Can A Lost Testicle Be Replaced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have lost a testicle in my youth. I am 50 now and am tired of the embarrassment. My wife divorced me, said was tired of half of a man. Can you help?

A: Like many other body parts, implants are available for testicular replacement. An FDA-approved implant is available for testicular replacement/reconstruction and is a saline-filled implant, very much like a miniature saline breast implant. A testicular implant procedure is relatively routine and can last from 30 to 45 minutes, usually performed under  IV sedation or general anesthesia as an outpatient operation. It has a quick recovery with minimal discomfort although there will be some scrotal swelling. It is important to know that testicular implants, like other medical implant devices, should not be considered lifetime devices. There is the chance, though minimal, that the body could have an adverse reaction to the implant, or that the implant may either rupture or leak (or both). Such events would require the implant to be removed  Based on clinical studies of the saline-filled testicular implant, approximately 1 in 30 patients (3.3%) require resurgery within the first year to either remove or adjust the implant.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana