Get immediate medical treatment if you or your child develops sudden, severe scrotal pain or swelling, especially within several hours of an injury to the scrotum. A hydrocele can start before your son is born. His testicles grow inside his belly and then move down into his scrotum through a short tunnel.
A sac of fluid goes with each testicle. The doctor may be able to make the size of the sac bigger or smaller by . In both boys and girls, this tunnel and its lining are supposed to seal off prior to the baby being born.
This trapped fluid is called a non-communicating hydrocele. Sometimes the tunnel closes down but does not close completely. Due to the canal being open, the fluid is able to travel back and forth through the canal. When the sac does not close, the hydrocele is called communicating or open.
You might notice that the hydrocele looks smaller early in the day and larger in the evening. If your child also has a hernia then this will usually be corrected in the same operation. This may be due to your child being . The operation for a hydrocele involves making a very small cut in the lower tummy (abdomen) or the scrotum.
The fluid is then drained from around the testicle (testis).
The passage between the abdomen and the scrotum . One sign of a hernia is when a child has a bulge in the groin, or in boys, the scrotum. Inguinal hernias” are much more common in boys. A hernia is when the stomach contents can be felt in the groin or scrotum. It occurs when abdominal fluid builds up in the groin or in the scrotum near the testicles. Hydrocele is a problem that sometimes happens to baby boys.
A light may be shone through the swollen testicles – this will appear to be filled with a clear fluid if hydrocele is present. The presence of other tissue in the testicle means that baby may have a hernia. Most hydroceles in newborn boys tend to go away on their own before the first birthday. It causes the scrotum or groin area to swell. Many baby boys are born with this condition.
The swelling it causes may look scary, but it is usually not a problem. It will probably go away by the time your baby is years . During development, each testicle has a naturally occurring sac around it that contains fluid. Babies born prematurely are at a higher risk for hydrocele , . Noncommunicating hydrocele. A noncommunicating hydrocele may be present at birth and usually resolves on its own spontaneously within one year.
Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.
Are there any alternatives to surgery? What are the benefits of surgery? How soon will my child recover? In most cases, it goes away without treatment within the first year. An inguinal hernia occurs when abdominal organs protrude into the inguinal canal or scrotum.
Find out what happens when a child has a hydrocele operation. A membrane extends through the inguinal canal in the abdominal wall into the scrotum. A communicating hydrocele occurs while the baby is in the womb.
The thin membrane is called the processus vaginalis. If it remains open, fluid flows back and forth from the abdominal cavity .