Hydrocele repair surgery

Hydrocele Testis is a sac of serous fluid accumulated around the testicle or spermatic cord, specifically, between the two layers of the tunica vaginalis covering the testicle and the inner surface of the scrotum.

The problems resulting from this condition range from a considerable increase in the size of the scrotal sac to circulatory problems and infection. If these problems occur, hydrocele surgery is recommended.

In the event of hydrocele-related problems, the most advisable thing to do is to undergo hydrocele surgery, a surgical treatment.

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A hydrocele is a kind of sac filled with serous fluid accumulated in some cavity of the human body, the most common being the testicular hydrocele. Also called hydrocele testis, it is found inside a membrane around the testicle or in the spermatic cord. 

Within this type, we find:

• Chronic hydrocele which is not known how it occurs but is the most common type, with men over the age of 40 being the most likely to suffer from it.
• Hydrocele in children is common and usually disappears after two years of age. If it does not disappear, the operation is performed from the abdominal area, not the scrotum.

A testicular hydrocele is the accumulation of serous fluid between two of the layers of tissue surrounding the testicle known as the tunica vaginalis.

The main symptom is swelling of the testicle, which is usually painless. It can occur in both testicles and is diagnosed by palpation, looking for the presence of a cystic intrascrotal mass with a rounded appearance and no tenderness, unless there is inflammation.

The diagnosis of hydrocele is therefore usually clear. However, ascertaining its origin is usually not so simple. Sometimes, the specialist will have to request or perform a testicular ultrasound himself. In this testicular ultrasound we can clearly differentiate a varicocele from a hydrocele, testicular cancer from a hydrocele and even a scrotal hernia from a hydrocele.

Generally speaking, three therapeutic treatments can be used to treat a testicular hydrocele. A partial solution to a testicular hydrocele is possible by means of an aspiration puncture, by sclerosis of the layers of the tunica vaginalis and by surgical intervention.

The hydrocele surgery, Hydrocelectomy, may be recommended if it is overgrown, causes blood flow problems, painful swelling or if it is infected. Surgical intervention remains the technique of choice because of its better effectiveness and lower complication rate for the resolution of testicular hydrocele.

At Operarme, the surgical assessment consultation with the specialist is free of charge and there is no waiting time. The specialist will review your case, so it is important that you come with all the medical reports and tests you have in order to confirm the diagnosis.

During the face-to-face consultation, you will get to know the doctor and you will be able to ask him or her all the questions you need, so that together you can make the decision to carry out the hydrocele intervention in the correct way.

To request a consultation with the Operarme specialist, you can do so directly by clicking on Make an appointment, by calling at +34 91 141 33 56, or by requesting it via the contact form. 

Once the appointment has been requested, our patient service team will contact you to confirm that the time and date of the appointment suits your schedule, as well as giving you all the information you need about the steps to follow.

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Consultation for assessment with the Urology Specialist

On the day indicated for the appointment with the Urology specialist, you should come to the consultation with all the tests and medical reports that he/she has on your hydrocele problems. This is vital so that the doctor has the necessary information to determine the severity of the case and whether or not hydrocele surgery is required. Otherwise, it is likely that a diagnosis cannot be made and further tests will be necessary.

During your consultation, the doctor will ask you a series of questions about your condition in order to determine whether or not the intervention is feasible. Similarly, you can and should ask the doctor everything you need to know about the procedure in order to make an informed and correct decision.

If both you and the doctor agree on the surgery, it is possible to set a date for the operation during the consultation or, on the other hand, to set a date with the patient service team who will call you after the assessment consultation.

If the hydrocele repair surgery goes ahead, a date will be set for the operation and the process will begin with the pre-operative procedure.

