How long does it take the swelling from varicocelectomy to go away?
Posted , 3 users are following.
I had bilateral varicocelectomy surgery a few days ago. Everything I've read (online and the doctor's after care instructions) say that I should be able to resume normal activities within a few days. It's been a few days (two) and I don't feel like I can resume "normal" activities. Specifically, I'm a "grower" not a "shower" and the swelling is so bad that I can't aim my penis to urinate. I've been going in a bucket - but obviously won't have this as an option when I return to work the day after tomorrow. Will this swelling go down or is this the swelling that will persist for 3 to 6 weeks?
Also, to be honest, reading other post has me a bit afraid about the pain. I never had any pain prior to the surgery. I got the surgery to improve sperm health and count and hopefully will be able to get my wife pregnant soon. I honestly didn't do any research before having the procedure. The urologist said it would help and it wouldn't hurt that much. I foolishly believed him. Now I'm afraid I'll have pain for months. I'm regretting the surgery - but it's only been a few days. I'd like to hear some more of your experiences if you don't mind sharing.
Thanks.
0 likes, 4 replies
roger46028 jay82125
Posted
Hi Jay - just wanted to see how you're getting on? What type of surgery did you have: laparoscopic, microsurgical or embolisation? If laparoscopic or microsurgical do you know if the artery was injured or cut at all? That can cause a fair bit of swelling i hear
Hope it's all come down and resolved for you.
jay82125 roger46028
Posted
Hi Roger - I'm looking at my medical records, and it doesn't go into too much detail of the surgery itself (at least I can't find it). A few days after the surgery, I noticed a lump near the base of the penis which the doctor told me is a hematoma. Initially, it was uncomfortable to have sex, but that is not so much the case anymore. The hematoma is still there, but it has reduced in size. My doctor offered to perform surgery to drain it, but I don't want surgery on my penis.
I wasn't able to have sex until 16 days after surgery although I was told I would only be down for 10 days. I wasn't really able to have relations until a little more than a month after surgery. So much for "normal" activity within a few days...
It's been 3 months since surgery and my wife still isn't pregnant, so I don't know if it did any good. The incisions have healed though. The doctor put me on anastrozole which is supposed to help with sperm count and health. They say sperm takes 3 months to heal - so I'm hoping July is our month.
jay82125
Posted
Thought I'd come back to provide an update. My wife still isn't pregnant and we went to new fertility specialist who basically said this surgery was completely unnecessary. My sperm count has improved from like 3,000 to 7 million, but the morphology and motility didn't improve. I'm not sure if the sperm count has improved because of the surgery or the medication (anastrozole). We'll move forward with IVF.
If anyone is looking to have a varicocelectomy for fertility, don't. The new doctors are saying they only recommend this if there is pain down there, but they said there is no real proof that it helps.
gg78506 jay82125
Posted
Would a denervation procedure help? See other threads here on it.