A scrotal hematoma is a collection of blood inside the scrotum. It occurs when bleeding fails to stop after a vasectomy, or when bleeding resumes at some point after the operation due to trauma or other conditions. Hematomas may also develop after a vasectomy reversal.
Scrotal hematomas occur in approximately 2% of vasectomies.1 A hematoma is a serious complication that can be very unpleasant, but it will rarely cause long-term damage.
Symptoms of a scrotal hematoma
Scrotal hematomas typically occur shortly after the vasectomy procedure. They are often accompanied by swelling, bruising, and pain.
The symptoms are dependent on the location, size, and cause of the hematoma, so it’s possible to develop a hematoma without showing all symptoms. A small hematoma may cause minimal swelling and discomfort, while a larger hematoma could result in extensive bruising and pain.
Scrotal hematomas vary in size. They may be so small they aren’t even noticeable, or so large they feel like a third testicle. The reason for this is that the loose skin of the scrotum can expand greatly and may not immediately provide the pressure necessary to stop the bleeding. In these scenarios, the hematoma won’t stop growing until it becomes big enough to apply pressure to the source of the bleeding, or a spontaneous clot appears.
A hematoma will generally feel like a lump or growth in the scrotum. This hematoma mass will eventually harden as the blood-forming the hematoma clots.
Treating a scrotal hematoma
Hematomas usually resolve on their own. In most cases, the hematoma will go away with a couple of weeks, but larger hematomas can take longer to dissolve. The clotted mass of blood that makes up the hematoma will slowly be absorbed into the body, so all you can really do is wait. Pain, bruising, and swelling may last for a similar amount of time, although these symptoms usually diminish as the hematoma shrinks and breaks up.
Your doctor may recommend hot baths, ibuprofen, and tight elevating undergarments as ways to alleviate discomfort and speed recovery. In extreme cases, surgical intervention may be necessary, but this is usually regarded as a last resort.
Recommended products for recovery
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JockstrapsPapi Men’s Cotton Jock Strap 3-Pack
Ice packsTheraPearl Ice Pack with Gel Beads
Home Vasectomy TestSpermCheck Vasectomy Test Kit
Donut-shaped pillowErgonomic Innovations Orthopaedic Seat
Avoiding a post-vasectomy hematoma
While it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk developing of a hematoma after your vasectomy, there are steps you can take to minimize the odds it’ll happen to you
Have a urologist perform the procedure
While your general practitioner may be capable of performing your vasectomy, it’s generally best and strongly recommended to find a urologist to do the job. Urologists typically have much more experience in providing vasectomy services, and experience is a significant factor in predicting the likelihood of complications after a vasectomy.
Find an experienced doctor
In general, the more vasectomy operations a doctor has performed, the lower the chance of hematoma. One study found that “the incidence of hematoma was 4.6% for physicians performing 1–10 vasectomies annually, 2.4% for those performing 11–50 annually, and 1.6% for those performing more than 50 annually.”2
Do your research and find out how many procedures the doctor performs in a year. This may be on the doctor’s website, but it’s also something you can ask about during your initial consultation.
This doesn’t mean that a doctor who has done fewer vasectomies isn’t competent to perform your operation. The incidence of hematoma is minimal regardless of the number of procedures a doctor has performed, but statistically speaking, you’ll have better luck with a more experienced doctor.
Look into a no-scalpel vasectomy
The no-scalpel vasectomy method offers a number of benefits over the traditional technique, and one of those benefits is a lower risk of developing a post-vasectomy hematoma. A scalpel-free vasectomy uses sharp forceps to puncture the skin and doesn’t involve any cutting. With the no-scalpel method, there’s a lower chance of nicking a blood vessel, which means a lower risk for hematomas. Both procedures are currently standard of care, and a traditional scalpel vasectomy is also a great option if your surgeon prefers to perform it that way.
Summary
Scrotal hematoma is rare, but a known complication of a vasectomy. A smaller hematoma may cause minor discomfort, while a large hematoma could result in severe bruising and pain.
You need to see your doctor as soon as possible if you suspect you have a hematoma. While a scrotal hematoma is usually not a serious issue, it could require special treatment or be related to another problem.
References and further reading
Vasectomy-Information.com has a strict sourcing policy. We rely on evidence-based medicine, peer-reviewed studies, reputable clinical journals, and medical associations. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and up-to-date by reading our editorial policy.- Cook L, Pun A, Gallo M, Lopez L, Van V. Scalpel versus no-scalpel incision for vasectomy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;(3):CD004112. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004112.pub4
- Schwingl PJ, Guess HA. Safety and effectiveness of vasectomy. Fertility and Sterility. Published online May 2000:923-936. doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(00)00482-9
- O’Leary B. Scrotal haematoma following vasectomy: an unusual surgical emergency. BMJ Case Rep. 2014;2014. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-202421
- Risk of Bleeding After Vasectomy. A Personal Choice. https://www.bestvasectomy.com/risk-of-bleeding-after-vasectomy/
The baths help.
