Hydrocele (not really circ related?)

Us too!

My post was moved. http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=hydrocele
DS is almost 5 and I started noticing a small difference in testicle size at 4.
I was just in the hospital (my son had surgery to stabilize a fractured femur ) and asked a pediatrician about the difference in testicle size. The doc's response was that they used to do surgery on toddlers if hydrocele was not gone by 12 to 18 months but not so any more. The risk is when a loop of intestines slips through the "hole" of a hernia and gets pinched off. See my thread in health forum.

Not knowing how developed your son's hernia is I wouldn't dare say anything contrary to what the docs have said. However, knowing that the protocol seems to be changing I would definitely ask the opinion of more than one doctor.

There is another mom here on MDC whose son was much older. I have asked for her story but not heard it yet.

Yes, and isn't it frustrating not to find so much on the net about this?
Keep me posted with your findings/ experience!
Good Luck.

My son had hydrocele surgery when he was 1 because he had too much fluid in his testicles. The procedure was so simple and quick, the recovery time was also quick, and the scar has since disappeared (he's 9 now). Not sure if that's the info you were looking for, but hope it helps!

My son has had inguinal hernias and a hydrocele. The first hernia was at 9 months, and we weren't aware of it until one day he was crawling across the floor,, and suddenly started screaming in pain. We stripped him, and saw a bulge in his groin. I took him to the ER, but by then the bulge had disappeared. We scheduled an appointment with a surgeon and had the hernia repaired within a few weeks. We were home by noon, and the first thing he did was crawl into the kitchen to see what his brother was having for lunch.

The next hernia (on the other side this time) occured when he was 3, and it was painful enough that he was perfectly willing to have the operation. He spent the afternoon after surgery and the next day taking it easy, but was running around the house the day after that.

The hydrocele developed sometime after the second hernia operation; I don't remember exactly when we first noticed it. We had it checked out by a urologist, who showed us how to turn off the lights and shine a flashlight through the scrotum. Because the swelling of a hydrocele is caused by fluid, the light shines through (except for a small dark spot where the testicle is). If it had been a hernia, the light would not have passed through. He advised we wait to see if it disappeared on its own.

It didn't. Periodically we would check on it, and while it gradually got bigger, it never caused my son any discomfort, so we didn't do anything about it. Last summer (when he was 10) our family doctor recommended we have it fixed - at this point it isn't going to go away, and will only get bigger over time. The operation was uneventful, and we were home by early afternoon. The worst part of the recovery was that my son had to stay out of the pool for a week - it was poor planning to do it during the summer! I think he took Tylenol the day of surgery and the next morning, but after that I suggested he wait until he felt he needed it, and he didn't take any more.

Bottom line: a hernia should be fixed soon, because of the risk of strangulated hernia, as hummingbear described. But I don't believe there's any harm in waiting on a hydrocele, unless it's causing discomfort.

Hummingbear, I thought for sure I replied to your e-mail with my whole story! (I assume you were referring to me?)

This may or may not make you feel better, but my DS doc. thought he had a hernia. We went to see the surgeon and he told us the doc. was wrong. So there is always hope that the ped. is wrong. :

thanks for your stories, they're reassuring! Crissei, that would be great!

Quote:
Yup
So sorry that your message with all its typing fell into the deep abyss. Thank you for sharing your story with us all here.