eprintid: 10204461 rev_number: 12 eprint_status: archive userid: 699 dir: disk0/10/20/44/61 datestamp: 2025-02-10 08:32:07 lastmod: 2025-02-10 08:33:35 status_changed: 2025-02-10 08:32:07 type: article metadata_visibility: show sword_depositor: 699 creators_name: Paediatric Surgery Trainee Research Network PSTRN, creators_name: British Urology Researchers Surgical Training BURST, creators_name: Boam, T creators_name: Harwood, R creators_name: Clement, KD creators_name: Kasivisvanathan, V creators_name: Light, A creators_name: Bethell, GS creators_name: Hotonu, S creators_name: Eastwood, P creators_name: Arthur, F creators_name: Marks, I creators_name: Tullie, L creators_name: Rogoyski, BG creators_name: Spurdens, A creators_name: Nabarro, J creators_name: Clarke, L creators_name: Kulkarni, M title: A national survey of practice for the emergency fixation of testis ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: B02 divisions: C10 divisions: D16 keywords: Testicular torsion; Orchidopexy; Genital diseases; Male; Testicular fixation; Scrotal exploration; Acute scrotum note: 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. abstract: 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. // 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. // 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%). // 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. date: 2025-01 date_type: published publisher: ROYAL COLL SURGEONS ENGLAND official_url: https://doi.org/10.1308/rcsann.2023.0101 oa_status: green full_text_type: pub language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_id: 2358531 doi: 10.1308/rcsann.2023.0101 lyricists_name: Kasivisvanathan, Veerappan lyricists_id: VKASI35 actors_name: Kasivisvanathan, Veerappan actors_id: VKASI35 actors_role: owner funding_acknowledgements: [Prostate Cancer UK]; [John Black Charitable Foundation] full_text_status: public publication: The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England volume: 107 number: 1 pagerange: 48-53 pages: 6 issn: 0035-8843 citation: Paediatric Surgery Trainee Research Network PSTRN; British Urology Researchers Surgical Training BURST; Boam, T; Harwood, R; Clement, KD; Kasivisvanathan, V; Light, A; ... Kulkarni, M; + view all <#> Paediatric Surgery Trainee Research Network PSTRN; British Urology Researchers Surgical Training BURST; Boam, T; Harwood, R; Clement, KD; Kasivisvanathan, V; Light, A; Bethell, GS; Hotonu, S; Eastwood, P; Arthur, F; Marks, I; Tullie, L; Rogoyski, BG; Spurdens, A; Nabarro, J; Clarke, L; Kulkarni, M; - view fewer <#> (2025) A national survey of practice for the emergency fixation of testis. The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England , 107 (1) pp. 48-53. 10.1308/rcsann.2023.0101 <https://doi.org/10.1308/rcsann.2023.0101>. Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10204461/1/Kasivisvanathan_2024-a-national-survey-of-practice-for-the-emergency-fixation-of-testis.pdf