An update on testicular prostheses

Abstract

Absence of one or two testicle due to congenital or acquired reasons creates not only physiological complications, but also cosmetic and psychological problems for males of all ages. These problems can be effectively solved by implantation of testicular prostheses. Current implants in use are made out of a silicone elastomer envelope filled either with saline, silicone gel or solid silicone elastomer. A Pubmed search was carried out for all articles on testicular prosthesis published between 1963 and 2010 for this review. The history and development of testicular prostheses, types of implants, timing of implantation, the surgical techniques and complications, and benefits of implantation of testicular prosthesis were reviewed.