I had a vasectomy on 12/18/03.� I was
pretty excited about having this done.�
My girlfriend of 5+ years talked to her doctor about getting a tubal ligation.� We looked into a vasectomy and realized that
there were less risks, local vs general anesthesia, no
hospital stay, etc. so we decided for the vasectomy.� I found out that there was a No-Scalpel
Vasectomy with fewer risks than a regular vasectomy, so I went with that.� The day arrived and I took a Valium one hour
before my appointment (as instructed by the urologist�s office).� Right after I took the Valium, the doctor�s
office called and asked if I could come in earlier because the doctor had an
emergency to go to.� I went in, and the
doctor handed me the release to sign, I looked at it and held onto it expecting
him to start talking about the risks involved (since the release says something
like �I�ve been informed of the risks�).�
He started reaching for the release as if I had signed it.� I went ahead and signed it.� My girlfriend asked if I was going to need to
put ice on my scrotum after the procedure.�
He said probably not, but he�ll tell more after he�s done with the
procedure.� My girlfriend asked of risks,
and he mentioned the only risks were hematoma and
infection due to the surgery, but those are easily treated.� He sent me to another room where the
vasectomy was to be performed.� He
started by cleaning the area, then injecting a local into the scrotum (a little
groin pain that lasted 5-10 seconds or so).�
He then cut me to start the actual procedure.� He told me that he uses titanium clips
instead of cauterization (burning of the vas deferens).� He pulled out a vas deferens.� Note that on each vas deferens, after he
pulled them out, it felt as though he let the tool dangle from the vas deferens
(it felt like a pendulum hanging from my scrotum that would sway back and
forth). �When he finished the first vas,
he had to shoot me with another local (same pain as the first local).� When he was almost done with the vasectomy, he
said �I might set a personal record.�
That would have been bad if before the operation I said �I�m going to
try to set a personal record, huh?��.� He
finished and I stood up.� He was going to
show me what he did, and noticed I was bleeding, so I lied back down and he
stitched me up (maybe 3-4 stitches?).� I
went out to meet my girlfriend.� She had
already paid so we left.� When I walked
out the door, I saw the urologist leaving in his truck.� I had a few pains from the surgery during the
next couple of weeks (some pinching in the groin and of the testicles).� A day after the vasectomy, I had a bruise
running the entire length of my scrotum on the right side.� I showed my girlfriend this, and she asked if
that was normal.� I said that I read
where some bruising is normal.� The bruise
was gone within a few days.� I ejaculated
3 times over that period of time (2 weeks).
On 01/03/04,
I had a lingering discomfort in the scrotum throughout the day like a dull
ache, but definitely bothersome.� That
evening, I noticed a small soft lump above my left testicle in the scrotum that
hurt to touch.� On the morning of 01/04/04 (9:30am), my girlfriend and I had intercourse (still experiencing
discomfort).� I looked up stuff on the
internet as to what the problem might be and found Post-Vasectomy Syndrome
(PVS), which can be anything: inflammation, sperm granuloma,
epididymitis, depression, etc., etc.� After reading more and more on PVS, my first
thought was sperm buildup that's causing pressure and pain like epididymal congestion. �That same day around 12:15pm, I started feeling light-headed.� I lied down for a few minutes, and then got
up to go to the bathroom.� Right as soon
as I stood up, I experienced substantial pain in the scrotum/groin area (mostly
on the right side).� This pain was the
worst pain I�ve ever felt in my entire life � screaming and bent over.� It seemed to hit hard every 15 seconds or
so.� Throughout the following 30 minutes
or more, the pain diminished every few minutes. I called the urologist who
performed my vasectomy.� He said he
couldn�t get to his office until 2:00pm.� I said, �I hope I can make it that
long.�� I called my girlfriend and told
her she had to come home and take me to the doctor.� This pain still came and went (although not
as excruciating as it once was) for several more hours (even after he saw
me).� We arrived at the doctor�s office
at 2:00pm.� He evaluated me as I was trying hold back the
screams.� He thought it might be an
infection.� He put me on an antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin)
for infection for 7 days.� He mentioned
that it seemed odd for infection to appear 2 weeks after the procedure.� He also gave me Hydrocodone
for pain if I needed it.� I wasn�t there
for more than 5 minutes.� I was skeptical
that infection was the problem.� I took
the Hydrocodone occasionally when I was having more
pain than �normal�.� The Hydrocodone didn�t seem to do the trick unless I took 2 of
them and even then, the pain would only diminish for about an hour.� I had (and still have) a constant pain that
fluctuated in severity throughout every day.�
The next day, I got light-headed again, and had to lie down for a few
minutes.� These two times are the only
times I�ve been light-headed.� I have
gotten sick to my stomach a few more times, but nothing major.� Upon completion of the Ciprofloxacin, I
called him again (01/12/04).� He evaluated me again and wasn�t sure what
the problem was; he seemed baffled by the whole thing.� At this point, the bulk of the pain and
swelling was coming from my right side.�
He gave me some Vicodin for the pain and said
to give it time.� The Vicodin
helped the pain for longer periods of time than the smaller dose of Hydrocodone he originally gave me.� I haven�t taken it much (only one every few
days) since he said it can be addicting.�
At this time, I noticed that I�ve had problems going to the
bathroom.� For example, it would take
about 15-20 seconds to start urinating.� Plus,
I�ve had to get up in the middle of the night to go.� I�ve never had this problem before.
