Swelling after hydrocelectomy

I feel you, mikeburgener.  I had the over-baseball size, which made me get the surgery in the first place.  Now it's just regular-baseball size from the swelling...waiting for the golf ball size to come.  And just like patsfan5777, I lost my right testicle in my teen years(I'm 59 now) from hernia surgery.  So I've always had the one large testicle left.  But as I got older, and from the hernia surgery, it grew to the oversize baseball size (pre-surgery). So I'm just patiently waiting to wake up to a golf ball size sometime in the near future. 

Embrace the big ball.  As you get older, the ladies will love it!  Plus, be honored to be in the exclusive "one-ball" club like me.  No one told me about having the fake ball surgery when I was younger.  I knew about it, but I didn't know anyone who had it to get views about it.  But it doesn't bother me now.  It did when I first lost it from the hernia surgery, but through the years I just embraced it.

It feels NOTHING like a real testicle its very hard and doesnt hang like a normal testicle would. I gotta say this whole ordeal has zapped all my self confidence I got used to having only 1 testicle a long time ago but the whole hydrocele thing happened a month after me and my ex wife got separated. I have kids and don't want anymore but I'm just too worried about how a woman would react and I've been out of the dating game for over a decade so I've just grown super depressed and isolated.

I would say the best thing to do is to explain to future women about your surgery. Most women have never even heard of hydrocele surgery and what we go through afterwards.  And that's because we're ashamed and don't talk about it. Once I explain it to them, even showing them youtube videos of the actual surgery, everything's fine. But if you're messing around, and she "discovered" a huge bulge, she's gonna be shocked and won't know how to act.  But if you have the conversation first, she'll know what to expect when she feels it or sees it. But try not to let it get you down.  I know it's frustrating.  I go through it everyday, but I can't help not to think about it, especially when I go to the bathroom.  But I don't let it consume me, because I know it's only temporary. I actually went to work out today, and noticed a few stares as I was getting dressed. And oddly enough, an older guy approached me and asked a couple questions. But to make a long story short, he was living with one big ball and one small ball for quite some time. I suggested he go see his doctor and mention hydrocele surgery to him. So just realize that we're in a unique club that we have to deal with. Don't let it sap your confidence at all.  Walk tall and proud. 

I appreciate the advise, my concern is that after awaking from my third procedure he said I in fact didn't have another hydrocele so he didn't do anything to the testicle. My question is then why did it swell and why is it still much bigger 2 months later If he didn't do anything??? I am also concerned about testosterone production I haven't felt right since the surgery i feel weak, my joints hurt, my hair is falling out,I cry at stupid stuff and my whole body hurts. I'm only 40 but I feel like I'm 80, I've read it doesn't effect testosterone but Im calling BS. I see I'm in 2 days and im pretty sure I'm going to freak out the guy

Wow...your situation sounds very serious indeed. Especially feeling weak, joints and your whole body hurting, plus hair falling out...I would definitely seek some kind of second opinion if you don't feel comfortable with your own doctor's opinion. But if you didn't have another hydrocele, what was your third procedure? My concern is with the swelling as well, especially with no hydrocele. I don't want to speculate...try googling something like "swollen scrotum, but no hydrocele found". But TRY to remain calm and think positive.  I'll do some googling and see what I can find on my end.

Wow, your situation seems very serious with feeling weak, hurt joints and  your hair falling out. I'm sure some of that is your nerves working on you as well. But I would definitely seek some kind of second opinion since your doctor can't find anything. I don't understand the swelling and no hydrocele found. What was your third procedure?

Also, try googling "scrotum swelling, but no hydrocele found" and see what you come up with. I'll do the same on my end, because your situation is definitely serious. But definitely keep a positive attitude.

I saw another doc after the second surgery

(It was still the size of an egg)and he blew me off he wouldn't even order me an ultrasound so I gave up for about a year and a half. I fulfilled my deductible so I decided to go back to original doc in October and he ordered another ultrasound. I called a few days later and the doc said fluid had returned he said they don't normally do hydrocelctomys for such small hydrocele s but that if I wanted to get the testicle as small as possible I could opt to have it which after a few days of thinkin I did on December 1st. When I awoke he said I had no hydrocele the testicle was just big, but it wasn't pre 1st surgery it was normal sized. I called him about two weeks after the 3rd procedure with concerns about swelling as I said before if he didn't do anything to the testicle why so much swelling and he said there's always swelling after something like this and told me to make appointment for end of January which I did. Well it's still much bigger than it was pre 3rd procedure even then it was pretty big but why if nothing was done to it. I have searched the internet far and wide and there is nothing regarding my situation. I saw a few sites that said the testicle may always be a bit bigger after the surgery but not to the degree mine is.

If the fluid returned, how did your doctor not detect a hydrocele? Especially if he said they don't normally do hydrocelectomys for such small hydroceles?  I'm confused. I'm thinking if a hydrocele wasn't there, the fluid should have drained back into your body (that's something I read). You have a very unique situation at hand. I also haven't found anything related to the symtoms you're having as far as the body and joint pains, etc. I'll keep checking. But in the meantime, try to relax and keep that stress down.

