Friend's DS has twisted testicle - that's bad, isn't it?

[Mmmcoffee]

Her DS is 12, had a painful testicle on New Years' Eve, NHSDirect said to just keep an eye on it, it was a bit red and swollen but not terribly painful. It's been getting better, looked normal and not painful by Friday.

She just rang me, bit of a rushed phonecall as we were supposed to be going out this morning, she just said "on the way to hospital, DS has a twisted testicle". She's going to ring me when she knows more.

I'm assuming the earlier pain was a 'warning' and he's woken up in lots of pain today... I don't really know. I've googled and everything points to him needing an operation.

Do I need to dash up the hospital to be with her? Are they likely to actually operate really quickly? Or should I wait for her to call?

Generally speaking if possible and not life threatening they like you tho have been NBM for a few hours before anaesthetic anyway, so you would have time to get there. Can you text her and ask if she wants you to go?

AFAIK it's a pretty serious problem that needs operation on as soon as possible.

Have texted but no answer, she'll have her phone off if she's in A&E.

yes, he'll be in theatre pretty quickly if possible (PBCC is right about the NBM thing though do they may need to wait) its a simple op, they turn the teste back to where it should be and stitch it down to stop it spinning back

Bloody hell. Was hoping google was wrong.

Hospital is only half an hour away but I'd need to borrow dad's car; I don't want to leave her there on

sorry she just rang he's in theatre now

Fuck.

They think it twisted last week but then untwisted, he woke in the night because it was hurting, she took him to the doctor this morning and he was sent straight to A&E. They say he might need the testicle removed.

I'm off now, hope there is good news by the time I get there.

DH had a twisted testicle aged 8. He fainted at school with the pain. Straight to hospital, untwisted and stitched to the sac to prevent it happening again. He does get the odd ache and occasional epididymitis because of scarring but is absolutely fine.

It needs immediate treatment but is fixable.

they thought my 12yr old ds1 had this, he had a slightly painful testicle one day (but he had bumped it playing on the trampoline with his younger brothers) then later in the evening it was VERY swollen and red and he was walking like john wayne! took him straight to a&e and they got him in surgery VERY quickly.

turned out not to be a twiseted/stragnulated testicle but something called a hyaitis morgagni (sp) anyway it was basically a bit of extra tissue that had grwon in and around his scrotum (from when he was a fetus!) and it had got twisted and become grangrenous, they managed to remove it and leave his testicles intact :)

there is always a risk in stragnulated testicles that they may have to remove the testicle, but no always and they wont know until they are in doing the surgery basicall.

the condition my ds1 had cant be diagnosed until going in and it presents as a strangulated testicle, it is also dangerous as it can do the same thing as a stragnulated testicle, but like i said my ds1 had his operation and he was in overnight and then had two weeks off school as he was very tender and sore but he recovered fine with no compliactions :)

fingers crossed your friends son is the same.

oh my ds1 wasnt allowed to do PE for two months? after the surgery or anything like horse riding etc!

your friends ds will be very tender and sore but hopefully he wont lose the testicle xxx

DH had this when he was about 17, they rushed him in for the op AFAIK, untwisted it and stitched it to testical wall, it hasn't caused him any problems really, and no fertility issues, but it is an urgent op i think

My son had to have a testicle removed at the age of 10 due to a twisted testicle.He had to have it removed as it couldn't be saved and during the operation they also anchored down the other one.

He was in hospital for two nights and apart from walking like John Wayne for a while recovery went well.
He will be fine if they have to remove the testicle, my son is now 24 and i can honestly say it has never bothered him. He could have had a false one put in after puberty , but having one less has not worried him.

Hope all goes well.

Just got home. FS (friend's son) is out of surgery, doped up on morphine but still in a lot of pain

As it was an emergency op, the surgeon hasn't had a chance to speak to my friend yet so we don't know exactly what was done. Lots of padding and bandages 'down there', he's desperately thirsty but can't have a drink 'for a while' in case he vomits.

Thanks everyone for the stories of 'good' outcomes, apparently they were worried it had twisted last week and the pain today was because it had gone gangrenous, the nurse on the recovery ward said he hasn't been given antibiotics so thankfully that wasn't the case.

FS is feeling very sorry for himself, wants lots of cuddles

What a shit start to the new year

If the testes hasn't been removed then it's all good news. They won't risk leaving it in if it has a risk of becoming gangrenous from lack of blood supply which is what happens with a prolonged torsion (twisted testicle). Even if they are taken out I will never forget a surgeon saying to me "I assure you a man can fire just as well on 1 cylinder" :)

My ex had a twisted testicle when he was a child and had to have it removed because of the risk of septicaemia etc. Sounds pretty dramatic but I can offer the positive that it didn't seem to have any negative effect on him long term and from a sex POV (obviously a few years down the line for your friend's ds) it was a total non-issue.

Can I slightly hijack to ask what to look for in boys....I am the mother of a 2 year old and I am a single parent so I don't have anyone around to ask. With my daughter obviously I know what looks right, to advise her how to wipe her bottom etc, but I don't know about boys and what looks normal in testicles and what doesn't. He's too young to be able to identify pain very clearly - what sort of things should I watch out for? Sorry for hijack - would like to think it might be useful to others as well. (PS, theoretical only - no reason to believe he has this problem)

Hope Friend's Son and Friend doing ok.

Margoand jerry- my son started with stomach ache and was sick on the thursday, so i though it was a bug. On the friday he seemed a bit better, but complained of a mild stomach ache. On the Saturday morning he woke me up to ask me to have a look down below and the whole area was red and the size of an orange and he was in so much pain he fainted.

Not sure the previous days tummy trouble were connected or not though.

www.patient.co.uk/health/Torsion-of-the-Testis.htm

margo has your GP/HV checked your sons testicles to make sure they have both dropped? Our 16mo, has one still up high and will need an op, currently on the waiting list. It's important they do this before 14mo, to prevent further health complications, but we have missed the window, unfortunately not good followup with babies/toddlers where we are. His childminder noticed it while changing is nappy and told us to get it checked.

If he hasn't seen anyone for awhile, take him in for a checkup to put your mind at ease.

NK3 and Herroyal - thanks for advice. We went to the 2 year checkup recently but it was a group thing - no examination involved. I might ask the GP to check for me and thanks for the other signs. Now I know what to look for.