On Saturday (01/17/04),
I had sex again for the first time since my immense pain (light and quick).� I had a little pain in the scrotum and
testicles, but not much worse than the constant ache (not even close to what I
initially experienced on 01/04/04).� The following Monday (01/19/04), I called a urology center to see if
they would see me for a second opinion.�
I explained my situation and they said they�d call me back.� They didn�t call back so I went to see my
urologist.� I explained more of my
bathroom problems such as start/stop problems as well as the length of time it takes for me to start urinating.� He did a urine test in a centrifuge and found
nothing (I�m not sure what all he checked for).�
I also mentioned that it seems like one of the vas deferens (from the
right side of the scrotum) seems to go up to the op site and seems stuck
there.� He could tell what I was talking
about, but didn�t seem too concerned about it.�
He said that it might be a vas that hasn�t �fallen� yet.� Basically, it�s immovable.� He suggested trying hot baths to see if it
helps.� He also said that I might have a
sperm granuloma.�
I�ve read that a granuloma is hard, so I
didn�t think that was my problem, but I guess it�s a
possibility.� He gave me a prescription
for a 2-week supply of Bactrim (for a possible
urinary tract infection).� I took this
for the full 2 weeks.� My bathroom
problem seemed to diminish a little.� I
seem to not have to go as frequently as I once did, plus I only have to get up
every 2 nights or so to go.� The
start/stop problem only happens rarely and the initial length it takes to start
is down to about 5 seconds.� The urology
center I called did call back the following day and said that I needed to go
back to the urologist that performed my vasectomy (a little upsetting).
�
I called my urologist again on Monday, 02/02/04, and asked if there was anything else he
could do.� He said there were no more
tests that he could run on me.� He said
the only other option was to go back in there and investigate, but he didn�t
want to do that until I gave it more time.�
That�s fine because I don�t want to go under the knife again just to
find out what this thing is.� He
mentioned that my problem still might be a sperm granuloma,
which will eventually go away on its own or could later be surgically
removed.� He also mentioned that it could
be pressure from sperm build-up that hasn�t reabsorbed yet.� Lastly, he mentioned that he hasn�t done
this, but he�s heard of men converting to an open-ended vasectomy.� I started wearing an athletic supporter 24/7
and that has helped on the pain; especially when I walk.� I also started taking 15 minute hot baths
when I can (probably 4-5 times a week).� I
started taking 600mg Ibuprofen 3 times a day.�
I can�t tell if this is making any difference as of yet, but I�m hoping
it helps the swelling.� I�ve kept my boss
informed of my dilemma.� She had been
going to the same urology center I had called and that wouldn�t see me.� She called someone she knew there and
explained my doctor was done with me, but they still didn�t want to see me.� As of 02/11/04, I�ve ejaculated (no
intercourse) several (maybe 6-8) more times since my initial pain, and after
each time it feels like my testicles are bruised all over; they get extremely
tender to touch or move.� A few hours
after ejaculating, they seem to be back to the �normal� pain that I constantly
feel.