Thanks a lot to all the previous posters for all their info. I guess I am the latest member of the club. I had my NSV 01/08/09 and was healing fine for the first 10 days, but did feel somethign was not quite right with the left side. Got together with some friends this weekend, played outside with the kids and felt some discomfort. The drive home was almost unbearable. I got home and knew something was wrong as my left side was now the size of a mango. Saw my GP the Monday morning and was told hematoma right away, prescribed antibotics and anti-inflamatories. I do feel somewhat lucky in my misfortune as I am just swollen, not bruised as many previous posters mentioned. From what I have read here, looks like about 5-6 months of recovery, but the big question is will it ever all go away? Also, I was about ready to resume activity in the bedroom and now (believe it or not) it is the furthest thing from my mind, when can that resume? 2-3 weeks?
My doc has not mentioned anything about hot baths or ice, just take it easy, did these things help?
If any previous posters have updates on their progress, it would be appreciated as it helps set expectations of recovery.
I had my VAS. done on Dec. 4th. and noticed a problem by the time I drove home. All of the doctors paperwork said to expect some swelling and bruising so I thought ice would take care of it. I mentioned the problem to my wife and all she would say is to l;ay down and ice. By that evening, I called my wife in to get her opinion . When I pulled down my undies, she just about passed out. I was bruised from my waiste line to mid-thigh and I was swollen larger than a mango. At this point, I was in some pain, more pressure and bloated feeling, but the Doc had given me a few Lortabs just in case. It was too late to call the office, I did not want to go to the E.R. because I was too embarrassed so I waited until morning.
I called the Dr. in the morning and let him know I had a problem and he said to come in just for a look. When he got to actually see the problem, his jaw dropped and his firsts words were ” When was the last time you ate? We are going to the hospital!” Well, after it seemed like the entire lobby looking at my junk, he/they decided to cut me open in the office and squeeze everything out……It did not work.
After this long “quick look”, all the Doc would say is that it would take care of itself and it would be uncomfortable for a while and that I need to come back on Monday for a “re-check”.
It has been almost a month now. I have a lump the size and shape of an avacodo. My life has changed in many ways. It is still very painful to do many things, but hopefully it will get better.
I too have had a scrotal hematoma, the doctor said my underwear sorta acted like a noose.
It’s been a month now. recovery well under way. hematoma about 60-70% dissolved. warm bath every night definitely has helped. about ready to strt some exercise. minor inconvenience is the incision on the side that was most swollen, still not fully healed…i think when the stitches dissolved weeks ago, the pressure from the swelling forced the wound to remain open so there has been residual exterior bledding for about 3 weeks that is now finally stopping.
Had vas on Friday 11/14 at 11:30am. Knew within an hour things weren’t right. Waited until 3:00 to call the doc. He had me come in (he admits now he thought it was going to be no big deal) then he saw the melon balls. I think he was surprised at how big they were. He suggested surgery. Went to the OR at 8:30pm and he “cleaned” out as much out as he could. I was informed later that I had arterial bleeding and had bled a pint of blood. He also installed a drain on the right side to help get everything out of there. The next 10 days were horrible. I medicated with 800mg IB and vicodin. Switched off every 3 hours. That was not even enough to cover the pain. I was laid out for 10 days I didn’t leave the house except for follow up appointments with the doc. He took the drain out on the third day. Saw him the next Friday and I was still having problems walking. I went to work Monday 11/24 thinking day 10 I should be better. Bad mistake….and I have a desk job. Things started to get better the weekend of the 29th. But I still felt pain from time to time. Today is 12/8. I still take IB but not as frequent. My boys are the size of a lemon, but the pain isn’t there (most of the time). I can tell the hematoma has started to break down, but there are parts that are still rock hard. I have not resumed ANY physical activity. In fact, I did a lot of walking (running around with the kids) this weekend and noticed some soreness by the end of the day. IN fact sitting here right now a pulsating pain has popped up in that region. You just don’t know minute by minute. So I am at day 19 and it sounds like I have a long way to go. By the way, my doc said he has done 1000 vasectomies. I was his first hematoma. If you look this up on line, which I am sure all of you have by now. There is a 1 in 1000 chance of this complication. It sucks to fulfill the statistic.
My husband had his vasectomy Nov. 13. He had considerably more pain as the doctor did the left side and hematoma was confirmed 3 days later. He had significant swelling, pain, and bruising. I was so concerned, he went to the ER on day 5 where an ultrasound confirmed the hematoma but gave us the reassurance that everything looked ok.
Today it is 17 days since his vasectomy and the pain is lessening but he still has minor swelling, bruising, and hard hematoma the sized of a walnut or a little larger. He wants to resume relations and I am nervous. Any advice would be appreciated regarding what point intercourse is ok.
