TY  - JOUR
A1  - Paediatric Surgery Trainee Research Network PSTRN
A1  - British Urology Researchers Surgical Training BURST
A1  - Boam, T
A1  - Harwood, R
A1  - Clement, KD
A1  - Kasivisvanathan, V
A1  - Light, A
A1  - Bethell, GS
A1  - Hotonu, S
A1  - Eastwood, P
A1  - Arthur, F
A1  - Marks, I
A1  - Tullie, L
A1  - Rogoyski, BG
A1  - Spurdens, A
A1  - Nabarro, J
A1  - Clarke, L
A1  - Kulkarni, M
JF  - The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1308/rcsann.2023.0101
SN  - 0035-8843
IS  - 1
N1  - Copyright © 2025, The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction, and adaptation in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed.
SP  - 48
VL  - 107
KW  - Testicular torsion; Orchidopexy; Genital diseases; Male; Testicular fixation; Scrotal exploration;
Acute scrotum
PB  - ROYAL COLL SURGEONS ENGLAND
N2  - Introduction:
Scrotal exploration for suspected testicular torsion is a common emergency procedure in the United Kingdom (UK). There is no universally agreed practice for how the testis should be fixed, or whether a nontorted testis should receive fixation. This survey aims to describe the methods used for emergency scrotal exploration and testicular fixation in the UK.
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Methods:
An online survey was distributed to urologists, general surgeons and specialist paediatric surgeons in approved NHS trusts, and via the email lists of collaborating organisations. The survey questioned surgeons on their operative management of a variety of common diagnoses encountered during scrotal exploration using multiple choice and free-text answers.
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Results:
A total of 340 responses were received from 83 institutions. Respondents included urologists (consultants, 33%; trainees, 24%), paediatric surgeons (consultants, 12%; trainees, 16%) and general surgeons. In cases of torsion, respondents predominantly perform sutured fixation (74%); however, sutureless dartos pouch fixation was used frequently (37%) by paediatric surgeons. The finding of ?bell-clapper? anatomy without torsion prompts 69% of respondents to undertake sutured fixation, but alternative nontorsion diagnoses frequently prompt use of sutureless methods (53?66%).
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Conclusion:
This study is the largest survey of methods for emergency scrotal exploration and describes current UK practice. The majority of surgeons prefer sutured fixation in cases of torsion and/or bell-clapper anomalies, and sutureless methods in the absence of it.
ID  - discovery10204461
AV  - public
Y1  - 2025/01//
EP  - 53
TI  - A national survey of practice for the emergency fixation of testis
ER  -