Persistent Testicle pain after Varicocele surgery
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hey guys! So here is my problem:
I had a Varicocele surgery (embolization) on my right side on the 26th of June. The first week was a bit uncomfortable coz of swelling and bruising. after one week the bruises went away. Then suddenly and after everything seemed to be completely fine i woke up one morning and i had TERRIBLE pain. Like horrible.
Then, I went back to work (not a heavy job thank god) but the pain didn't go away. i went to the doctor and we run some tests to check for infection of the Epidydimytis.
Everything turned to be fine (no infection). But the pain wouldn't go away. The doc said that it might take time and go back home and cool it with ice and hold it high.
My doctor went away for sunmer. So I visited like 5 more other doctors coz the pain was unbearable. They all said that anatomically I'm fine, my blood flow looks ok, and all the organs inside are intact (ultrasound and touching).
Week by week my swelling went away (it isn't coming back). BUT i am still experiencing a HIGH SENSITIVITY of my testicle. I touch it and it still hurts. i cannot sleep on my stomach, I cannot wear tight underwear or at least for the 3 first weeks now it is more bearable but still a lot of pain.
I am still in bed (for 3 weeks) applying ice, i cannot wear pants AT ALL and when i go out and walk a lot my testicle is getting tired easily and hurts again. Did i see improvement in general? YES. How long will it take me until this sensitivity go away?
Meanwhile, I AM 100 % positive that the Varicocele is back coz when i cough i can feel it stronger than ever. but lets say that i skip this and dont mind it because i can fix it with a new surgery.
My main concern is this sensitivity and pain. Has sb else experienced sth like that and when were you able to touch your Testicle again without feeling pain? Do you think it will go away? will i be able to wear my underwear and pants? All the Doctors i have visited don't have clear answers about it.
I am totally freaked out, super depressed and really don't know what to do. I just wanna know how much I still have to be doing all these things.
2 likes, 31 replies
Gera23 filippos.g
Edited
Hi:
The best option to fix varicocele is micrscopic surgey as stated by all surgeons of the world. Mine was done in 1999 by a laproscopic surgeon. Since embolisation has done in your case, I am not sure still surgery is option or not. You may check with your doctor. Where do you live? If you get it done by from your pocket then many options are available. Try
filippos.g Gera23
Posted
hey. thanks for the heads up. my doctor said a laparoscopic surgery is indeed an option after a failed embolization one. question. how painful is it and for how long did you encounter pain?
Gera23 filippos.g
Edited
Hi flipp
After surgery I had to take antibiotic and pain killer and pain went gone completely. Surgery is best. Embolisation is preferred by Govt. Where public health system there like England. etc. You are lucky that you have offer for surgery.( just insist for microscopic surgery)
Howard31850 filippos.g
Edited
Sometimes the infection is hidden and doesn't show up in exams. I had the same problem because some sclerosant got into my testicle and after a few weeks left me in terrible pain. See if your doctor will give you a course of Cephalexon which is an antibiotic for scrotal infections. Also ask if you can try Percoset for pain relief. This is what i use now and if careful and just use one pill a day it provides great pain relief for 24 hours.
filippos.g Howard31850
Posted
i took antibiotics. 3rd generation Cephalosporin which is one of the strongest for infections. i live in Germany and i dont know if we have this painkillers here, probably a similar variant. so in your case it came back? and for how long were you in pain? i also think sclerosant got on my testicle coz its shape and hardness were sooooo irregular and frightening by touch.
Howard31850 filippos.g
Edited
Ask about Percoset but it is not a permanent solution.
Did your IR use coils? Coils are known to cause these nerve problems. In my case I asked my IR not to use coils so he said he would just apply pressure to keep the sclerosant out of the testicle but it did not work. That was 3 years ago and the scrotal is worse than my problem before. I take botox injections every 6 months into the spermatic cord to help with pain and also use Percoset but I may need a MDSC procedure to cut the nerves. If you had coils inserted there are other options for you which involve removing the coils. Some men have been helped that way.
filippos.g Howard31850
Posted
I don't know if he used coils tbh. But i know that he told me that it might be that the varicocele is back or that just the OP did not go great and not all the varicocele veins were blocked. so he said that after some weeks (coming monday) he will see me again and check whether the problem is a bad surgery or maybe even a recurrence of the varicocsele. and he said that the next option is the laparoscopic way with which he will tughten and close the varicocele veins with some clips. they dont cut the vein this way they just block the flow by tightening it close.
the thing is that after 4 full weeks i saw some healing but im atill very aensitive. btw i am really sorry about what happened to you, i know the pain and i know how bad you might feel. i really hope it is not something permanent and i wish you to find the solution and be totally healthy and happy.
Howard31850 filippos.g
Edited
Thank you for your kind wishes - i wish you the same.
I really think you should give it more time to heal if you can - maybe another 4 weeks before trying another procedure. Think of when you have a major injury to your knee - it can take several months for the pain to stop and return to normal.
Is your doctor an IR or a urologist? IRs generally watch for secondary veins to open when they embolize the main one. It is very common for bypass veins to form in this way which keep the varicocele going. Tying off the vein might be a good solution for this but I would give it more time to heal. Good luck to you.
filippos.g Howard31850
Posted
You think so? i mean that i should give more time to heal before i proceed to sth else? probably i will do that. he is an urologist yeah. but im super mad on him coz he never told me that i might be encountering all this. he said that after some days I'll be good to go back to my routine. end of august I'll travel to greece. the doctors there are WAY better than those in Germany (where i live). but the current problem is that i cannot wear any pants or tight underwear to go outside 😛 this is killing me. being in bed for one month and still feeling this way. so annoying.
Howard31850 filippos.g
Edited
Yes give it more time to heal. Also try to get Percoset for pain.
marco1987 Howard31850
Posted
hi Howard,
please can you give us an update on how you feel now? Thank you
filippos.g
Posted
So guys, just an update....
looks like the sclerosant material made my vein really hard and thick. as a result the vein is putting pressure on pain nerves and this is how the testicular pain was created. now it is reduced and the doctor said that in the (hopefully near) future, the vein will shrink and the pain will be relieved.
he gave me an antibiotic though for 5 days because he was not really sure if there is an undetectable infection the. he gave me some antiepileptics (for the nerve to calm the pain down) and a very light opioid. Today i was able for the first time after 40 days to walk normally (i mean as normal as it gets anyways given the circumstances).
Gera23 filippos.g
Posted
Hi Filipos
You will get better soon, My embolisation is scheduled in 2 weeks from now, I have low grade varicocele in both sides and this is came back again after two decades. I had so much pain and inflammation in both and took painkiller and anti inflammatory and then a course of cipro and gabapentin( nerve pain reliever). Now got much relief from pain and trying to get 2nd opinion for embolisation. My varicocele vein size is 2.5 mm.
filippos.g Gera23
Posted
hey! from my personal experience i would recommend you to.use another surgical method than embolization. i suffered really much (and still suffering) and so.many complications showed up. extremely s****y experience man. think twice, i think its worth it to stay a couple of days in the hospital with another method than risking.
discuss it with your MD.
At the time i am taking also gaba and tramadol.
Gera23 filippos.g
Posted
Hello
Thank you for your input and advise. I will consider . The problem is getting appointment of good doctor here because the system is public.
marco1987 Gera23
Posted
I hope you stayed away from any embolisation. This barbarian, evil procedure ruined my life. I lost my job, I've had to pay 25k for removal and I still live in chronic, excruciating pain. I have been given diagnoses of genitofemoral, ileoinguinal and pudendal neuralgia. Anyone reading this, please STAY AWAY from any kind of embolisation.