My current symptoms are the following:
1) Left
side of scrotum � very small lump (hardly noticeable) above the testicle that
is a little tender to touch.� I only
occasionally feel pain coming from my left side.� Currently, I rarely feel pain from the left
side � maybe once a week.
2) Most
of the pain I�m having is in the right half of my scrotum.� There is a bigger soft lump (feels like a
firm squishy ball � if that makes sense).�
This lump (or the area surrounding it) seems to swell at times during
the day.� It is at the top of my testicle
and can be moved around.� It causes pain
when I mess with it.� It is not attached
to the scrotum, and it doesn�t seem to be directly attached to the
testicle.� It could be attached to the epididymis/testicle by some tissue.� The right testicle is a little tender to
touch.� The constant ache I have is
mostly on the right side.� I have since
found out what this problem is (read on).
3) Also
on the right side, there is a small (maybe 1/8� in diameter) round tube that
seems to go up to the base of the penis at the op site and seems stuck
there.� I can�t seem to follow it after
that.� Following that tube in the other
direction, it feels hard and rough (prickly) and seems to go behind my testicle
towards the bottom end of the testicle.�
I lose it about 2 inches down.� It
seems to cause pain as well when I mess with it.� This could also be contributing to my
constant ache.� It could be something
that is normal and supposed to be there, but it�s just inflamed or something?� This �tube� is now only hard in one small
spot.
4) At
the base of the penis where the op site is, I get a prickly feeling at times
during the day (not often, but it bothers me).�
Also, that prickly, discomforting feeling appears when I have an
erection.� It seems like I�m stretching
part of my skin that shouldn�t be stretched (if that makes any sense).� This prickly feeling has since greatly
disappeared.
5) Sometimes
(not often) during the day, the pain on my right side becomes more and more
discomforting and I tend to constantly adjust my genitalia hoping that it�ll
feel better.� After ejaculation, there is
a little more pain than �normal� and both testicles feel bruised all over and
are very tender to the touch and movement. This bruised feeling in the
testicles still exists after ejaculations � however, the bruised pain has
diminished.
6) After
urination, there is a little more pain in the scrotum than normal, but I
believe that�s just be caused because I�m having to move my genitalia in and
out of my underwear (so it aggravates it).
7) The
simplest little accidental hit on my testicles causes pain.� I have to be very careful.
8) At
some point during the day, I get a pinch above my pelvic bone (higher in the
groin).� This usually doesn�t last long
(a minute or so).� It�s like somebody
pinching something in there, then letting go, then doing it all over again (at
2-3 second intervals or so).� It usually happens
once or twice during the day, but there has been one day so far (02/14/04) where this happened several
times throughout the day.� It happens on
either side.� As of now, this pinching
feeling only happens once a week.
02/12/04
� My thinking of the situation:
Surely it�s not a tumor or anything like that, right?� Could it be the titanium clips that are
causing something?
Rupture of the epididymis due to
congestion?� I have had no health
problems until this happened.� I rarely
ever go to a doctor.� I rarely get sick
(even a cold).� I definitely have not had
pain in the scrotum area before my vasectomy.�
Unfortunately, I have no idea what the initial excruciating pain I had
is contributed to, but a sudden onset of the pain could mean epididymitis, testiticular tumor,
or testicular torsion.� Plus, I have no
idea what that �stuck tube� is.
On Friday, 02/20/04,
I called my primary care physician.� I
explained my situation and he saw me that same day.� He evaluated me, looked at and felt my
testicles.� He did a urine test which
came back negative, and he ordered an ultrasound.� He also put me back on Cipro
(10 day prescription).� He mentioned that
Bactrim isn�t for all of the internal organs down
there.� His office called the hospital to
arrange for me to have an ultrasound.� I
went in the following day (02/21/04)
to have it done.� The lady that did it
started the ultrasound on my right (the most problematic) side.� A couple of minutes into it, she said,
�You�ll hear a noise, but that�s just blood flow going to your testicle.�� I heard nothing, but I didn�t think anything
of it.� She later went to the left
side.� A few seconds later, I heard a
noise denoting blood flow.� She spent
maybe 2 minutes on the left side and then went back to the right.� I again heard nothing, so I was scared.� After she was done, I cleaned up and she
showed me the way out.
