Can hydrocele return after surgery?

Boys, listen up! I have some news that might cause you to squirm – and not just because you are still figuring out how boxers vs briefs work. It turns out that guys can have a liquid-filled sac develop in their scrotum called a hydrocele. And let me tell you, they aren’t fun.

Hydroceles can be painful (yikes!) or just uncomfortable (you don’t say), depending on the size of the sac (insert joke about being grateful for small blessings here). There’s no secret magic trick to fix it; surgery is often necessary. But after getting snipped down there (ouch), many people worry if the problem will return.

What is hydrocele surgery?

First things first: let’s go over what this mysterious “surgery” thing even entails (doctor lingo alert). During a hydrocelectomy, an incision is made in your scrotum (cue collective wince) and then the fluid-filled sack is removed with care so as not to damage everything else behind door #1 (and we’re back to doctor lingo again).

Will it come back?

So…will this pesky bugger ever rear its ugly head again? The answer isn’t black-and-white, unfortunately! Some people sail through life without having another ounce of trouble while others may find themselves scheduling another appointment before too long.

Factors That Influence Recurrence

Several factors may contribute:

  • Age
  • Size of the original hydrocele
  • Presence of underlying infection/inflammation prior.
  • Type of procedure performed during surgery

These last two really shouldn’t surprise anyone, but age and size get thrown into the mix too (just our luck!). According to one source I found – who definitely knows more than I do – recurrence rates range from 6% all the way up to 30% (gulp) depending on these and other factors.

Relax!

Now, take a deep breath (no, seriously, do it!) – just because it can happen doesn’t mean that it will. With proper care and follow-up with your doc after surgery (think close monitoring of the potential problem area for several days post-op), your chances of hydrocele return should be pretty low. Plus, think back to what we listed – some of those things are out of our control (thanks Mother Nature) so don’t stress too much about them.

What if there are any signs?

Of course, vigilance is key even if only one testicle is concerned. If you encounter strange symptoms in or around the genital region sometime down the line (stop snickering), then contact your physician immediately (YES, all laughs aside – listen to this warning!). Even if they end up being nothing but false alarms (better safe than sorry) , I guarantee that peace-of-mind will be worth at least double whatever embarrassment you may feel bringing them up during an appointment.

Wrap-Up

All right fellas, let’s summarize what we’ve gone over today: Hydroceles are no fun AT ALL; sometimes surgery is needed in order to fix them permanently(praise hands emoji); recurrence rates vary due to age & size as well as infection/inflammation along with type(s) performed during initial procedure; try not worry too much though since there’s good chance everything will stay fixed; always make sure to check anything suspicious out with a doctor ASAP(this last point can’t be stressed enough!).

With all that said and done…I’m going outside where my girl friends won’t laugh at me while I drink pink flavored cocktails like she doesn’t judge me because she loves me(or maybe she actually judges harder when I’m dancing? 😂). Stay healthy, stay happy and peel those grapes the next time you wanna impress someone!

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