Its a hydrocele not a hernia, thankfully, should DS have an op?

[BlipbipBeep]

I posted about having an apt. with paediatric surgeon last week; I thought DS had a hernia. Thankfully its not - its a hydrocele, hernias less serious little brother. Surgeon said he recommends operating. He says that the hydrocele unlikely to become infected but there are potential fertility issues (its in DS's scrotum). He says that the fertility issues are a small risk and as 1 in ten men are infertile anyway there is no way to know for sure. So basically he wants to operate for cosmetic reasons and there is a small chance that the hydrocele will get bigger.

Its not that I'm massively anti surgery its just that I'm not sure that the reasons to go ahead are good enough.

WWYD?

How old is he?

Sorry forgot to say, he is three

Age of child and is he bothered by it?

In babies hydrocoeles often resolve anyway. I'd also be more reluctant to put a baby through surgery than a 5yr old and an 8- 10yr old could probably make his own choice about keeping or loosing the swelling around a testicle.

he isn't at all bothered by it, its only by chance that we ended up being refered to surgeon - we saw a peadiatrition about another complaint and mentioned the swelling in passing... it doesn't bother me now that I know what it is