My husband began having pain in January of this year and went to our doctor due to pain in his groin area and testicles. He was checked for a kidney or bladder infection and the results were negative but was given several courses of antibiotics as good measure.

He was referred to a urologist who ran sonograms and x-rays for several months before asking my husband if he'd ever had a vasectomy. My husband had the procedure done in the early 1970's. The urologist told my husband that he had a blockage from this vasectomy and tried treating him with Bextra, Celebrex and Ibuprofen 800, all inflammatory drugs. Nothing worked so the urologist recommeded a "simple, in and out procedure" known as an epididectomy. The Urologist told him it would take care of the problem so my husband had the surgery as an outpatient on June 30th of this year.

It has turned out that this was not the "simple, in and out procedure" his urologist said it would be. He tried to go back to work a month after the surgery, but was unable to make it over 4 hours. He operates heavy machinery and the vibration from the machinery made the pain unbearable. On each trip back to the urologist, he was told there was nothing to worry about.

Finally, in desparation, he made an appointment with a urologist out of town. The urologist can feel a knot on the right testicle which he says may just be part of the healing process and may disappear, or he says it could be a problem. The doctor injected a numbing agent into the testicle that hurts the worst to see if it would make the pain abate. It did nothing. He prescribed a 7-day course of steroids which also did nothing. The doctor is now saying that time "MAY" take care of the problem, but advises that only 60% of men having this surgical procedure ever experience any pain relief. This is something the original urologist never mentioned. The new urologist, who has a well-known, respectable practice, also said that this is not a common procedure and he has only performed two in the past two years.

The new urologist is saying my husband has several choices. He can spend more time away from work in hopes that the pain will go away, he can go back to work and learn to live with the pain, or he can have his right testicle removed. Thd doctor told him that recovery from surgery to remove a testicle is much faster than from the epididectomy he had performed.

I am wondering if anyone out there has had an epididectomy and how long it took to get over the pain of the procedure. My husband is squeamish about losing a testicle and I don't blame him.

We will appreciate any info that anyone can provide.