numbness after varicocele removal

i had a varicocele removed about a wk ago and i have noticed some numbness on the inside of my left thigh about 3-4 inches from where my incision is. is this normal? if so when can i expect it to stop? i would ask my urologist but he went on vacation 2 days after the oreration and wont be back for some time

[Stephen Liroff, MD]

When we operate we have to cut some of the nerves in the area of the surgery. Usually the area just below the incision is numb for a while (months) afterwards. What you are describing sounds as though one of the deeper nerves was disturbed. How long it will take to get full and normal return of sensation is based upon how severely disturbed the nerve was. It may take a few months or, in the extreme, not return to normal. There is no option except to wait it out. You cannot make things get better faster nor predict how it will progress. Certainly, two weeks is much too short a period to say anything.
S.A.Liroff, M.D


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