I have great regret regarding his vasectomy as I read all the possible complications. He is doing better than me emotionally. I have a lot of anger due to the doctor’s lack of information beforehand. He apologised profusely afterwards, I think because he knows what a long haul recovery is with this complication.
Had my Vas on Nov 12. I knew during the procedure that something was problematic on the left side. It took the Dr. several minutes longer than it had on the right side and I was experiencing some discomfort as he worked. I asked the Dr. if there were any complications on the left side and (surprise) he said no. Two days later my scrotum was the size of a small canteloupe and I was experiencing significant pain and bruising. I called the Dr. and he said it was normal. Then I decided he was an idiot and I called my college buddy who is a urologist and he said that I had a scrotal hematoma. Next day I called the Dr. and was told he was out for the next four days…later that day I managed to bum rush my way in to see the senior Dr. at the practice that performed my vas. He confirmed the hematoma and said if I stayed in bed for a week i could go back to work and that I’d be back to normal in three weeks.
I followed his advice and went back to work a week later…I made it through the first day at my desk with some discomfort, but the second day my balls swelled up and i was hurting pretty good. I came home early feeling very discouraged as I realized this is going to be a protracted problem.
So now it’s been twelve days, the swelling and bruising (which was significant-from my anus to my navel) has subsided marginally, but there remains on the left side of my scrotum a two by four inch hematoma that is quite hard to the touch. Sounds like my hematoma is larger than average but not huge.
I spoke today to my urologist buddy and he said that in another 5-6 weeks that the hematoma should be 80-90% resolved, but it will likely be around Valentine’s Day before it’s completely gone. He told me that advil or any blood thinner medicine won’t expedite the healing process. Also, he recommended sometimes taking a warm bath as it would likely increase blood flow in the scrotum. Finally, he said to use common sense as my guide for how much I should try to do activity-wise.
I’d appreciate any feedback from the group with regard to how much activity they could perform 6-8 weeks after their surgery. I’m scheduled for a golf trip between christmas and new years and am hoping I’ll be well enough to play.
Hey guys father of 4 here and had a Vas on the 14th of November. The procedure went ok. I took the Doc’s advice and went home and took it easy, iced my junk and took tylenol for the swelling. But I developed a hematoma anyway. The main reason why I did this was for my wife and she really hasn’t been all that compassionate for the pain that I’m having to deal with. But anyhow yeah gravity really hasn’t been a friend of mine, as soon as I need to go to the bathroom good ole gravity starts tugging on the boys and it feels like I got kicked in the jewels. I was prescribed some pain killers (narcotics) to deal with it so hopefully it gets better in the next few days or so.
Mine started soft and gradually firmed and is now yea kinda rock like. At its largest it was almost fist-sized. My doc didn’t exactly endorse the warm bath idea but agreed it sounded logical.
The texture is no mystery… remember essentially it’s a glob of blood, turning into a big nasty internal scab. Sometimes scabs are hard to the touch.
Ugh.
Thanks for the reply Bilbo. WOW 4 months that sucks. I’m sure I will be takeing the same ride as you. The doctor was also telling me that a hematoma is supposed to be gel like to the feel well not mine, its hard as a rock. Then my job being in the Army really has no mercy on you. I’ve also been massaging my hematoma in the bath but it’s like massaging a rock. I agree with you it’s been a nightmare. Was your hematoma hard like a rock then went gel like? How big was your hematoma at the begining?
Dustin, your doctor’s right. My procedure was Jun 19th, and I am not out of the woods yet. (See my previous comments above). That was 4 months ago.
Hematoma is the size of a smaller-than-average walnut, and while the pain is only occasional and relatively minor, it is still a reminder of this summer’s nightmare.
5 weeks ago I had the vasectomy procedure done and it has been a nightmare. I have a hematoma a little smaller then the size of my fist and I have average size hands. It is painful and it has not gone down out all. I have had 2 ultra sounds done one during the first week and another during the 4th week and no difference in size. The pain feels like somebody is flicking me in my balls all day long. I was told by the doctor last week that it will take months for it to dissolve. If any body has gone through a large hematoma the size of a fist that has recovered from it please reply I will check the forum daily today is the 18 Oct 08
thank you
My husband JB just had his vasectomy 6 days ago. He’s got the lovely hematoma, major swelling and what he describes as “eggplant balls” because of all the bruising. The hematoma is over his right testicle, it’s about the size of a walnut and causes him to have stabbing pain. He hasn’t gone back to the doctor but JB called the doc and explained his symptoms in detail. His advice was the same as the rest of you, rest and motrin. I’m really worried about him going back to work, he’s in law enforcememt. I’m so afraid that he’ll get kicked or have to run after someone. He’s thinking that he’ll take the rest of next week off, that will have been 2 full weeks off. Hopefully he’ll be feeling better by then, if not he’ll be stuck behind the desk on light duty.
