Has your baby boy been diagnosed with a hydrocele?
When your baby is diagnosed with a medical condition, it can be very worrying for you, as a parent.
You will probably have lots of questions that need to be answered.
Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about hydrocele in newborns and babies.
What you should know about hydrocele?
A hydrocele is a small build-up of fluid around the testicle. A hydrocele appears as swelling in the scrotum. This swelling, on one or both sides of the scrotum, is usually the only symptom of a hydrocele in a baby.
A hydrocele is a very common condition, affecting up to 1 in 10 baby boys. It is more common in premature infants.
A hydrocele can develop in an older child as a result of inflammation or injury to the scrotum.
Hydroceles can also affect adult males.
For more information, you can read BellyBelly’s article What Is Hydrocele? | All The Things You Should Know.
What causes hydrocele in newborns and babies?
In normal fetal development, the testicles descend from the abdomen to the scrotum in a fluid-filled sac. The sac closes and the fluid is absorbed. If the fluid stays, however, a hydrocele is formed.
This type of hydrocele is called a non-communicating hydrocele. Non-communicating hydroceles typically stay the same size or are very slow growing.
Sometimes, as well as the fluid staying inside the sac, the sac does not close completely.
This forms a communicating hydrocele. Communicating hydroceles allow abdominal fluid to flow back and forth from the abdominal cavity and through the inguinal canal to the scrotum. This means the size of the swelling in the scrotum can change throughout the day or night.
A communicating hydrocele is considered to be more serious than a non-communicating hydrocele and, if it is left untreated, it can develop into an inguinal hernia. An inguinal hernia is a condition where parts of the abdomen protrude through the lower part of the abdominal wall.
Most hydroceles in baby boys develop in utero. Hydroceles are more likely to be found in babies who are born before normal gestational age, especially premature infants.
Is hydrocele in babies normal?
Although it is common and not considered ‘serious’, a hydrocele is not a normal part of infant development and requires assessment by an appropriate healthcare provider.
It is important that a parent does not diagnose a hydrocele without medical advice; swelling in the scrotum can be an indication of a more serious medical condition.
Swelling in the testicles can also be caused by:
- An inguinal hernia
- Testicular torsion (a medical emergency)or, in rarer cases
- A tumour in the scrotum or testicles.
How is hydrocele in babies treated?
Some hydroceles don’t require any treatment and will simply disappear on their own.
It is important to have a hydrocele diagnosed by a doctor, who will perform a physical exam as well as taking a health history. Your child’s doctor will advise you of treatment options for your child’s condition.
Once a diagnosis has been made, the hydrocele treatment will depend on your child’s age and how long the hydrocele has been present. Sometimes, all that’s required is to monitor symptoms and report any changes to your doctor.
Your doctor will usually make a follow-up appointment to make sure there are no new symptoms.
At what age does a hydrocele resolve?
Hydroceles that are present at birth usually resolve without any intervention, within the first year of life.
If your child’s scrotum remains swollen past his first year of life, the hydrocele might require surgical correction.
Hydroceles can occur in older boys during puberty, due to an overproduction of fluid in the tissue surrounding the testicle. If the hydrocele causes excessive swelling around the testicles, surgery might be recommended.
Do all hydroceles need surgery?
Not all hydroceles require surgical repair. If a hydrocele has persisted beyond the first year of life, there is an increased risk it could cause an inguinal hernia. In some cases, a surgery will be the most appropriate treatment.
As a parent, it can be overwhelming to be advised that your baby requires surgery, as all paediatric surgery involves a level of risk. Surgical correction of hydroceles in babies has a high success rate, however, and good long-term prognosis. Hydrocele repair carries a very low risk of testicular damage or recurrence.
Hydrocelectomy
Surgery to remove or repair a hydrocele is called a hydrocelectomy.
Hydrocele repair is day surgery, performed in a hospital under general anaesthesia. The surgery involves making a small incision in the lower belly or the scrotum.
The surgeon places a small tube in the affected area, to drain the fluid from the sac. For communicating hydroceles, the opening between the processes vaginalis (the tunnel through which the testes migrated from the abdomen to the scrotum before the baby was born) will be closed.
The sac that contained the fluid will also be removed and the incision will be stitched closed.
You will be reunited with your child in the recovery room. Most children will be able to go home the same day as the surgery.
