Operation for Hydrocele and undescended testicle - experience please?

[Mercedes519]

4yo DS has been diagnosed with Hydrocele (fluid in the scrotum) and at the same time they are going to correct his undescended other testicle and get it in the right place. Bad advice when he was a baby as it should have been corrected before 2 but we got the old advice...however it does mean they can do both at the same time now.

This will be his and our first major operation - its done under general anesthetic - so I'm a bit nervous. Has anyone else had this done? Were there any problems? How much pain were your DCs in afterwards?

DS1 had a hydrocele corrected at about 7 or 8, but both testicles had descended. It was a fairly minor procedure - day surgery, they go in through the groin and he was sore for a few days. I think no PE and swimming for a week or so. They gave him Calpol on prescription to take home. It really didn't bother him much.

He was high as kite from the anaesthetic afterwards, with massive pupils, and he developed a huge rash round his mouth so I think it must have been administered via a mask.

Good luck; I'm sure everything will be fine, though it is nervewracking when they have a GA.

Thanks singersgirl for the reassurance, its good to hear it isn't a major thing and that Calpol is enough for the pain.

Can't help worrying though

when my boy was 13 months he had this operation-was absolutely fine and running aorund 30 mins after operation- i was worried about car seat harnesses etc as they rub on that area but he was fine and i thinkit was successful- youll be amazed how fast they recover!

My little boy had this done when he was 2ish.
He's never forgot the doctor telling him not to remove the magic cream (that goes on their hand for anaesthetic to be administered)
He was up and trying to escape the cot/bed as soon as he woke up and tbh, i can't remember huge traumas on his recovery.
He was fine and it was such a relief for his testicles to be normal as although they kept telling me it wasn't painful, it LOOKED painful and ds seemed to struggle with it.
He's nearly 4 now and no problems at all
Hope it all goes well and you hold up, (the worst part is walking out of the room when they're knocked out)+

that reminds me..i went in with my son into theatre i wish i hadnt as when they gave him the needle he became really disressed-id advise leaving before that

How did it go? I know someone aged 4 about to have this so would be interesting to hear your feedback Mercedes519.

My son is now 28[yrs], and I'm sure he won't mind if I 'tell all' about his Hydrocele!
I noticed it when he was about 6mnths old, and thought his scrotum was just lopsided, but it gradually got larger, and I was terrified it might be cancerous, so went to our G.P who shone a bright light through my son's scrotum, and said''It's a hydrocele''. ,and gave two options~leave it, or Operate.
A hydrocele is a hernia that pushes itself through a weakness in the abdominal wall, and can descend into the scrotum.

We decided to go for the ''operate'' route, and yes, I was fearful of the anaesthetic,[on an 18month old child,] but it was a Children's Hospital that performed the op, and he recovered well.[I was allowed to stay in with him, as were other parents]

When he was ''awake'' fully from the op, I was exoecting to see dressings around his scrotum!~Not so- they were around his abdomen.
He was a little groggy, but soon was able to run around and play with the toys on the ward.
I have spoken to him about his op, and he says he can't remember a thing, and he was very glad that he'd had it done as a baby.
the 'scar' is so fine,like a bramble~scratch, and is where an appendix would be, on the ''swimming trunks waistline''
Had the hydrocele been left, he could have ended up with a very large and uncomfortable ''spacehopper'' like ''Buster gonad'' from the ''VIZ'' comic!

To prevent teen humiliation, it's best to operate when boys are babies.
P.s, a very famous baby boy also had HIS Hydrocele done at the same time [at a different hospital], and I thought ''If HIS Mum is going for the op, it must be safe''

P.S, when the anaestetic was given, you were given the option to hold your child,and i found this both reassuring AND scary, as when they ''go under'' they look almost like floppy rag dolls, and are taken from you and whisked into theatre. I did cry, walking out of the ''prep'' room, but I'm sure most mums [and dads too] do this.
I also stayed with him when he had general anaesthetic as 8yr old[to repair fractured wrist] and it was much less scary to witness a second time as I knew what to expect. If your child wants you to be there for the anaesthetic, put on a brave face and go in. If you don't like needles, look away!