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Vasectomy complications
by nowhere99, Feb 27, 2009 08:14PM
I had a vasectomy last week on Wednesday. All was well until Friday night (2.5 days later) when the right side of the scrotum "insides" swelled more than 2x. There is a bit more than moderate pain (i.e. not excruciating). By Monday evening it seemed to worsen but could have been since I returned to work that day and was up more. I had spent Wed - Sunday with very very little activity. The swelling felt like there was a third mass in the scrotum almost like a third testicle upon gentle feeling.
Today (Friday, a week and 2.5 days after) the swelling is still there on the right side. It feels like one solid mass, is very very tender to the touch and is still more than 2x the size of the left (which is completely normal at this point). Accompanied with all this was a burning or stabbing like pain on the right side of my bladder as my bladder fills and I have lost a bit of sensation of when it's time to urinate. This pain is not there when laying on my back but appears immediately upon standing.
The doctor's office was terribly non-responsive and I had called on Monday following the procedure to report and had to call several times through the day to finally get a response, which was to prescribe Levaquin sight unseen. They didn't say why but it was too late Monday to get the drugs so I started them this week on Tuesday at lunch. Recap: pain, swelling starts Fri, Tues start Levaquin, Now Fri and things inside seem more solid but still moderately painful and still very swollen. The pain near the bladder is still there too but seems to be diminishing. Hard to tell because I have also been taking 600mg ibuprofen 2x daily to help with swelling and pain, confirmed ok by the doc's office. 24 hours after starting the Levaquin, the problem had worsened while I expected improvement, especially with no good feedback from the doctor so I absolutely insisted on an appt on Wed. I saw their PA, and she said it was either fluid buildup or blood buildup / clot and it was not torsion and ordered a urine test and ultrasound which I insisted be done immediately and it was. Thursday the doctor's office said that the prescriptions I was on were correct but still didn't say why. I was able to get the PA on the phone Thursday and she said there was a small hydrocele which was causing the problems and since the urine test wasn't done they didn't rule out an infection. She said to expect 1 to 6 weeks recovery, 10 full days of Levaquin, ibuprofen as needed and ice and/or heat as some report heat works. She had finally spent the time to answer all my questions at the time but I thought more about it after the call.
Now, my research is making me wonder if this diagnosis is correct since hydroceles are not usually accompanied by pain, and I can't find any literature confirming a hydrocele being caused by a vasectomy. My right testicle has always been a bit larger than the left so perhaps they perforated an unknown hydrocel during the no-scalpel procedure? Also, if it's a small hydrocele, why would my left testicle be almost 3x larger? The shape of the testicular mass is still egg shaped but is much firmer than it was when it first started swelling and much firmer than the left testicle. Does epididymitis explain this? I was able to locate literature stating that epididymitis can be caused by the vasectomy.
As a side note, there is no pain associated with erection or ejaculation today. Ice makes it feel much better and ibuprofen does cut the pain to an ache.
Does anyone have any input? I have scheduled a appt with another urologist on Tuesday since I can't seem to get an appt with mine.
Today (Friday, a week and 2.5 days after) the swelling is still there on the right side. It feels like one solid mass, is very very tender to the touch and is still more than 2x the size of the left (which is completely normal at this point). Accompanied with all this was a burning or stabbing like pain on the right side of my bladder as my bladder fills and I have lost a bit of sensation of when it's time to urinate. This pain is not there when laying on my back but appears immediately upon standing.
The doctor's office was terribly non-responsive and I had called on Monday following the procedure to report and had to call several times through the day to finally get a response, which was to prescribe Levaquin sight unseen. They didn't say why but it was too late Monday to get the drugs so I started them this week on Tuesday at lunch. Recap: pain, swelling starts Fri, Tues start Levaquin, Now Fri and things inside seem more solid but still moderately painful and still very swollen. The pain near the bladder is still there too but seems to be diminishing. Hard to tell because I have also been taking 600mg ibuprofen 2x daily to help with swelling and pain, confirmed ok by the doc's office. 24 hours after starting the Levaquin, the problem had worsened while I expected improvement, especially with no good feedback from the doctor so I absolutely insisted on an appt on Wed. I saw their PA, and she said it was either fluid buildup or blood buildup / clot and it was not torsion and ordered a urine test and ultrasound which I insisted be done immediately and it was. Thursday the doctor's office said that the prescriptions I was on were correct but still didn't say why. I was able to get the PA on the phone Thursday and she said there was a small hydrocele which was causing the problems and since the urine test wasn't done they didn't rule out an infection. She said to expect 1 to 6 weeks recovery, 10 full days of Levaquin, ibuprofen as needed and ice and/or heat as some report heat works. She had finally spent the time to answer all my questions at the time but I thought more about it after the call.
Now, my research is making me wonder if this diagnosis is correct since hydroceles are not usually accompanied by pain, and I can't find any literature confirming a hydrocele being caused by a vasectomy. My right testicle has always been a bit larger than the left so perhaps they perforated an unknown hydrocel during the no-scalpel procedure? Also, if it's a small hydrocele, why would my left testicle be almost 3x larger? The shape of the testicular mass is still egg shaped but is much firmer than it was when it first started swelling and much firmer than the left testicle. Does epididymitis explain this? I was able to locate literature stating that epididymitis can be caused by the vasectomy.
As a side note, there is no pain associated with erection or ejaculation today. Ice makes it feel much better and ibuprofen does cut the pain to an ache.
Does anyone have any input? I have scheduled a appt with another urologist on Tuesday since I can't seem to get an appt with mine.
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Are you sure that it was not a blood clot?
I had a similar situation in 1999. I ended up with a hematoma that was surgicaly removed 3 days later. About a year later I ended up loosing my left testicle due to a staph infection.
I don't want to scare you but you'd better be sure.
God bless,
Ron
She said all the swelling and pain is due to the testicular infection and if the pain can be controlled with the original vicodin in addition to the ibuprofen.
Seems to all make sense. I'm a little miffed that they didn't prescribe the antibiotics since it seems this could have all been avoided had they...
Orchitis can become serious fast. I have had it on numerous occasions and ended up being hospitalize for a week or so. During this time I received antibiotics through an IV.
Do you have a fever with this?
Make sure that the right diagnosis has been made and that you are properly being treated. I usually received Cipro 500 mg twice a day.
I hope that you will get this under control soon.
God bless,
Ron