Hydrocele - Fluid around your nuts
Discussion
Hi all.
I had reason to go to the quack a few weeks ago.
I eas feeling achy down there.
After a brief exam, quack yells be I have Hydrocele around my left nut, and it should be drained.
Its like a swollen nut sack.
So a few weeks later I get an appointment at a local hospital.
The specialist confirms, hydrocele.
Then into next door for an ultrasound.
Following week, it is confirmed, and a date set to come in to have nut sack drained.
Arrives in good time, gets showed to his room, gets jeans down, on the bed, and undies down to knees.
Then his young female assistant comes in.
He gets this massive needle, 50mm long minimum, 2 mm diameter.
Stabs the sack and extrudes 420 ml.
Took about 5 mins totally.
Took 4 and a half syringes to empty.
What a difference.
Nervously though when I seen the needle.
Anyone else had this drained?
I had reason to go to the quack a few weeks ago.
I eas feeling achy down there.
After a brief exam, quack yells be I have Hydrocele around my left nut, and it should be drained.
Its like a swollen nut sack.
So a few weeks later I get an appointment at a local hospital.
The specialist confirms, hydrocele.
Then into next door for an ultrasound.
Following week, it is confirmed, and a date set to come in to have nut sack drained.
Arrives in good time, gets showed to his room, gets jeans down, on the bed, and undies down to knees.
Then his young female assistant comes in.
He gets this massive needle, 50mm long minimum, 2 mm diameter.
Stabs the sack and extrudes 420 ml.
Took about 5 mins totally.
Took 4 and a half syringes to empty.
What a difference.
Nervously though when I seen the needle.
Anyone else had this drained?
Yep, I have one affected nut, started about 8 years ago. The problem with drainage is that it comes back over the space of a few months. My urologist said that they don’t offer drainage as it often causes infection, they propose an operation instead.
I looked into it, open nutsack surgery, quite a high risk of secondary infection, significant recovery time, not guaranteed to work anyway. Decided that I’ll maybe have the operation once I’m an older b
d who doesn’t need his nuts for recreational purposes anymore - basically once they’re like Xmas tree decorations then might as well have the op.
In the meantime I did a lot of research into it and now drain my nut myself about 3 times a year. Obviously I wouldn’t recommend it as an idea, but I’ve come to terms with it. Once you’ve got over the idea of sticking a large bore needle in your own nutsack it’s actually not that big a deal, no pain involved surprisingly. Am just extremely careful about the preparation to minimise risk of infection, so far so good, must have done it at least 20 times by now.
I looked into it, open nutsack surgery, quite a high risk of secondary infection, significant recovery time, not guaranteed to work anyway. Decided that I’ll maybe have the operation once I’m an older b
d who doesn’t need his nuts for recreational purposes anymore - basically once they’re like Xmas tree decorations then might as well have the op.In the meantime I did a lot of research into it and now drain my nut myself about 3 times a year. Obviously I wouldn’t recommend it as an idea, but I’ve come to terms with it. Once you’ve got over the idea of sticking a large bore needle in your own nutsack it’s actually not that big a deal, no pain involved surprisingly. Am just extremely careful about the preparation to minimise risk of infection, so far so good, must have done it at least 20 times by now.
I had the swelling you describe, I had to have an operation to cut it out.
It's not pleasant, full general anesthetic, and quite a few weeks on light duties as the scar heals, mine was 3-4 inches long, right down the middle of my scrotum.
Within a few weeks my swelling returned on a much larger scale, it required another operation and similar period of recovery.
The surgeon said that mine was an unusual case.
This time it's gone, hopefully for good - this all took place in 2021.
It's not pleasant, full general anesthetic, and quite a few weeks on light duties as the scar heals, mine was 3-4 inches long, right down the middle of my scrotum.
Within a few weeks my swelling returned on a much larger scale, it required another operation and similar period of recovery.
The surgeon said that mine was an unusual case.
This time it's gone, hopefully for good - this all took place in 2021.
eventually said:
I had the swelling you describe, I had to have an operation to cut it out.
