Thyer Urology

Pre operation

Ten days prior to the procedure you should notify Mr Thyer’s rooms if you are taking any blood thinning medication

The procedure

On arrival at hospital you will be prepared for theatre by nursing staff. Mr Thyer will see you just prior to being taken into the operating theatre. You will have a short general anaesthetic. The procedure should take approximately 30 minutes. Mr Thyer will make a small incision in the scrotum, the testis and epididymis will be delivered, the cyst removed and sent to the pathologist for microscopic analysis (you make incur a pathologist fee). The wound in the scrotum will be closed with dissolving sutures and a drain may be left in the scrotum. After the operation you will be checked by the nurse and discharged home after a few hours. If a drain is left, then you will be required to stay overnight before it is removed.

Note: If the cyst is very large or there are many cysts then removal of the whole epididymis may be required.

Risks

• Bleeding. Bleeding from the operation site is very rare. Very rarely a readmission to hospital may be required to control bleeding.
• Infection. Wound infection is rare but may require a course of oral antibiotics to correct.
• Injury to blood vessels to the testis. A recognised but very rare complication of excision of epididymal cyst. This can result in reduced blood supply to the testis.
• Recurrence of the cyst happens occasionally and may require re-excision in future if bothersome.
• Chronic testicular pain. 2% of men develop a chronic scrotum pain syndrome after scrotal surgery.
• Epididymectomy. If the cyst is very large or there are too many cysts, then the whole epididymis would need to be removed. This would result in infertility from that testicle.
• Infertility. When the cyst is removed from the epididymis the lumen of the epididymis may be disrupted resulting in infertility from that testicle. Men who want to maintain fertility who have epididymal cysts should consider waiting to have the cyst removed until their family is definitely complete.
• There are risks with any general anaesthetic which are very rare including blood clots, heart or lung problems and adverse drug reactions. The anaesthetist will discuss these with you at the time of the procedure.

Follow up

Mr Thyer’s rooms will contact you to arrange a follow up appointment 6 weeks after the procedure to check your recovery and pathology. You should rest, avoid heavy lifting, exertion and sexual intercourse for 1 week following the procedure.

When to contact Mr Thyer

Following the procedure, you should contact Mr Thyer if you:

• Have a fever over 38 Degrees
• Develop significant and worsening scrotal swelling
• Have not received a follow up appointment
• You can contact Mr Thyer via his rooms during working hours or after hours via the after hours nurse at Hollywood Hospital on (08) 9346 6000
• You can attend the emergency department at the hospital at which you had your procedure. (Hollywood Private Emergency Department charge a fee for attendance).