Repair of Hydrocele: You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You would stay in the hospital for a minimum of one hour for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.
Leaflet Details
| Title | Repair of Hydrocele |
| Department | Day Surgery Unit |
| Author(s) | Claire Ellson-Credo, RN |
| Review Date | January 2022 |
| Next Review | January 2025 |
| Download | A5 Booklet PDF |
| Accessibility Options | Click on the Recite Me button to show our accessibility resources |
Patient Information
After your surgery
- You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You would stay in the hospital for a minimum of one hour for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.
Dressings
- You will have a thin medicated net-like dressing (jelonet) and gauze over the wound. This can be removed after 48 hours. You need to be careful when removing it as may have stuck to the wound. You can have a shower to help with this and the dressings will just fall off.
- You will be given a scrotal support (jock strap) to wear after surgery. You need to keep this for 48 hours or longer if you prefer for comfort. If you find this difficult to wear, you can use tight, supportive underwear.
Wound care
- You need to keep the wound dry and dressings intact for 48 hours.
- You will have some swelling and bruising on the area. This should settle down in a few days. You may find ice packs helpful to reduce the pain and swelling in the first few days of surgery but please do not apply this directly to your skin.
- Occasionally, you may notice some bleeding after surgery. If this is seeping through the existing dressings, you need to apply slight pressure over the wound using either a piece of gauze or a small clean cloth over it. This should ease off in 15-30 minutes.
Stitches
- You will have dissolvable stitches to close the wound. This can take up to 3 weeks to disappear.
Pain
- It is common to have pain on the wound. Please take regular pain relief until this wears off.
Activities
- You need to take it easy for a few days. You are advised to take short walks the day after surgery, slowly building up to your normal activities.
- You can have a shower after 48 hours but not a bath for at least 2 weeks.
- You should avoid heavy lifting or any other strenuous exercise for at least 4 weeks.
- Avoid sexual intercourse for at least 2-3 weeks and until you are comfortable to do so.
- You should not drive for a week or two and until you are able to make an emergency stop safely. It is also advisable to check with your insurance company as they may have different policies.
- Providing that your job does not involve physical exertion, you may return to work as soon as you feel able to do so. Most people feel ready to return to work in a week or two.
Blood clot prevention
- It is important that you resume normal activities as advised and keep active. You must wear the anti-embolic stockings given to you for 7 days, both during the day and at night. They can be removed while you have a shower and applied again afterwards.
- You may have been given a blood thinning injection either during or after surgery. These help prevent blood clots such as in the leg (deep vein thrombosis) or the lung (pulmonary embolus). Depending on your medical risk factors, you may need to have this injection for a few days at home. You will be given instructions on how to administer them by your nurse.
Follow up appointment
- Usually, you do not need any follow up appointment after your operation. A copy of your discharge letter will be sent to your GP to inform them of your surgery.
- If you need a follow-up appointment in the outpatient clinic, an appointment letter will be sent to you with the details by your surgeon’s secretary.
What to watch out for:
Please contact your GP if:
- The bruising, swelling and pain is getting progressively worse
- The swelling does not settle down after a week
- If you need further pain relief
Please attend Accident and Emergency department if:
- There is significant swelling on your scrotum and you have severe pain
- The bleeding from the wound becomes excessive and uncontrolled
Useful contact numbers:
- Day Surgery Unit Ashford hospital 01784 884609 or 01784 884189 between 8am-9pm Monday to Friday
- Urology Centre 01932 722033 or 01932 722167 Monday to Friday
- Eliot ward 01784 884005 or 01784 884575 after 9pm on weekdays, all day weekends and bank holidays
- ASPH Main Switchboard 01932 872000 and ask to be connected to your surgeon’s secretary for appointment queries
If you feel unwell and needed urgent medical care, please go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department immediately and bring your discharge letter with you.
