In the period 1980-1991, 78 patients with advanced nonseminomatous testicular cancer underwent retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for post-chemotherapy residual masses less than 2 cm. To decrease the frequency of "dry ejaculation" in these patients with no or limited residual disease, the extent of dissection was reduced during the period, with bilateral dissections (49 cases, 1980-1986) being initially replaced by unilateral procedures (19 cases, 1983-1990) and subsequently by nerve-sparing techniques (10 cases, 1990-1991). As expected, a higher total number of lymph nodes was found in the retroperitoneal specimens after bilateral (44 (13-100)) than after unilateral (21 (7-35)) and nerve-sparing (18 (7-60)) procedures. The number of lymph nodes with pathological changes was low, with 3 (1-16) after bilateral, 2 (1-9) after unilateral, and 2 (1-4) after nerve-sparing operations. Histological examination revealed only necrosis/fibrosis in 65% of the patients, elements of mature teratoma in 28%, and remnants of viable malignant tumor in 6%. There were no major postoperative complications. "Dry ejaculation" was reported by 84% of the patients with bilateral operations, but was generally avoided after the unilateral (16%) and nerve-sparing (nil) procedures. After a mean follow-up of 83 (5-138) months, 6 patients have developed a recurrence, only one of them primarily in the retroperitoneal space. It is concluded that in patients with minimal residual retroperitoneal tumor, postchemotherapy lymphadenectomy using a unilateral or nerve-sparing technique seems to offer an effective therapeutic alternative with acceptable postoperative morbidity and preserved ejaculation.