Man I'm just as confused as you he did an ultrasound and he told me the fluid had returned which is why I opted for a 3rd surgery. I don't know how fluid shows up on an ultrasound and then there is none when he opened me up. All I know is my testicle is still severely swollen and there has to be some reason if it's not a hydrocele. I don't know if my doc just wanted to make some money off me or what but he opened me up when there was apparently no need too and now my testicle is even bigger than before.Like I said I have read that after a hydrocelctomy the testicle may always be a bit larger but not 3 to 4 times larger.

That's crazy! There definitely has to be a strong reason for that testicle swelling. Especially if there's no hydrocele. Some doctors do try to take advantage of patients, not saying yours did. But I don't see how he can't come up with some kinda answers for you. That's why I stopped going to mine...giving him $40 just to tell me "Oh, that swelling will go down before you know it". I decided that I won't go back to him UNTIL the swelling is gone and I'm back to the golf ball size. I hate that you had to be opened up for nothing. And I really hate to hear what you're going through.

I got a second opinion about 7 months after my second hydrocelctomy as swelling never really went away but that doc blew me off. I gave up after that for about a year or so but I got really depressed and wanted to start dating again so I went back to the original doctor and now I'm worse off for it. I know when I see him Wednesday he's going to tell me nothing and this will just continue.

Ask him for examples of what else it could be, when you see him. Would cytology help for any strange reason? (wanna make sure its nothing to be worried about.)

As far as the anatomy, a sack is usually formed and its actually a little more solid than you'd think. Most of the time (during surgery) when the doctor makes the inciscion on a BIG hydrocele, it wouldnt be rare to see about a quart of fluid come out--and IMMEDIATELY.

Then there's a little collection of tissues that USED to be that cyst. After the first surgery you had, if you were up and moving about a lot (working or whatever) then you may not have drained all the fluid from the cyst. This could be a reason for the pro-longed healing phase and would throw a couple curve balls at the ultrasound tech too. If you took your anti inflammatories and kept your legs elevated for a couple days after the surgery - GOOD. Otherwise, I'd heed the doctors orders.

My hydrocele wasent very big to begin with(racquetball sized) it was just very uncomfortable. This has been a 3 year/ 3 surgery issue and I have asked doc many questions but have gotten little as far as answers. Even after the 2nd procedure when I awoke he said he was surpised at how large the actual testicle was and how little fluid there was and even then I asked well how does a testicle get larger at 37 years old and he said I don't know which is why I went for a second opinion 7 months later. I had a full body CAT scan done about a year after the second procedure as I have severe stomach problems that came back normal but the technician noted I had significant edema of the left testicle. When I went back to the original doc about 8 months after the CAT scan I mentioned this to him and he brushed it off ordered the ultrasound said I had fluid a but I didn't and here I am. I've found other docs don't want to deal with others problem surgeries I brought the doc I got the second opinion from all my ultrasounds and Dr's notes but he just said it is what it is and sent me on my way.

So my visit was uneventful all my concerns and informed him of all the other issues I was having and yes said from a urological standpoint there was nothing wrong other than a swollen testicle which he couldnt pinpoint a cause of. He said he could give me another ultrasound but it would probably be a water of money as nothing was found on the previous 3 and every thing felt normal. He said there was most likely something else going on in my body causing it and gave me a name of a rheumatologist. So I'm back to square one with no answers I have no clue what to do at this point in time.

Sorry you didn't get the answers you were looking for...that sucks big time! And I know it's easy for me to say stay positive, but you have to. It's a shame that nothing can be diagnosed at this point. It still bothers me that he constantly says nothing is wrong, but you can clearly see that something is indeed wrong. But maybe the rheumatologist can find and detect something that the doctor couldn't. I didn't read anywhere where they specialize in our situations. But hopefully they can help get to the bottom of this, and bring positive feedback. 

Yeah I can't stay positive I told him this effectively ended my life. His thinking was that maybe the swelling is due to my bodys response to something else going on like an auto immune disease or something. He said in his 30 years he's never seen anything like this it's usually cut and dry when it comes to urology. This type of stuff has been the story of my life, I've been a victim of Murphys law insurmountable times.

Well hopefully the rheumatologist can detect if this is indeed a reaction to something else. You still can't let this keep you down, though. That's helping to add to your stress. That's why I started back working out...to help get my mind off things. This kind of thing can surely drive us crazy...IF we let it! I'll still ask questions and see what I can find out on my end. 

I appreciate it man, I've always been active in the gym but lately it's been a struggle to even make it through my normal routine. My body feels so drained all the time and I get severe headaches now.My neurologist just put me on new medsite 3 days ago but of course I have side effects and they are giving me major panic attacks.

