They need to check your blood for the presence of certain tumor markers and their levels while the tumor is still in your body. These tumor markers can later be used to determine if the cancer has spread outside of the testicle, but it is very important that they begin testing and establish some baselines before the surgery. Similarly, we strongly encourage newly diagnosed men to ask their doctors to check their serum testosterone level before the orchiectomy. There is no therapeutic reason to do this, but we have found that it may be useful to know this number at some point in the future. The doctors may also give you the option of an epidural or general anesthesia for the surgery.
General anesthesia is clearly the more traditional choice.
We have created a list of questions that you might want to print out and take with you when you talk to the doctor about the operation. You can find these questions here . Once the incision has been made, the surgeon pushes the testicle up through the pelvic region and out it comes. A snip here, a stitch there, and you're done before you know it. Average time on the table is about 45 minutes to an hour, but you should probably expect to stay in the hospital at least overnight.