Hydrocele rehab?

[CochondeMontreal]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice from anyone that's maybe gone through this procedure. I have a hydrocele, which sounds weird, but some people find sexy? It means I have fluid around my testicles, one more than the other in particular. This makes my testicle look really large. There are guys that say it looks hot, but frankly I don't much like it as it makes my already small dick look even smaller. Anyway, I am in Canada, so I was referred to a urologist. Now the way the system works here is that if the urologist deems that the hydrocele is problematic, they will perform a surgery to drain out the excess fluid. Yesterday the doctor decided that I'm eligible for the surgery and to expect a call in 6 months at most.

I wonder if anyone here has gone through this procedure and how long did the healing process take? The urologist said to expect a couple of weeks of no heavy work. Even groceries they suggested not to strain over. So how long does one spend without heading into the gym? The other thing, and I think this one is the one that I'm most curious about is masturbation/sex? The urologist told me that the fluid might come back. I wonder if anyone has had experience with that coming back and how long it took to return if it did.

I have found very little info on this online so I appreciate any info, anecdotes, and any helpful advice. Thanks guys!

 

[KaraBulut]

I've had several patients and a few friends who had varicocele and hydrocele repairs. It's very similar to inguinal repair surgery, in terms of recovery.

The big complaint after surgery was swelling and soreness. The guys had issues trying to find the right balance between trussing (i.e. tight underwear) versus free-balling. Because of the tenderness of the area and the post-op swelling, it is hard to find the happy medium that keeps things from moving around versus having pressure on the scrotum.

One friend that I knew very well confessed that he was a little numb for a few weeks when the swelling resolved. This is a common temporary side effect after any surgery because of the trauma to nerve endings. He did not view this as a negative, however, because he had issues with coming too quickly and he felt once he resumed sexual activity, he was not as sensitive as he was. Unfortunately for him, the numbness was only temporary.

For hydrocele, it is possible that the fluid will return but usually the sac that holds the fluid is removed and that resolves the problem. The guys that I know who had a varicocele repair had the surgery because it was affecting their fertility. Hydroceles don't affect fertility and the repairs are usually only done if the sac is very large or it is causing pain.

If you're not having pain, then you have to weigh the risk of having the surgery (plus the recovery time when you'll be on restricted activity) versus what you'll gain in being rid of the swollen scrotum and enlarged testicle.

 

[gaybard]

I had the hydrocele surgery done on my left testicle this July. The urologist said that the incision would be small but it ended up around an inch. The healing time took was more like a month. Of course, it was also the hottest time of the year and the ice packs could only be used for so long. I was very uncomfortable and miserable to say the least. I also had a problem with the bottom not healing as well so there was more leakage than usual. I was surprised that the pain was not as bad as I expected it to be. While the swelling has not returned, the testicle seems to be more bumpy than usual. The urologist didn't seem to be worried about it though. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have not gotten the surgery done at all.