Before reading this section, please refer to General instructions after surgery in this section of the website.

Your son has just undergone surgery for undescended testicle(s), which involves relocating the testicle from a position above the scrotum to its desired position in the scrotum. At the end of the procedure, we injected local anesthetic or numbing medicine to make your child more comfortable immediately after surgery. Expect bruising and swelling of the scrotal tissues; this is normal after the operation. There should be minimal changes at the site of the groin incision. The groin incision(s) will be dressed either with dried glue or with steri-strips covered by gauze and a clear sticker, depending on the age of your child. Please refer to the General instructions section for wound and dressing care information. Your child will have a scrotal incision that is typically only dressed with glue, or with ointment and a non-stick gauze. Remove the gauze at the first dressing change and begin applying Vaseline or Aquaphor on the incision. Expect some bloody drainage from the incision; this is normal.

Because the testicles may have been brought down from a position well above the scrotum, there may be some tension on the testicle causing the scrotum to dimple. This is normal, and it will resolve over time. Your child may have a button on the bottom of the scrotum that is placed to prevent the testicle from ascending to an abnormal position relative to the scrotum. This is usually removed shortly after surgery. It is OK to put ointment directly on the button.

Finding the testicle in the groin typically entails opening one of the structural layers of the abdominal wall. To ensure good healing and to prevent a hernia, your child should not do anything strenuous for six weeks after surgery (i.e. no lifting or contact sports). For younger children, do the best you can. A small child will usually self-limit his own activity if it is causing him any discomfort. Try to prevent climbing the best you can with toddlers for six weeks, and put all heavy toys away during this period.

If your child has undergone laparoscopy (looking in the abdomen through the belly button) as part of his treatment for his undescended testicle(s), he will have an incision along the lower crease of the belly button. Because we were looking in the abdomen, the intestines may be a little irritated and not work in a coordinated fashion for a day or so. It may be wise to stick to clear liquids only for the first couple of meals after surgery until it is clear that your son is ready to eat regular food. If his abdomen seems a little distended or if he vomits, withhold all food and liquids and let us know immediately.

Fevers in the first day or two after surgery are not uncommon, particularly if your child has undergone laparoscopy. Please refer to the instructions about fever in the General section of post-operative care for additional information.