Some of your stories sound so much like ours but the “grape jelly” story takes the cake, that one was the worst! If my husband had ooze coming out of his balls like that I think he’d pass out, I know I would.
Chris if you have a hematoma you will be in extreme pain as well as the swelling you will know before 3 days. I knew something was wrong within the first 24 hrs. Diff doctors will give you diff advice and also each one of us is diff so what worked for you may not work for me. The best remedy I found was TIME and I tried a couple of blood thinners and clot busters. Natural of course.
Chris,
The instructions from my doctor were to use only Tylenol or the Vicodin they prescribed for the pain. I ignored his advice (foolishly) and alternated between Tylenol and Ibuprofen during the day and took the Vicodin at night.
When I went back for my follow up (12 days post surgery), I asked if I could use Ibuprofen to get the anti inflamatory benefits. My doctor’s response was “Yes, it’s been long enough now that you can.” Right then knew I had made a mistake for taking shortly after surgery. I don’t know if the Ibuprofen contributed to the hematoma or not, but I know Ibuprofen does have some blood thinning characteristics (just not as much as Asprin).
My advice on the Ibuprofen is to get clearance from your doctor before you start taking it. As for the heating pad, I’d stick to ice…it’s better for the swelling and helps numb the pain.
Best of luck to you. Swelling and bruising are normal, so if no lumps develop you should be out of the woods in no time.
I had my V 13Aug. Since then my scrotum has increased 50% in size and there is bruising over most of the scrotum. Though, there are no lumps yet that I can feel.
How do you know when the bleeding has stopped? There also seems to be mixed message on this board regarding taking Ibuprofen. Since I have now crossed the 3 day marker, should I just assume bleeding has stopped and thus I can start with a heating pad? Thanks for all of your tips and such.
The first Fri of 2008 is when I had mine. Here it is 8 month’s later and I have my report. The hematoma is not gone all the way it is still a little tight on the right side the left side was good anyway. Everything is good in the sex dept. but although it may be mental sometimes the big bang at the finale is not as big as it used to be. Again it may be mental also it gets sore sometimes not bad pain but I know it is still there Hopefully one day I will be back to 100%
Had my vas on Friday 8/1. The weekend went about as expected, but the pain became progessively worse ealry the following week. On 8/6 the swelling became firm (a cause for concern according to the paperwork the doc’s office gave me), so I called my doc for a follow up…turns out my doc was on vacation (Gary, I wonder if we have the same doctor?). One of his associtates was going to be in that afternoon to see patients, so I was able to get in and see him.
After a brief conversation and exam, I was told I had a hematoma in the cord, which produced the walnut size lump above my right nad (seems like a common location reading the posts above). He put me on an antibiotic as a preventative measure, instructed me not to ride a bicycle for a while, and had me come back a week later to see the doc that performed the surgery.
I went back yesterday (8/13) for the follow up with my origianl doc. His diagnosis confirmed exactly what the other doc said. I talked to him about draining it, and he recommended against it (opens up other complications and likely would provide short term relief but lead to a longer recovery process). Taking it easy and giving it time was the only thing I could do. Continuing the antibiotic, ice packs and ibuprofen were also recommended.
I asked about taking asprin to thin the blood (Bilbo, I had the exact same thought as you). My doctor said that I should definitely NOT take asprin, as this would promote bleeding in the hematoma and make it worse.
Everyone on this forum obviously knows this situation sucks. The pain can be unbearable at times (and I think my case is mild compared to some others listed). However, I still think the surgery was the right thing to do though vs. having my wife go under general anesthesia to have her tubes tied. I’m confident this will get better in time as my doctor (and others on this forum) has promised. In the mean time, I’m dealing with the pain and considering taking a temporary second job with the circus as “the three-balled man”.
I am now five weeks post vasectomy. This week I resumed exercise. So far so good. Shortly after my last post, the alternating heat and ice seem to have worked well. I developed a large lump in my left testicle a little larger than an egg. I began taking ibuprofen morning and night. I still have a little bit of a lump but it has shrunk quite a bit. I feel much better now.
I am also pleased to say that sexual performance has not changed at all. I was not up for it for about two weeks after being snipped but now back to regular activity. I am glad I found this site. It helps in reading what others were facing. I am going in for a follow up visit this Friday but I expect he will be surprised how well I have healed now.
For me the pain was intense for about 2 or 3 weeks after the vasectomy. After that just regular discomfort and now I hardly think about it. My recommendations for others about to go through with the procedure…..wear your scrotal support even if you do not think you need it for at least the first two weeks. Use ice for three days solid after the procedure. And most importantly, take it easy for the first month afterwards! Stay off your feet as much as possible.
JeffM, I feel your pain! I hope you feel better soon!
