Hydrocele is a condition that is colloquially called swelling of the scrotum, water collection and water hernia, and is especially common in newborn babies. The scrotum, which preserves the sperm in men, is covered with a membranous and double-layered protective sheath. Between these layers of tissue, there is some liquid that facilitates the movement of sperm and protects them from external factors. While one side of the membrane supplies this liquid, the other side absorbs it. In this process, which proceeds in balance under normal conditions, the amount of liquid between the layers increases with the deterioration of this balance, the bag swells and becomes filled with fluid. This vesicle is called a hydrocele.
Hydrocele is divided into two as congenital and acquired.
Congenital hydrocele: When the baby is in the womb, the testicles are located in the abdomen. After the 14th week of pregnancy, it moves under the abdomen and settles in the scrotum. If the sac does not close, intra-abdominal fluid passes through this opening and accumulates around the testis, causing swelling.
Acquired Hydrocele: This condition is usually seen in men aged 40 and over. It occurs after conditions such as inflammatory diseases, radiotherapy, testicular tumors and varicocele surgeries. In addition, unilateral hydrocele formation is observed in the majority of kidney transplant cases.
Hydrocele, the incidence of which increases with age, is a benign condition and does not turn into cancer. The most frequent symptom is painless swelling in the testicles that grows slowly over time. According to the size of this swelling, whether there is pain and the patient's aesthetic concern, the situation is followed up and the treatment process is planned. In addition, this condition, which is seen in children, is usually accompanied by a hernia, and in this case, a surgical procedure is performed. In addition, if Hydrocele is seen alone, the possibility of improvement over time is considered and the child is observed until the age of 2 years. During the physical examination, the vesicles that cause swelling are illuminated, and the permeability of the light indicates that the vesicles are filled with fluid. The absence of light permeability is also an indication of tumor development in the vesicles.
For the cases seen in childhood, the child is observed until the age of 2 and surgical procedure is applied when the situation does not improve spontaneously. The surgical procedure for the treatment of adult hydrocele takes 30 to 60 minutes. After the procedure, a drain is placed in the bag and the patient is kept under observation for 24-48 hours, and then the patient is discharged. After the patient rests for 7 days, the stitches dissolve and the patient is able to take a bath. In this process, it is recommended that the patient wears special panties that support the lifting of the bag continuously for 7 days. In the first week following the surgical procedure, painkillers, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are administered. The patient can have sexual intercourse 2 weeks after the operation and can do sports 4 weeks later.
