New here with a question about after surgery pains

Cnh92000
Cnh92000 Member Posts: 4
in Kidney Cancer #1

1 month ago I had my left kidney removed for Papillary RCC. I am 41 years old and have never joined a board like this. I have a question about a soreness I have in my left testicle. I know this is probably not the way to start out but it is a concern and hoping someone knows if this is a common thing or something I should have checked out ASAP. It's more of an uncomfortable soreness with no noticable swelling. Really just a sore and a little uncomfortable. Sorry to start out with a TMI question but idk how else to ask it.

Comments

  • Abunai
    Abunai Member Posts: 173 Member
    edited June 2017 #2
    No worries.

    There is no such thing as a TMI question here. (But a testicle question? As your first post? Geeze!  ;) )

    Testicular discomfort or pain is not something I dealt with and I haven't heard of anyone else that did either. It could be related, but might not be. Either way, I'd make sure to bring it up to your surgeon. Even if you don't have any follow-ups scheduled, post-op, you should call with any concerns you have.

  • Cnh92000
    Cnh92000 Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2017 #3
    Well... I'm figured I would

    Well... I'm figured I would dive in head first! No sense in beating around the bush! I do have a follow up next week and will ask for sure. I've googled it and found some sites saying it is something that happens but was just hoping someone on here would know so I didn't have to wait until next week. To be honest for the first week or so I thought it was just from where I had to slide in and out of bed and chairs because I was hurting too much to stand like normal, but the last week or so I've been able to get back to standing up more normall and still have the soreness. I guess it's probably just me worrying after going through this.

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 620 Member
    #4
    I had a robotic assisted

    I had a robotic assisted partial on my right kidney about a year ago (1.8 cm chromophobe for me).  And I had a pulling sensation in my right little guy for a while.  No pain, just a feeling like it was being pulled a little.  It has gone away.  For me, the only thing that has stuck around is a sense of numbness in my right hip.  Again, no pain, but just a numb sensation.

  • Jed the Humanoid
    Jed the Humanoid Member Posts: 7
    #5
    It is probably not connected,

    It is probably not connected, but you should ask anyway to make sure.

    Funnily enough, I actually did two surgeries on the day of my kidney cancer. One was for the RCC and the other was for a varicocele. Two surgeries by two different surgeons and out cold for 4 and a 1/2 hours. The varicocele pains lasted longer than the kidney surgery pains! Ah, good times!

    You have been through a lot cnh and are likely feeling more sensitive than normal. Is it an ache or more of an actual pain?

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    edited June 2017 #6
    Yes, a little.

    Hi Cnh,

    I had my right kidney removed in early February this year and had some discomfort in the right testicle. It was like it was a little over tender, if you know what I mean. I also had some discomfort around the pubic bone.

    Then I noticed that my right testicle was bigger than the left.

    I asked my urologist about this at my first follow up appointment.  He said it was fairly common and offered this explanation. Part of the blood supply to a testicle comes from the blood vessels to the kidney on the same side. These are sometimes severed during a nephrectomy. This reduces the blood flow out of the testicle which causes it to get bigger. 'They are nearly always viable', he said.

    The discomfort was gone after about a month, though I don't really remember. The enlarged testicle is apparently forever. It's not a problem. Nothing else got any bigger, by the way...

    Please come back and tell us your doc's answer.

    Steve.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    edited June 2017 #7
    Could be

    Chh,

     

    Have it checked out. Make an appointment to see a Urologist ASAP. It does not have to be your surgeon. Could be just an infection, But you do need to have this checked out. I went thru the same pains over 50 years ago.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • Cnh92000
    Cnh92000 Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2017 #8
    Thanks to all for the

    Thanks to all for the comments. I will post what the dr says after my appointment next week. My removal was robotic assisted too. Was supposed to be a partial but once the surgeon was in the mass was too big to save the kidney and had actually grown through the kidney into the surrounding fatty tissue but had not spread any further. Had all clear margins and all scans after showed clear. I do have to go for scans every 3 months. Really other than soreness around my main incision and a little ache where the kidney used to be, I feel ok. l be honest...the first week was much worse than I imagined it could be. So a few little aches and pains I can deal with. I start back to work Monday so hopefully getting back to my normal routine will help with the few little nagging aches I have left. I've heard that it can take 6 months to a year to get back to normal. 

    Jed...it's more of a tenderness than pain. Just sensitive I guess would be the better word to use.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    edited June 2017 #9
    Too soon

    Chh,

     

    It may be too soon to go back to work full tie at first. Unless you have a  lifting job you can probably do everything as before just not 8 hours a day at first. Try and ease back into work. Shorter days and more breaks initially as needed. As for the doctor telling you when you are ready for work remember he has never been nephed.

     

    Icemantoo

  • Tesla1
    Tesla1 Member Posts: 46
    #10
    17 days post robotic partial

    17 days post robotic partial left nephrectomy. I also have intermittent left groin and testicle pain but no swelling.  Blood flow restrictions to the testicle sounds correct. Possibly the nerves got irritated or injured as well. Pain is not bad and not worried about it. 

    Steve, your subtle humor at the end of your post gave me a hearty laugh. Now the testicle hurts worse.....Thanks!

     

  • Cnh92000
    Cnh92000 Member Posts: 4
    #11
    Thanks iceman....my job can

    Thanks iceman....my job can be heavy lifting and pretty busy but the majority of it is sitting at a desk in front of a computer. I can get up and walk as I feel the need and they will work with me however I want to do it. I'm pretty lucky in that sense. I'm sure it'll take a while to get back to where I was but I know I will!

    Tesla...that sounds exactly like what I'm feeling and no swelling "anywhere"...unfortunately! Lol I'm gonna mention it to the Dr but like you I'm not overly concerned but more curious if it will go away with time. 

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #12
    Yes they can be related

    There is a common vascularity between the kidney and testicle. Sometimes the pain is from a scrotal varicosity. (one of the women told me so)

  • sblairc
    sblairc Member Posts: 585 Member
    #13
    Swelling post-op is normal

    Totally normal. Goes away with time. 

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