I had my V performed on July 25th. The first 2 days seemed fine (keeping things in perspective, of course). First thing when I woke up on the 3rd morning was a huge sack (grapefruit size) & a lot of bruising which extended onto my Pns & pubic area. A call to my Dr. said that as long as my sack was not hard, but relatively soft & pliable, that things are OK. Well, I took his work for it & wasn’t worried. Feeling pretty good, I played 9 holes of golf on August 5th (that’s 11 days after the procedure). Up to this point, the “hole” that was made during the procedure never totally healed….There was a little bit of blood seepage each day…nothing major though. When I got home & took a shower after my worse 9 holes ever, I noticed grape jelly coming out of the hole. I felt a bit queasy, but squeezed some more out, then stopped because the thought of having a testicle pop out came across my mind. The next day, the blood seepage was back to the way it was before the shower event. The hard lump above my left testicle became more defined. From having trauma to this area in the past from motorcycle accident, I had a pretty good idea as to what it was…scrotal hemotoma. The hole that was made during the surgery, however, was still seeping a little bit of blood. On Wednesday, August 6th, I called my Urologist’s office, found out that he was on vacation & spoke to one of his nurses & explained what was happening. She told me to call if anything worsens & that she would follow up in 2 days. Well, nothing got worse and she did call to check on me on Friday, August 8th. After hearing that the bleeding still hasn’t entirely stopped, she asked one of the other Drs. in the practice & he wanted me to come in to the office that afternoon. I expected a quick in & out visit. What I got was the grossest scrotum-squeezing session of a lifetime. We could have made a few peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with the amount of coagulated blood (closely resembling firm grape jelly) that he was able to get out. He recommended wearing support, rest & ice for 2 days. The weekend went well & the bleeding seemed to have stopped. I was stoked!!!! This morning (Monday, August 11th), however, wearing support & full office attire, I bent down to tie my shoes to go to work when I felt something squirt in my crotch…I looked down & it looked like a little bit of pee at first. It wasn’t red liquid. I cleaned us & squeezed the scrotum a little bit where the opening was to see if anything came out…well dark red watery blood came out….not gushing, but it did require a couple of gauzes to clean up. The front of my pants, underwear & jock strap were all soaked.
I have a followup visit already set up for this coming Friday. My plan is to take it as easy as possible for the remainder of this week.
JeffM, that sounds absolutely awful, surely one of the worst stories I’ve heard about vasectomy-caused hematoma. I guess you can try to believe “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
I am now almost 7 weeks post-vasectomy and my hematoma is egg-sized and uncomfortable but not causing me continuous pain any more. I can sit in chairs for a few hours and walk around relatively normally. I’m back at work after a nearly 4 week (telecommuting) absence.
Good luck all.
Im glad to see some didnt have to through the extremes I did. My urologist had over 40 years experience and came highly recommended.
3 hours after my vasectomy I was lying on the couch and felt a POP in my scrotum. I began to feel myself bleeding internally. This was about the most scared I think I have ever been. It is freakish to feel yourself bleeding and swelling…and in the scrotum on top of that. My wife called the doctor a couple of times and after I continued to swell with blood he told her to bring me into their ER. I almost passed out when the wife hoisted me off the couch. The pain and loss of blood was alot to bear. I had to slowly hobble to the car.
Once I reached the ER I had to be helped up onto the curb and then helped into a bed. Bending or leaning was just way too painful and I had to have help. Thank God I was able to get a shot for the pain quickly.
I was admitted into the hospital. I had to have the nurses undress me and get my gown on and into bed. They treated me with ice packs and pain killers over night. My scrotum was blackish/blue and the size of a grapefruit. The doctor felt there had been some progress – enough for me to be discharged. He wanted to see me in three days. It was a long three days. I could barely walk to the bathroom and urinating was a painful joke. The wife had to help me with everything since I couldn’t raise my legs or bend over.
On the third day I went back to the doctor’s office. Because of the lack of progress and pain I was in even with pain killers he said I needed surgery to drain the scrotum. I was again admitted to the hospital and had surgery the next day.
They drained over a cup of blood and clot out of my scrotum and inserted a drain. I spent the next three days in bed and I dont think I have ever had my penis looked at by so many people ever in my life as I did my stay there. I had a morphine pump which I tried not to use. On my last day I needed to get up and start walking. I felt like my scrotum was ripping in two. It took me 2 hours to recover from the brief walk I had to take. I couldn’t sit in a chair.
After I was discharged I had to lie flat for the next three days. It took about a month before I could stand longer than 5 minutes and about three months before all of the discoloring was gone.
Because of my experience I have nothing but contempt for anyone who tells a guy its just a snip-snip no big deal. I got news for you – it can become a VERY big deal with months of pain and thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
A vasectomy is still statistically better than your spouse getting her tubes tied. But NO ONE should take a vasectomy lightly.
It’s been 5 weeks since my vasectomy (see my previous comments above), and this is my fourth week out of work (luckily I can telecommute).
