orchiopexy, may have an adverse effect on fertility
has not been studied. Six groups of mature Sprague-Dawley rats underwe
nt right orchiectomy and the following procedures on the left side: gr
oup 1-sham operation, group 2-2 cm. of vas mobilized, group 3-4 cm. of
vas mobilized, group 4-2 cm. of vas mobilized and deferential artery
stripped off of vas, group 5-4 cm. of vas mobilized and deferential ar
tery stripped off of vas and group 6-vasectomy. Each rat was then hous
ed with 2 female rats for 24 days. Mobilization of the vas with disrup
tion of the mesentery resulted in slight but statistically insignifica
nt reduction in fertility. However, when the deferential artery was di
ssected off the vas, there was a marked reduction in fertility and fec
undity. Histologically the vasa were normal without evidence of ischem
ic necrosis. The testes in groups 2 to 5 showed variable depletion of
germ cells with shedding of germinal epithelium, and the testes and ep
ididymides in group 5 were similar to the changes seen in vasectomized
rats (group 6). No testes were necrotic. These data suggest that exte
nsive mobilization of the vas causes subfertility in this animal model
and may be secondary to a functional obstruction resulting from vas d
enervation. Whether a similar effect occurs during orchiopexy in human
s deserves study.