The following Monday, 02/23/04, I called my doctor�s office at
10:00am and explained that I was scared about the ultrasound results and was
hoping they would follow up with me as soon as possible.� I called again at 3:00pm.� They said
they�d call around 4:00pm or 4:30pm.� No word from them still.� I called again on Tuesday, 02/24/04, at 10:00am.� They called at 2:30pm
and said the �ultrasound came back normal, there is no mass, and it�s probably
just an infection so continue taking the Cipro.�� I was a little disappointed.� I called them back and asked if there was a
way someone could explain how my ultrasound came back normal or if they could
show me that it�s normal.� They are
giving me a copy of the ultrasound (they never gave me a copy � read on�).
Tuesday, 03/02/04,
I finished the 10 day Cipro and called my general
doctor.� He wanted to see me again.� I went in and he prescribed another 10 days
of Cipro.� On
Sunday, 02/29/04, I finally
thought there might be an end in sight.�
I really could tell there was a difference.� Right now, I�m going to contribute it to this
round of Cipro (that�s why I went back and got
more).� There is still pain, and it seems
to be irritated when I move it (ie: going to the
bathroom, etc.)� I still have not received
copies of the ultrasound, but I�m growing less worried about them.� As of 03/02/04,
I probably feel 60% better than I did when this pain started.� I would say I�m 40% better since I went to
see my general doctor.� Things are
looking up!
I finished the 3rd round of Cipro,
and there has been no improvement.� In
fact, a couple of days after I got off of the Cipro,
I started having pains on my right side again (like they were when I first went
to my general doctor).
03/17/04,
I turned in a sperm sample to the hospital lab to see if I was sperm free.� Since I was there, I requested a copy of the
report from my ultrasound.� The report
said that everything was normal: No masses, vascular flow was normal, both
testicles look normal.� I got the results
back from the sperm test on 03/19/04.� It was a 4 ml sample and it came back �No
spermatozoa seen.�� Good news I thought,
until my girlfriend said stuff like �Do you think that it�s ok now, or should
we wait longer and get another test��� I
was a little perturbed because I�ve gone through all this and so far have paid
twice as much more for the pain problem than I did for the vasectomy (vasectomy
cost $500.00 � aftercare adds up to just over $1000.00).� Needless to say, we�re not having unprotected
sex as of yet, and if she doesn�t get over her �worried� state of mind, who
knows if we ever will (ok, we did later).
On 03/23/04,
I went back to my regular doctor and he referred me to a
urologist.� I saw the urologist on 04/02/04, and he immediately said that
I have a spermatocele, which was caused by
backpressure of sperm.� This caused my epididymis to burst and leak out sperm.� The body doesn�t know what sperm is so it
attacks it.� Basically, there�s no cure
for this besides going in there and cutting it out.� Since more surgery could cause other problems
and might not fix this problem, I�m opting to live with the pain for now.� I�m probably feeling 70% healed now.� That urologist also said I have tethering,
which is basically one of the vas deferens is stuck to some tissue.� That�s what the stuck tube is that I
mentioned earlier.� I don�t know if
there�s a way to fix that.� I would guess
they could tear some of the tissue away, but I didn�t ask.� By the way, I�m getting to have unprotected
sex now since we know it�s not an infection.�
We�re just not doing it during her �ovulating� time of the month.
Update (08/13/04):�
For the past few months now, I�ve felt tons better.� I would say I�m over 90% back to normal.� The pain is hardly ever noticeable.� The spermatocele
doesn�t seem to grow in size and it only hurts when I touch it or move my
scrotum around quite a bit.
Quick Timeline:
12/18/03��� Vasectomy
performed (non-scalpel with titanium clips � no cauterization) � stitched up at
op site (doctor had an emergency to go to afterwards)
01/03/04��� Lingering
discomfort (constant ached) throughout day.�
Noticed lump above left testicle.
01/04/04��� Sex in the morning.� Immense sharp pains (mostly on the right
side) started 12:15pm that came and
went every 15 seconds � lasted 30 minutes, then pain diminished slowly
throughout the rest of the day.
����������������� Saw urologist who prescribed
Ciprofloxacin (1 week)
����������������� Pain is mostly on right side
now with a bigger lump on the right side (left side lump is small)
01/12/04��� I�ve
realized that the time it takes to start urinating is taking 15-20
seconds.� Saw urologist again.� He did not know what my problem was.� He prescribed Vicodin
for pain.
