Hydrocele Repair (child)
Hydrocele repair (child) surgery is a simple procedure to repair hydrocele swelling around the testicle.
The exact hydrocele repair (child) treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age, general health and the type and severity of the hydrocele.
Young children with a communicating hydrocele that does not close up naturally after their first birthday will be offered hydrocele repair surgery to prevent future complications.
Under general anaesthetic, a small incision is made in the groin. The surgeon empties the fluid from the sac and sews the sac closed to close the channel that connects the abdomen to the scrotum. The muscle wall may be reinforced with stitches.
Teenage boys who have adult-type non-communicating hydroceles have hydrocele repair surgery that is performed through an incision in their scrotum.
Hydrocele repair (child) usually takes about an hour.
What causes a hydrocele?
A hydrocele is a swelling around the testicle that is caused by a collection of fluid. It is a common problem in boys.
All boys have a connection between their abdomen and their scrotum before they are born. By birth, this connection is usually closed. If it stays open, the fluid in their abdomen may trickle down and collect in the scrotum. This is known as a communicating hydrocele.
A non-communicating hydrocele can be caused by an injury to a boy or adult male’s scrotum or an over-production of fluid by the tissue surrounding the testicle. A non-communicating hydrocele has no connection between the abdomen and scrotum.
What are the symptoms of a hydrocele?
The symptoms of a hydrocele in a boy can include:
- painless swelling of one or both testicles
- sometimes a change in scrotum size over the course of the day
- in older boys, swelling may cause discomfort.
Your doctor will usually confirm a hydrocele diagnosis by feeling and shining a light on your son’s scrotum.
What are the benefits of hydrocele repair surgery?
The benefits of hydrocele repair surgery are that the hydrocele is removed. This should prevent your son from discomfort or embarrassment if the hydrocele gets larger as he gets older.
A communicating hydrocele that does not go away on its own and is not treated, can lead to an inguinal hernia. A loop of the intestine can be pushed through an open sac around the testicle in the scrotum, creating a hernia. The repair surgery will prevent this from happening.
What are the costs of a hydrocele repair (child)?
The cost of a hydrocele repair (child) will depend on the age of the child, the type of hydrocele being repaired and your Ramsay hospital of choice.
You will receive a formal quotation price for your child’s hydrocele repair procedure following a consultation with one of our expert urologists. This formal quote for your surgery will be valid for 60 days.
Ramsay is recognised by all major medical insurers. Hydrocele repair (child) procedures are covered by most medical insurance policies. We advise you to obtain written authorisation from your insurance provider before your son’s surgery.
We have a number of finance options if you are paying for your son’s surgical repair yourself. These include:
- Interest-free finance – requires no deposit and you can make monthly instalments at 0% interest.
- All-inclusive Total Care – is a one-off payment at a pre-agreed price.
- Pay as you go – a flexible funding option if costs are difficult to assess or you want to pay for your costs as and when they arise.
What is the recovery process after a Hydrocele Repair (child)
Most children go home the same day as their operation.
After surgery, your son will stay in the recovery room. Parents are welcome to wait there with their son until he is ready to go home.
We will give your son pain medicine for comfort. The surgical site may be protected for a few days in teenage boys who have surgery through their scrotum.
Most children can return to school and their normal activities after one to two weeks.
At Ramsay Health Care we regularly perform hydrocele repair to treat hydroceles in young and teenage boys.
Our paediatric and urology surgeons are experts and highly skilled in treating hydroceles. They will professionally review your son’s health and confirm the presence of a hydrocele. They will explain in detail the procedure to remove it and answer all of your questions. They are experienced in treating children and will do their best to relieve any anxieties.