The pain (and my consumption of Lortab to treat it) plateaued for about 10 days before gradually subsiding. Now the hematoma is much firmer, slightly smaller, and just “uncomfortable”. I am treating the pain with Aleve only at night — Lortab is an addictive opiate and after a couple weeks of 5/day … ugh.
I can finally walk nearly normally again and sit in regular chairs for more than 10mins without pain.
Dan — I think ice packs are advised if the hematoma is still growing/getting worse. You should be wearing a jockstrap; that helps some in terms of moving around the house. A combination of tighty-whiteys with a jockstrap on top got me through the last couple weeks.
Once it was confirmed that my hematoma had stopped growing (bleeding) and solidified, I started taking a 30min hot bath daily. Once the pain began decreasing last week, I have been sort of massaging it gently in the bath, trying to break it up some. Not sure if it’s my imagination, but this usually results in a couple hours of malaise/nausea which I am attributing to a rush of dead blood being reabsorbed/processed by my body. Lovely.
Good luck all. I’ll post again with an update in a week or two.
Today is my ninth day post vasectomy and and I am in agonizing pain!! I have a small hematoma in the right testicle. It only hurts when I feel it. Not bad at all. The left side is a killer!! I have a large mass (the hematoma) in the upper portion of my left testicle. Standing is the worse! I can not stand more than 30 seconds without agonizing pain! My doctor is not the best either. He says nothing to do but wait it out. I wish there were something that could hurry this along. I have been using ice packs almost constantly till today. I tried some heat packs to help out. Still nothing but lying still in bed seems to make a difference. Luckily I have a job that should allow me to work from home. I will be sending an email to my boss tomorrow.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to get rid of the pain and these HUGE lumps in my testicles, please let me know! For anyone considering a vasectomy, make sure you are willing to suffer for a long haul. The short recovery period…not the case for me.
This is a long shot because it was a long time ago but I have the exact same issue you had as far as standing and the pain. Did you end up just waiting it out like your doctor and said and how long till you could stand without pain?
Been two weeks since my previous comment so here’s an update. It hurts to move around much (despite the prescribed narcotics) so I’ve been in bed 23 hours a day for 2 weeks now. I intend to keep trying the warm baths, not sure it helps but it’s relaxing anyway. Hematoma has stabilized after growing for the first week or so, now is very firm. Waiting it out…
Surgery June 3rd and I still get shooting pain in groin area. Had a hanging cantaloupe for over two weeks. Developed a hematoma the size of an egg in my scrotum and also in upper groin next to penis. Six weeks later, swelling has reduced, but hematoma still present and showing no signs of going down. Shooting pain continues at various times during the day. Nothing prescribed has been able to alleviate the pain. The warm baths, ice packs, and rest did little to ease my condition. I have been told by several doctors that it will take time and any attempt to cut the hematoma out would result in more bleeding. I took Torodol and ibuprofen for weeks after surgery, but they provided no noticeable relief. Information pamphlet on “what to expect after surgery” seems pretty unrealistic in hindsight. I’ve been to hell and back with pain and discomfort, and I am hoping that I don’t carry these complications with me forever. Luckily I had an understanding employer and short-term disability benefits.
Surgery on March 7th and complications were a large hematoma above my right testicle, major bruising & hydrocele. Basically, it looked like Barry Bonds took a baseball bat to my man parts. It’s now early July and much better. The hydrocele is almost completely gone and the hematoma is about 1/5th of its original size. Not back to normal, but getting there.
4 months after the procedure i’m almost 100%. Still have a hard mass above my right testicle – feels about the size of a marble.
No pain and no visible signs of the hematoma now. Sexually, everything is great. No loss of sensation or decreased intensity of climax or ejaculate volume.
I do recall going to the gym a few weeks after the procedure and it caused additional swelling. I’d definitely wait a month or so. Leg exercises seemed to aggravate it the most.
I thought i would add my experience to help educate others. After my NSV I took the next 48 hours with care, and everything seemed to be going by the book, My doc said I could return to the gym after 1 week, I decided to take it easy for 2 weeks, this way I could be sure that everything was okay.
After 17 days I decided to go to the gym, this was a big mistake, i woke up the next morning with a lump the size of a golf ball above my left testicle and alot of swelling. It turns out I now have a hematoma and have been given anti-inflamitries and antibiotics. The doc tells me it should all be gone in a few weeks, hopefully this is the case.
My advice would be to take it easy for at least a month… just to be sure.
I was not advised to stay in bed for 48 hours, felt fine the next day, and that night, you know what happened.
Anyone have clarifying advice on the hot compress/bath versus ice pack advice? Or is it advisable to alternate?
I know aspirin is ill advised immediately after the procedure, but once the hematoma has stabilized and is being reabsorbed, seems logical that aspirin’s blood-thinning properties could be helpful?