Pre-operative hydrocele surgery

The preoperative examination for hydrocele surgery is always necessary and consists of three tests:

• Chest X-ray. This test is performed not only to check for signs of infection, but also to check that the trachea is properly aligned. It is not always requested; it must be expressly indicated by the doctor.
• Complete blood test. This test is performed to check for signs of infection, as this could lead to unwanted infections causing major complications. This test will allow the specialist and the anaesthetist to check the patient's cardiovascular health.
• Consultation with the anaesthesiologist: inform the anaesthesiologist if you suffer from any allergies, if you are on medication, whether prescribed or not, previous surgeries, etc. This consultation will determine which anaesthesia will be used during the operation.

Once the anaesthesiologist has given the go-ahead for the surgery, the next step is to go to the hospital for the operation. As far as the hydrocele surgery is concerned, it is normally performed under regional or general anaesthesia.

Once the pre-operative procedure has been carried out, the only thing left to do is to perform the operation on the indicated day.

On the day of surgery, once you are in the hospital, you will be asked to hand in the documentation that your personal patient care advisor will have given you beforehand. After that, you will be escorted to the operating theatre area where you will be given your operating clothes and asked to change for surgery. Before entering the operating theatre, you will normally be given a line to administer the anaesthesia.

Hydrocele repair surgery, which is a surgical treatment, takes no more than 30-60 minutes.

Once you are ready, you will be taken to the operating theatre, where you will meet the surgeon with whom you had your consultation, the anaesthetist and a member of the nursing team. The surgeon will instruct you to lie down on the stretcher in a certain position and then the anaesthetist will sedate you, in most cases using spinal anaesthesia. The hydrocele operation will then begin:

1. After the anaesthesia has taken effect, the urologist will make an incision in the scrotum, no more than 3-4 centimetres long. This incision will allow the urologist to reach the area where the hydrocele is located. In the case of a bilateral testicular hydrocele (in both testicles), the incision is made first on one side and then on the other.
2. After dissection of all the scrotal layers, the surgeon reaches the tunica vaginalis, where the testicular hydrocele is located.
3. Once the testicular hydrocele is located, the surgeon will proceed to aspirate the fluid accumulated in the hydrocele until the sac decreases in size, so that it can also be removed. The remaining fluid is then removed.
4. After the removal of the fluid and the sac, the hydrocele problem will be solved and the area will be sutured.

Once the surgery is over, you will have to stay in a post-surgical room for approximately one hour until you recover from the effects of the anaesthesia and it is possible to take you to your room to continue recovering.

Hydrocelectomy is a simple operation, so it lasts between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the type of testicular hydrocele (bilateral or unilateral) and the size of the sac.

This is an outpatient operation so, in most cases, you will be able to leave the hospital the same day, after 4-5 hours. However, in other cases it is possible to remain in hospital for the first 24 hours, under medical supervision to check that everything has gone well and that you are recovering correctly.

After hydrocelectomy, normal activity can usually be resumed after 4 to 5 days.

Care of the incision is minimal, including keeping the wound dry and daily dressings with disinfectant solutions. The use of a jockstrap during the first few days makes the stitches heal more quickly and correctly. Stitch removal can vary between 10 and 15 days.

The advantages are the eradication of pain and the reduction of swelling. The operation is recommended to prevent the hydrocele from worsening.

Regarding the risks of undergoing this operation, we find the risks of any other operation with anaesthesia, such as blood clots, pneumonia or drug allergy. We did not find any specific problems with this operation other than complications during the operation.

Regarding the advantages that you get when you undergo a hydrocelectomy through Operarme they are:

• Closed price and with everything included, no extra final surprises, we take care of everything.
• Our patient care is totally personalised.
• Our specialists in Urology are experts in their field, with a long career and outstanding professionals.

We have hospital centres equipped with the most advanced medical technologies and a privileged location in your city.

If you are thinking of alleviating your problems caused by hydrocele at Operarme, remember that you can request an immediate and free surgical assessment consultation with our specialists via this contact form, by calling at +34 91 141 33 56, or clicking on the following button.

Do you need hydrocele repair surgery?

Request a free and immediate appointment with our specialists

Make an appointment