WHY THIS INTERVENTION?

A hydrocele is an accumulation of fluid in a “pocket” surrounding the testicle. This hydrocele is responsible for a more or less significant increase in volume of a bursa. This is a benign disease which is neither likely to become infected nor to progress to a more serious disease.

On the other hand, it can be responsible for discomfort, pain or aesthetic damage.

The intervention restores your bursa to a normal volume and eliminates the symptoms linked to the volume of the bursa.
The absence of treatment exposes you to the risk of increased volume of the bursa with the appearance or worsening of clinical disorders.

ARE THERE OTHER POSSIBILITIES?

There is no medical treatment for hydrocele. Therapeutic abstention may be proposed for hydroceles with few symptoms and sometimes spontaneous regression.

PREPARATION FOR INTERVENTION

Any surgical procedure requires preparation which may vary depending on each individual. It is essential that you follow the recommendations given to you by your urologist and your anesthesiologist. If these recommendations are not followed, the intervention could be postponed.

The procedure takes place under general or loco-regional anesthesia, most often as part of an outpatient procedure.
As with any surgical procedure, a pre-operative anesthesia consultation is necessary a few days before the operation.

OPERATIVE TECHNIQUE

The procedure is carried out through an incision at the level of the bursa.

It consists of removing the bag of fluid or gathering it depending on the anomalies encountered during the procedure.

A drain can be left in place temporarily.

USUAL FOLLOW-UP

In some cases it may require 1 or 2 days of hospitalization. If a drain has been placed, it is removed in the first post-operative days.
Pain at the incision is usually minimal and temporary. For a few weeks, the bursa remains enlarged and swelling around the testicle can sometimes persist, corresponding to the scarred surgical area.

Convalescence and sick leave are adapted to the job you do.
A follow-up consultation with your urologist is planned a few weeks after the procedure.

RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS

In the majority of cases, the intervention offered to you takes place without complications. However, any surgical procedure carries a certain number of risks and complications described below.

Some complications are linked to your general condition.

Any surgical procedure requires anesthesia, whether local-regional or general, which carries risks. They will be explained to you during the pre-operative consultation with the anesthesiologist.
Other complications directly related to the intervention are rare, but possible:

COMPLICATIONS COMMON TO ALL SURGERY ARE:

• Local, generalized infection
• Bleeding with possible hematoma and sometimes transfusion
• Phlebitis and pulmonary embolism
• Allergy

THE COMPLICATIONS SPECIFIC TO THE INTERVENTION ARE IN ORDER OF FREQUENCY:

• Hematoma: bleeding after the procedure can lead to the secondary formation of a hematoma of the bursa, possibly extending to the external genitalia. Most cases do not require a consultation in the absence of pain and/or stock market tension. However, in rare cases, reoperation to drain the hematoma may be necessary. The need to remove the testicle is possible in this case but remains exceptional.
• Delayed healing: it may require prolonged local care.
• Infection: the existence of discharge from the incision, general signs of infection such as fever, or local signs such as inflammation of the bursa, may lead to the initiation of appropriate antibiotic treatment and treatment of a possible abscess by your surgeon. The need to remove the testicle is possible in this case but remains exceptional.
• Testicular atrophy: it occurs exceptionally after hydrocele surgery.
• Recurrence, particularly in cases of vaginal plication without complete resection.