You guys crack me up! Thank God I found this site because I had my wings cut the 12th of June. Today June, 20th i went back for a check up and I haven’t even really felt my testicles to see what they feel like due to sharp pains like i got kicked in the knuts back in grade school. So at the check up the Doc grabbed the areas where the incisions were and felt both testicles and to my surprise they didn’t hurt, but just felt uncomfortable. I just got back to work and went to the bathroom and noticed that i felt the hemotoma the size of large walnut above my right testicle. From these postings it sounds like i will be in it for the long haul. Very dissapointed but what do you expect when you have surgery! Something always goes wrong, minor or major.
I had surgery for removal of my left one on Monday. It is now Thursday and the hemotoma is about the size of my fist – a large grapefruit. And it hurts. I can’t even go to the bathroom without holding it up as the jock strap can even handle the size. They have me on antibiotics and advised me that it is going to take some time. I’ve been advised it was related to my aspiron treatments. I am taking pain meds and advised to use heat to induce better flow and ice to reduce the swelling 20 minutes of heat then 15minutes of ice seems to do me some good. The best thing I am doing right now is staying down. No walking, exercising, etc. It will be a longer recovery than I originaly had hope. The best part is the other pain of the testicle is now gone.
Surg Jan, 4 08 4 month’s later not completely gone, alot better but not 100% Time Time Time don’t dwell on it jst keep on livin!!
Are you kidding me? Your frickin’ wombat?
I’m finally noticing the hematoma getting smaller. Procedure was on March 7th so after 45 days it seems like it’s starting to go down. I’d say it’s about 90% of what it was two weeks ago. So, assuming…
1. It takes about a month for the hematoma to stabilize and begin dissipating
2. The dissipation is a steady process once it starts to be absorbed
…it takes about 2 weeks to absorb 10% of the hematoma. So a total of 20 weeks once it starts to go down. Keep in mind that the doctor said I had a “large hematoma”.
My rough calculations indicate I’ve got about another 4-5 months before this thing is completely gone.
I’m back to the gym and the sex life is as active as ever. Intercourse is at a somewhat slower pace but I’m not getting any complaints there. Yeah, it gets in the way during some positions, but it isn’t really that big of a deal.
If your freaking out like I was when this first happened, it’ll get better. You’ll forget about it – I’m definitely not obsessing on it any longer – it is what it is and staying pissed off doesn’t change anything.
Since there is ZERO useful information on this complication other than this website, I’ll post my progress in this thread periodically. If any previous posters (other than wombat boy) are still checking this thread, please provide an update on your progress to help others calculate their own recovery time.
Also, I’m taking 2 Advil 3x’s per day.
well my problem is sort of the same i had my wombat desexed and he has a large hematoma i have been trying to find some info and this is the only place after reading all the other peoples problems it looks like he is going to be sore for quite a while
Well guys the end result after all this was a success. I went through alot of pain and the hematoma is still there but it is getting smaller. I am going back on advil 1 pill 3 times a day hopefully this thing will be over soon.
Thanks for the encouraging words Roy. Basically, my doctor’s visit to the review the sonogram was a dissapointment. I thought we were going to review the images and allow me to get an understanding of EXACTLY what was going on. Instead, he just read me the 3 sentence abstract and said I have a moderate to large hematoma.
He said in 3 weeks I should start to see it go down some and it will likely take 3 months to dissipate completely. He said the last few weeks before it is completely dissipated it will turn soft, or gel-like, and then be gone.
He told me that what likely happened is that he sutured a blood vessel during the procedure and it “spasmed” and ruptured which is what caused the bleeding and bruising.
Tom, I can only imagine what your going through. If the hematoma swelled up again you are obviously still bleeding/hemoraging. You need to take it VERY easy. The bleeding may get worse with activity or anything that raises your blood pressure. Relax – it will get better. Really sorry to hear how bad this has been for you.
Tom I was told by a couple of Doc’s not to drain it unless medically ness. make sure you are taking some type of antibiotic for infeection cause the risk of infection is greater when you drain the Hematoma. Good Luck
I am fifteen days out from my Vas. and have a monster right side hematoma. So large, in fact that the pain was virtually unbearable. I was drained with a 12 gage needle yesterday where about an ounce of blood was removed. I had instant relief. This morning the swelling was back and pain was worse. The doc drained well over two ounces of blood and the pain remained. This is horrible. Anyone out there have theres drained? comments from it? progress?
Jason don’t worry unless you see major change for the worse it WILL get better mine has improved really good the past week or so I think advil helped me the most and time. I go back on the 8 of April t find out if I am 100% sterile I better be after all of this. My hematoma is also on the right side just eat right take it easy and let your body do what it does best take a licking and keep on ticking.
It’s only been 3 weeks since my vasectomy but I haven’t seen any improvement in the size of the hematoma.
