My Spermatocelectomy (epididymal cyst removal) experience

I am 10 days post spermatocele surgery. I am sharing my experience so that others can benefit.

I first noticed it 4 years back. Doctor found couple of them on right testicle and said that if it is not bothering then let it be. But, they continued to grow and right side became bigger than baseball. In these 4 years, I have looked into Schlerotherapy. I found only 1 interventional radiologist in CA and 1 Urologist in Chiacgo who offered it for spermatocele. Both of them emphasized that it works only in the simplest case. If your spermatocele is small, look into this before the cyst grows too large. Note that needle insertion of schlerotherapy is said to make any future surgeries more complicated.

When I met the surgeon, he found couple small ones on left testicle as well. So, I had a bilateral spermatocelectomy. Due to large size of the right one, a Penrose drain was placed as well. After waking up, I was in recovery room for 4 hours and didn’t have any pain. Drive back home was comfortable and next day, the drain was removed. While my wife was instructed to do it, we got it done at an urgent care.

The main incisions oozed 2-3 drops of blood for first 3-4 days and then dries out. The drain opening oozed for 5 more days after tube removal. I applied bacitracin 2 times a day. Other than momentary pain from the stitches, I was quite comfortable specially lying down. When side sleeping, I used pillow below knees to not squeeze the incisions. I think drain helped minimize swelling and doctor also put me on Celebrex course (2 day before surgery, then 1 every 12 hours for 5 days). It likely helped with inflammation and hence pain.

I started working from home from Day 4. From Day 6, some discomfort started. Mornings have been fine, but one area becomes sore after prolonged sitting and start to bother in afternoon. I do get relief by lying down and icing the area, but if it continues, it will prevent me from being in the office whole day. Today is Day 10. I will update this post in a week or 2.

A lesson learned is that I let it get too big and didn’t realize that –

-Bigger means the scrotal skin would stretch and may be permanent.

-Bigger would lead to extra space inside which may be susceptible to hydrocele.

As part of surgery, I considered Epididectomy. If there is no epididymis, then no chance of epididymal cyst. But in the end, I didn’t do it out of fear for chronic ongoing pain from a body part missing.

0 likes, 2 replies