It's not pleasant, full general anesthetic, and quite a few weeks on light duties as the scar heals, mine was 3-4 inches long, right down the middle of my scrotum.
Within a few weeks my swelling returned on a much larger scale, it required another operation and similar period of recovery.
The surgeon said that mine was an unusual case.
This time it's gone, hopefully for good - this all took place in 2021.
OMGIt's not pleasant, full general anesthetic, and quite a few weeks on light duties as the scar heals, mine was 3-4 inches long, right down the middle of my scrotum.
Within a few weeks my swelling returned on a much larger scale, it required another operation and similar period of recovery.
The surgeon said that mine was an unusual case.
This time it's gone, hopefully for good - this all took place in 2021.
Thats super scary
One of the issues is when the hydrocele is septated, so there are several independent chambers filling up with fluid draining down from your thoracic cavity. In that case drainage is complicated because only partial drainage happens each time you pierce the scrotum. Luckily not my case.
I just leave it until it gets a bit ponderous and starts developing its own gravitational field, then I drain it. The sensation of relief once it’s been drained is marvelous.
One word of warning, once a needle has gone in and pierced the sac of fluid it’s important that drainage is as complete as possible. Any fluid left undrained is disposed of by your body by disseminating into the surrounding tissue until it is removed by the circulatory system. On one incomplete drainage my cock grew alarmingly large and puffy until the fluid was cycled out over the next day. Don’t panic Mr Mannering!
I just leave it until it gets a bit ponderous and starts developing its own gravitational field, then I drain it. The sensation of relief once it’s been drained is marvelous.
One word of warning, once a needle has gone in and pierced the sac of fluid it’s important that drainage is as complete as possible. Any fluid left undrained is disposed of by your body by disseminating into the surrounding tissue until it is removed by the circulatory system. On one incomplete drainage my cock grew alarmingly large and puffy until the fluid was cycled out over the next day. Don’t panic Mr Mannering!
Bill said:
Particularly bearing mind this bit:
Providing correct hygiene protocol is observed hydrocele drainage is no more of an infection risk (from the needle), than, say, daily injections of insulin or testosterone. Wash hands, local area, use alcohol swab, new needle/syringe every time...YankeePorker said:
My urologist said that they don’t offer drainage as it often causes infection, they propose an operation instead.
Happened to me over a decade ago now. Lived with it for a while, but it just kept getting bigger so went down the drainage route, but was advised it was very likely to return.
To no one’s surprise it was back to where it was a few months later so then elected for the surgical option and it hasn’t returned. The thought of the op was way worse than the reality. It was a little uncomfortable for a couple of weeks after and was on light duty for the same period. But totally manageable and it didn’t stop me from doing anything day to day during the recovery.
No long term effects or changes and everything has remained normal. I’ve also fathered two children since, if that’s of any consideration.
If it happened to my other nut, I wouldn’t hesitate to go down the surgical route and be done with it.
To no one’s surprise it was back to where it was a few months later so then elected for the surgical option and it hasn’t returned. The thought of the op was way worse than the reality. It was a little uncomfortable for a couple of weeks after and was on light duty for the same period. But totally manageable and it didn’t stop me from doing anything day to day during the recovery.
No long term effects or changes and everything has remained normal. I’ve also fathered two children since, if that’s of any consideration.
If it happened to my other nut, I wouldn’t hesitate to go down the surgical route and be done with it.
popeyewhite said:
Providing correct hygiene protocol is observed hydrocele drainage is no more of an infection risk (from the needle), than, say, daily injections of insulin or testosterone. Wash hands, local area, use alcohol swab, new needle/syringe every time...
Yep, thats my approach. Carefully select drainage site by lighting up my bk with a LED flashlight, so avoiding blood vessels and tubes. Then trim all local hair, a good shower and scrub, wash nut with iodine, alcohol swab then sterile needle fresh out of packaging. No syringe needed, just squeeze nutsack gently and it drains out of the needle. Am glad to read of the successful op that worked first time, maybe I’ll pluck up courage to do that.