I went in for a sonogram today. The hematoma is about the same size as, and directly above, my right testicle. Over the last 14 days it has become hard to the touch. My guess is that the accumulation of blood has clotted and essentially turned into a big scab. I can’t imagine it will be absorbed in a few weeks.
I’m mentally preparing for this to take 6 months to resolve, if not longer.
I’m seeing the urologist on 3/31 to review the sonogram pictures and try to determine how long it will take to recover – if ever.
I’ve tried every homeopathic supplement and even visited a chinese medicine doctor who gave me some “magic herbs” and nothing has worked.
If you are reading this and thinking about getting a vasectomy – DON’T DO IT!
I’ll post an update on what the doctor says next week.
You need a second opinion go somewhere else. Stay off your feet right now. Buckle down for a long road to recovery. I can say that it will get better Ibruprofen is working for me but make sure that your body can take the advil or asprin I think it thins the blood to allow faster absorbtion it makes sense but still it is not a overnight remedy my VAC was done on Jan 4.
I had a vasectomy on Friday March 14 and by Saturday my scrotum was the size of a grapefruit. Went back to the doc on Monday and he informed me that I had a Hematoma. I am extremely bruised and walking is a true pain for me right now, I can hardly make it to the bathroom.
My doctor said not to take ibuproffin or aspirin. Why would he say that?
Wow I just happened to check the site to see if any other people have replied. Well I have good news and bad I don’t really know if the nattozimes worked I know it increases blood flow down there 🙂 after I am totally healed I may buy some more that’s right 2 month’s and my right side is not healed all the way It doesn’t pain much anymore I started working out in late Feb. It has gone down alot but not 100% no one told me about the advil until later on they did seem to work. I am not happy about it at all. everthing still works but the big bang at the end of the show is not as big as it used to be. More guys need to know this before they make this decision I don’t think I would do it again. I beleive I read somewhere that a scrotal hematoma can toke 6 or more month’s to heal. The best advice I can give is stay strong try not to think negative cause your mind will make things worse fast I was about to go to the Doc’s office and have a man to man talk with him cause just like the man above said I did everything by the book. I am getting p@#* off right now typing. Later
I had my vasectomy on March 7, 2008 and did everything the doctor asked for recovery – stay in bed for 48 hours and keep it iced.
Six days later I’ve got a hematoma the size of an egg under my right testicle. The swelling on the left side is completely gone. I have significant bruising on my scrotum, penis and over to my right hip. WTF??? Like you all, I’m pretty upset this has happened.
My guess is that the doctor knows something went wrong because he told me I’d be pretty swollen for a few weeks. Under normal circumstances the swelling should subside completely in less than a week.
The good news is I don’t have any pain – I’m just carrying an egg around. I went to a second urologist yesterday who confirmed the hematoma and he said Aleve would help.
Both urologists said that only time will heal the hematoma – that it can’t be drained because it is in the soft tissue.
So, warm baths, Aleve and the antibiotic they prescribed are what I’m doing for treatment. I’m also wearing a jock strap everyday (over my underwear to cut down on the laundry)
I’m curious to know if the above mentioned “Nattozines Plus” helped at all.
We should probably all buy a Lotto ticket soon while we’re on a low probability hot streak…
Hello, I’m 12 days post vasectomy and in just the same situation as you guys , eg: hematoma, brusing, and now an infection and its not much fun!
Could you post an update on your recovery please? I’d like to know how you got on…
I think this would be very useful to me and lots of other guys looking for anwers… You know what I’m saying, it’s just good to hear that your not alone.
Keep in touch I am taking warm bath’s also w/Epson salt. I have been out of work for 2 weeks I am going in on Mon. Tell your Husband I truly feel his pain but WE will make through!!!
OK I don’t think it’s the DR. fault mine was done on the 4th of Jan I had an ultrsound done last Sun and everything is ok on the inside except for the hematoma it is the same size as one of my testicle. Everything I read says it will take weeks or maybe month’s to fully absorb the blood from the hematoma. I found some erbal medicine called Nattozines Plus and started taking that on Wednesday I went to the Doc today I can say that it is a little better not much but anything better is good my doc did not agree with the Nattozime pills but there is nothing else out there to help period!! But time!
Hi, my husband just had a vasectomy 14 days ago and he is still in pain and has a large lump in his left testicle. he called the Dr. and they told him to soak in warm baths, that it is probably caused by some excess bleeding post surgery??? This sounds like the same thing you guys are experencing. Could this have been caused by a Drs. error??? My husband is not very happy either. I feel horrible for him.
I just had a vasectomy 12 days ago and am experiencing the same problem on the right side the left side has gone down. I just found out about a natural herb called Nattozime and started taking it today I have been to 2 doc’s both gave me the same answer you recieved wait it out. I am not very happy at this time.
Same way here except opposite sides. Dr started cauterizing me before I was numb. Now I can’t even walk properly due to the swelling and pain.