The CT scan didn't pick up any evidence of a hernia did it? Have you ever had pneumonia or do you drink a lot? Are you an athlete? Take a bad shot to the crotch that may have left a hematoma (unlikely that the hematoma would still be in your testicle tho). No need to answer (your business is your business), but an alternative and possible issue could be an indirect/direct inguinal hernia which might be allowing more abdominal fluid to go into the scrotum than normal--leaving your innate fluid-drainage system behind, right off the bat. Not all of the time, however, are doctors able to detect these on the CT scan. Furthermore, if you're overweight, itd be more difficult to palpitate during a physical examination so it's easy to miss. You might want to try a different doc and ask him to check you for an inguinal hernia - but be prepared: sometimes the only answer to unknowns like this involves more surgery to "rule out a hernia".

It all started with a UTI 3 years ago(at least that's what i beleieve)everything was fine down there(minus the losing the right to torsion at 13 anyways) up until then. I was treated with 2 rounds of antibiotics for it then a few weeks later i noticed my testicle was larger and increased in size the longer I was on my feet. Anyways had an ultrasound my my doc said everything was fine if I had any questions see a urologist so I did he said I had a hydrocele had surgery, swelling remained saw him 3 months later had ultrasound had another surgery swelling remained but gave up for a year and a half but I had the catscan and they noticed edema and told me to to bring it up with my doc so I did so I had 3rd ultrasound in October of last year then another surgery in December even though he didn't do anything because I didn't actually have a hydrocele. They did not notice any hernias and they did a complete body catscan my gastroenterologist ordered it because I have stomach problems(GERDS and IBS). I've also had a brain MRI,Colonoscopy,Endoscopy,chest x-rays and God knows how many blood tests over the past 3 years. I am not overweight(I workout everyday), no testicular injuries, I did drink a lot of beer(about a 6 pack a night) for a long while but do not any longer.I'm not sexually active and have been tested for every STD(I was married for 8 year and monogamous) I've run the gambit but no answers anywhere I'm a medical mystery.

I'm sorry to hear you're going through all this- all I can think to say is the lesson I took with me from the Air Force: keep your cadence going and just keep putting one foot in front of the other--eventually you'll get there.

RE the hydrocele : I had THOUGHT I had read you had a torsion case. So my suspicion is still there regarding the possibility of a hernia.

Here's a rough sketch of the anatomy you dealt with when you had the testicle removed: the vas deferens, before entering the scrotum, travels through the inguinal canal. This is a defacto weakness in every male. To remove a testicle, the surgeon has to cut this - meaning that there is a void left. Typically this void is sewn up. The only problem is that the human body just isn't as predictable as we all wish it would be.

It's possible that the fibrosis (scar tissue) didn't heal right and that there is an avenue for body fluid (interstitial tissue) to drain from your abdomen into the 'new' space left by your orchiectomy via an unexacerbated hernia.

Add to this POSSIBILITY the fact that you used to be a heavy drinker (a condition that leads to ascites--fluid in the abdomen) and suddenly you have an overload of gravity controlled fluid in your abdomen. It stands to reason that THAT is what you're dealing with--a not completely closed peritoneum, like what's seen with hernia's (only perhaps small enough to avoid detection by your doctor).

Again, this is all just thinking out loud, but it seems to make sense.

Let me guess: your procedures where they found no defect, were in the morning and you hadn't been up and walking around much? If so, it'd account for the absence of fluid when you actually wanted to see it.

This would be worth running by your doctor, but keep in mind that driving this theory may not be easy- you'd have to go under the knife again to rule this out, in all likelihood.

Hopefully this helps.

Yes I had my right testicle removed when I was 13(I'm 39 now) due to torsion. If I had a hernia wouldn't I have pain of some kind? There is no pain jut a swollen testicle(the epidytimis and all other tubes seem much larger as well) and everything feels very firm but again no pain. My doc was stumped he said he couldnt think of anything that would cause it at least from a urological standpoint. When I had my testicle removed as a kid I had a prosthesis put in but it was a "kids" size i just had it changed out for a larger one when I had my last surgery(even though there was no hydrocele) I'm wondering if that irritated the testicle somehow because it got even larger even though he did nothing to it.

My boyfriend is 6 weeks post op from this surgery. He's 56. We just read this thread together and while I have to say it was discouraging in some ways it was also reassuring that what he's experiencing isn't as unusual as we'd thought. At 6 weeks there hasn't been really any reduction in size (think a good sized orange). While there was no pain, or at least no consistant pain, before the surgery. The pain has gone from excruciating to strong with spikes of awful. The bruising, his scrotum was black at one point, has gone away. The scar is hard and pulls uncomfortably. We were thinking by week 6 things would be much better than they are. My point of leaving a message, however, is that speaking as a woman I can assure you that his big ball has never been a deterrent to how attractive I find him or his equipment. I'm very fond of his equipment, lol. I encourage you not to let your scrotum shape/size/appearance keep you from dating. We ladies are not as fragile or as shallow as you think

Thank you for your feedback it's nice to have a females point of view on this situation. I think a lot of men's self confidence(including myself) takes a huge hit with something of this nature. It's good to know there are women out there that aren't judgmental or shallow.