YankeePorker said:
Yep, thats my approach. Carefully select drainage site by lighting up my bk with a LED flashlight, so avoiding blood vessels and tubes. Then trim all local hair, a good shower and scrub, wash nut with iodine, alcohol swab then sterile needle fresh out of packaging. No syringe needed, just squeeze nutsack gently and it drains out of the needle.
Am glad to read of the successful op that worked first time, maybe I’ll pluck up courage to do that.
DIY ballbag lancing every couple of months is a rather ridiculous thing to have normalised. k with a LED flashlight, so avoiding blood vessels and tubes. Then trim all local hair, a good shower and scrub, wash nut with iodine, alcohol swab then sterile needle fresh out of packaging. No syringe needed, just squeeze nutsack gently and it drains out of the needle. Am glad to read of the successful op that worked first time, maybe I’ll pluck up courage to do that.
The op is straightforward and routine, so nothing to be concerned about. Just get it sorted and put all that hassle behind you. You won’t regret it.
dvs_dave said:
DIY ballbag lancing every couple of months is a rather ridiculous thing to have normalised.
Hydrocele aspiration is a very safe procedure, recommended by the NHS as an alternative to an invasive operation that may not be necessary. Why is that funny?dvs_dave said:
The op is straightforward and routine, so nothing to be concerned about. Just get it sorted and put all that hassle behind you. You won’t regret it.
Well done getting yourself fixed, others may deem an op unnecessary and sometimes the op (just like aspiration) doesn't work.Register1 said:
So had mine drained last Friday.
How long before the swelling was back to pre-drained size?
I guess if it does fill up again, which seems quite common, then thats the time to go more upmarket with an op, rather than a simple syringe lance type job.
No doubt that varies from person to person, just depends on the magnitude of the leak down from the abdominal cavity. In my case it takes about 4 months for the swelling to become such that I have to deal with it again - starts to get a bit uncomfortable on long walks (i.e. golf!).How long before the swelling was back to pre-drained size?
I guess if it does fill up again, which seems quite common, then thats the time to go more upmarket with an op, rather than a simple syringe lance type job.
If/when it swells up again it’s definitely worth talking to your doc about the op and then making an informed decision whether to put up with periodic draining or not. I’ve been a chicken about having my nutsack cut open, partly due to rather poor success rate stats for the op.
I did read about another potential remedy which involved injecting a chemical into the scrotum that could seal the leak, but that didn’t fill me with confidence either. Sounds a bit like radweld and I’ve always thought that was a bad idea too!
YankeePorker said:
Register1 said:
So had mine drained last Friday.
How long before the swelling was back to pre-drained size?
I guess if it does fill up again, which seems quite common, then thats the time to go more upmarket with an op, rather than a simple syringe lance type job.
No doubt that varies from person to person, just depends on the magnitude of the leak down from the abdominal cavity. In my case it takes about 4 months for the swelling to become such that I have to deal with it again - starts to get a bit uncomfortable on long walks (i.e. golf!).How long before the swelling was back to pre-drained size?
I guess if it does fill up again, which seems quite common, then thats the time to go more upmarket with an op, rather than a simple syringe lance type job.
If/when it swells up again it’s definitely worth talking to your doc about the op and then making an informed decision whether to put up with periodic draining or not. I’ve been a chicken about having my nutsack cut open, partly due to rather poor success rate stats for the op.
I did read about another potential remedy which involved injecting a chemical into the scrotum that could seal the leak, but that didn’t fill me with confidence either. Sounds a bit like radweld and I’ve always thought that was a bad idea too!
Agree on the Radweld.
So this fluid drains down from the stomach, or the outside of the stomach.?
Register1 said:
Thanks.
Agree on the Radweld.
So this fluid drains down from the stomach, or the outside of the stomach.?
Well I’m an engineer rather than a medical type, but as I understand it the tubes that conduct the sperm from the nuts head up into the abdominal cavity to be plumbed into our delivery mechanisms. There are the biological equivalent of gland seals for these tubes to stop the liquid from the film around the organs from leaking into the ball bag. Leaky gland seal leads to hydrocele.Agree on the Radweld.
So this fluid drains down from the stomach, or the outside of the stomach.?
The obvious answer is liberal use of gasket sealant but they insist on a full on operation…
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