What I wish I knew before surgery - Hydrocelectomy gone wrong

Context - I'm a healthy and physically very fit 29yr old male involved in the healthcare industry. This surgery was supposed to be a breeze.

Boy was I wrong.

Stitches burst hours after the surgery while I lay in bed. I got post operative infections at the wound site, and in my kidneys. 5 weeks later, I still have an open wound where the stitches burst. GP visits, Medication, A&E trips and extra wound dressings have cost 100's. Antibiotics hit me like a truck.

What I wish I knew beforehand. Advice for those looking into the surgery

1 - Get the right surgeon and the right hospital. Do some research. I just went with my local private hospital and I regret not giving this more thought.

2 - Ask about post operative wound care and what to do if it goes wrong. This is important, it's a difficult area to dress appropriately. My profession is diabetic woundcare, it was still a disaster.

3- I would strongly recommend asking for antibiotics post operation. You don't want an infection down there. In the event you don't need them, whatever, 15 bucks down the drain.

4- 2 weeks after the op I started using a product called Tubegauze to encase the scrotum and elevate it away from the legs. This way the scrotum won't catch on the skin of your legs and you will be way more comfortable. You can loop it over the top of your jocks to keep it well away from the legs. You could probably do the same thing with a clean sock.

5- If it goes wrong after surgery. Just go to A&E. I waited around for the surgeon to get back to me. Mistake.

I was probably just really unlucky. But still, these things can happen, no matter how healthy you are.

Best of luck lads

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