Orchiectomy (Removal of a Testicle)

Orchiectomy is surgery to remove one or both testicles. A radical inguinal orchiectomy removes a testicle and its cord through the groin when cancer is suspected. A simple orchiectomy goes through the scrotum and is used to lower testosterone in advanced prostate cancer, as part of gender-affirming care for trans women, or for a testicle destroyed by torsion, infection or injury.

For a testicular tumour, the operation is both the diagnosis and the first and often only treatment needed; cure rates for testicular cancer exceed 95 percent. With one healthy testicle left, testosterone and fertility are usually maintained. Removal of both means permanent infertility and lifelong dependence on hormone treatment unless low testosterone is the aim.

What Orchiectomy (Removal of a Testicle) involves

A solid lump within the testicle on ultrasound is treated as cancer until shown otherwise. Blood is taken for the tumour markers AFP, beta-hCG and LDH before surgery, and sperm banking is offered. Under general or spinal anaesthetic, a 5 to 7 cm incision is made in the groin, not the scrotum, to avoid spreading tumour cells to a different lymph drainage area. The spermatic cord is clamped at the internal ring, the testicle is delivered up through the wound, and the cord is tied and divided. A silicone prosthesis can be placed if you wish. For a simple orchiectomy, a small midline scrotal incision is used and the cord is tied lower down; both sides are removed through the same cut.

Who is a good candidate for Orchiectomy (Removal of a Testicle)?

The reasons vary widely, and so do the preparations.

• A suspicious testicular mass on ultrasound
• Advanced prostate cancer, as an alternative to lifelong hormone injections
• Trans women, following the required assessment, to stop testosterone production and simplify hormone therapy
• A dead testicle after late-presenting torsion, severe infection or trauma
• An undescended abdominal testicle found after puberty

It is usually not the right choice if:

• A painful swollen testicle of sudden onset: possible torsion is a local emergency measured in hours
• Small, uncertain lesions in a man with one testicle or tumours on both sides, where testis-sparing surgery in a specialist centre is considered
• Benign conditions such as epididymal cysts, hydrocele or most chronic pain, which rarely justify removal
• Anyone undecided about permanent infertility who has not yet banked sperm

الخيارات التقنية

• Radical inguinal orchiectomy: Standard for suspected cancer.
• Simple bilateral scrotal orchiectomy: For androgen deprivation or gender affirmation; quick, with a single incision.
• Subcapsular orchiectomy: Removes the hormone-producing tissue and leaves the outer shell so that the scrotum does not look empty.
• Testis-sparing (partial) orchiectomy: For small, probably benign lumps, or tumour in a solitary testicle, with frozen section during surgery.
• Testicular prosthesis: Placed at the same operation or later; it can be declined.

ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك

The operation takes 30 to 60 minutes and is a day case or a one-night stay. You go home with a supportive dressing. Groin and scrotal bruising and aching are usual for several days.

الإعداد لرحلتك

Plan for 5 to 7 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

التعافي والنتائج

Desk work is possible in about a week. Avoid heavy lifting and sport for 2 to 4 weeks. Pathology takes about a week. For cancer, markers are repeated and a CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis completes staging. Most stage 1 tumours then need surveillance only, while others receive a short course of chemotherapy or, less often, radiotherapy. Surveillance lasts 5 to 10 years and should be close to home. After removal of both testicles, hot flushes, lower libido, loss of muscle and bone thinning follow unless hormones are replaced.

• Back to everyday activity: 1 to 2 weeks
• When results show: Pathology in about 1 week
• How long they last: Permanent

سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح

The operation is low risk. The longer-term effects depend on why it was done.

• Scrotal or groin haematoma, the most common problem
• Wound infection
• Numbness or chronic pain in the groin, thigh or scrotum from nerve irritation
• Low testosterone or reduced fertility if the remaining testicle works poorly
• Infection, displacement or dissatisfaction with a prosthesis
• Psychological impact on body image
• Need for further cancer treatment depending on stage

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Orchiectomy (Removal of a Testicle) in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Orchiectomy (Removal of a Testicle), because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• Inguinal versus scrotal approach, one side or both
• Prosthesis, if chosen
• Tumour markers, staging CT and pathology
• Sperm banking, which is arranged separately
• Anaesthesia and hospital stay

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

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