Sometime this week I was having a
start/stop problem when urinating, plus the frequency has increased
dramatically (3 to 4 times more than normal, plus in the middle of the night).
Also this week, I noticed a tube
leading up to the op site that seemed stuck there (thought it was a vas
deferens, now it might be normal, but inflamed? � it�s
immovable.
01/17/04��� First sex since 01/04/04. �No immense pain,
just felt bruised and a little more pain than �normal�
01/19/04��� Saw
urologist again � told of my bathroom problems.�
Performed centrifuge urine test (negative).� Prescribed Bactrim (2 weeks).
02/02/04��� Finished
Bactrim and called urologist again.� He said there�s nothing else to do besides go
back in there and investigate or give it time.�
The bathroom problem I was having has diminished slowly (still there
though).
02/07/04��� Started
wearing athletic supporter just about 24/7
02/09/04��� Started
600mg Ibuprofen 3 times a day.� Haven�t
noticed if it�s helping or not.� It seems
like I�m getting better by a miniscule amount every week (hard to tell though).� Some days are, of course, worse than others
and some times during the day are worse than others.
02/19/04��� Ejaculated
several more times since 01/17/04
(no intercourse since then).� Pain
afterwards is a feeling of testicles bruised all over and very tender to touch.� Bathroom problem seems to happen only once a
day (start/stop plus time it takes to start).�
Frequency has dropped to maybe 1.5 times more than normal. I still have
to get up in the middle of the night 3 times a week.
02/20/04��� Saw
Primary Care Physician.� Performed urine
test (negative).� Ordered ultrasound and
prescribed Cipro (10 days).
02/21/04��� Had
ultrasound performed at hospital.� Feared there was no blood flow on right side.
02/23/04��� Called
general doctor at 10:00am for results
of ultrasound.� Called
again at 3:00pm.� They said they�d
call around 4:00pm or 4:30pm.� No call back from them.
02/24/04��� Called
general doctor again at 10:00.� They called at 2:30pm.� Said the ultrasound came back normal, no
mass, and probably just an infection.�
They told me to continue taking the Cipro.� I asked how this was possible; they are
giving me a copy of the ultrasound.
03/01/04��� Took
last Cipro pill.�
Could tell there was a difference (hopefully due to the Cipro).� I just
noticed that I feel quite a bit better than 1 week ago, but I just noticed it
(at the end of the Cipro).
03/02/04��� Went
back to my general doctor and he prescribed another 10 days of Cipro.� Today�s the
first day that I�ve had a smile on my face since my pain started.� My doctor did mention the term �epididymitis�.� I was
a little relieved he mentioned that word since he still feels like it�s an
infection.� I�m starting to believe
that�s what it is.� I still have not
received copies of the ultrasound, but I�m not too worried about that any more
since my pain is diminishing.
03/13/04��� Took
last Cipro pill (3rd round).� Could not tell any
difference.
03/15/04��� Noticed
increase of pain where I feel discomfort all day on the right side.� I had to take a vicodin
(no help this time).� Left side seems to
not have any significant pain.� I also
feel pain above the pubic bone (more toward the abdomen on the right
side).� Plus, right along, the pubic bone
it seems like blood vessels going across or something; if I rub my fingers
lengthwise along the bone, it seems like there's some pain associated with that
(like that makes any sense).
03/23/04��� Went back to my regular
"family" doctor. He referred me to a
urologist.�
04/02/04��� Went
to the referred urologist and right off the bat he said I have a spermatocele due to back pressure of sperm that made my epididymis burst.�
The sperm leaked and that�s what�s causing pain.� Basically, there is no cure for this besides
going in and cutting it out.� Since that
might cause other problems and is not guaranteed to fix this problem, I�m going
to live with it for now.� He also
mentioned I have tethering, which is basically one of the vas deferens is stuck
to some tissue.� That�s what the stuck
tube is that I mentioned earlier.
08/13/04��� Finally
decided to update again.� Feel over 90%
better (for a few months now).� It only
hurts if I dig to find the spermatocele or if I move
the scrotum around quite a bit (but when do I ever do that?).