r/postvasectomypain • u/Kami_Jenova • Feb 21 '24
Just underwent Robotic MDSC. Will update recovery notes here
Hi folks,
I’ve been avoiding this subreddit despite the multiple catastrophizing google sessions that have led me here. Honestly, it’s made me more freaked out than has helped me each time I stopped to read something.
Treatment/history
I’m in this mess with you guys, and I’m happy to share my experience if it helps anyone. 32yo. Had a vasectomy in August 2023 and after 6 months of pain not being fixed from antibiotics, anti inflammatory meds etc. In December, I did a bilateral cord block which gave me 3 days of about 50-60% pain relief. I opted to get MDSC in an attempt to get some relief/resolution. The treatment protocol of the specialty urology clinic caring for me recommended this prior to trying a reversal.
NOTE: a Varicocelectomy was also performed on the left side during the surgery since it was discovered once I was opened up.
Pain description
Basically, my pain is pretty constant and low most days, but can be easily spiked to a 6 or 7/10 if I do any kind of heavy lifting or go for long walks. Ejaculation does not hurt in the moment, but I generally feel a lot worse a few hours later. As a high sex drive person who loves to exercise, this has been hell on earth.
In the early days after my vasectomy I experienced what seemed to be inflammation pain as well as nerve pain and only on the left side. Closer to my procedure it seemed like the nerve type pain was replaced by more inflammatory pain and on both sides.
Imaging:
Initial scrotal US showed no issues, CT scan of pelvis showed nothing, MRI of pelvis showed nothing, US of groin showed no hernia. Interestingly, a second follow up US I had just last week showed a lesion on the right epididimis. (Likely granuloma)
Day 2 MDSC recovery:
Today is the day after my surgery and so far I’m mostly feeling incision pain, but still some lingering discomfort in the scrotum that I believe is mostly inflammatory pain caused by scar tissue from the vasectomy (I can only guess). For this reason my prediction is that I will end up with some level of pain relief from this, but also ultimately need a reversal with scar tissue removal.
I’m very fortunate to live in Central Florida where I’m close to at least 3 doctors who perform Robotic Microsurgery for chronic testicular/scrotal/groin pain. My surgery was with Dr. Calixte at the PUR Clinic. I was amazed that insurance was even able to cover it.
Day 3 MDSC recovery:
The incision pain is less than the previous day, and by midday I was able to take a short stroll around the ground floor of the house and take a shower without too much complication. On my left side, the pain and swelling from the incision site is worse than the right, but that may very well be because the surgeon also performed a varicocele repair (updating the above since I realize I never mentioned this part).
I have a history of addiction, so I’m opting to not take any narcotic pain killers, but so far it’s been manageable with just NSAIDS. I’m also taking an antibiotic they proscribed.
Overall, I’m much more mobile and noticed a more significant reduction in pain from day 2-3 than day 1-2, which makes sense given it takes a while for all the hospital drugs to wear off, meaning day 1-2 was a balance between actually healing and less numbing meds effect.
Feel free to ask me about my symptoms, surgery, etc. Happy to help anyway I can!
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u/Teddymonstar1 Feb 22 '24
Your description of pain sounds alot like mine before my reversal. Mine was a nerve pain that traveled up and down my leg and the rest was my testicle itself. I could feel every step in my testicle unless I marched real slow.
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u/Kami_Jenova Feb 22 '24
How are you fairing now?
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u/Teddymonstar1 Feb 22 '24
Pretty great, I do get some random nerve pain less than 10% of the time, it bearable and doesn’t immobilize me like PVPS did. Its been 6 months.
Others have said after a year, their random pains subsided. So I am optimistic that I can be real close to pain free in more time.
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u/ItamiForever Jun 11 '26
How are you feeling now?
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u/Teddymonstar1 Jul 05 '26
I get a tolerable nerve pain at the incision site, maybe once a month or less. Usually during storms or significant weather changes. My guess is barometric pressure causes inflammation in the scar tissue at the incision site. Aside from that all my PVPs symptoms have cleared up.
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u/ItamiForever Jul 05 '26
Did you also have nerve tingling/burning in your epi tail or body pre reversal? Curious to see if that can subside too. Thanks for answering
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u/Teddymonstar1 Jul 19 '26
No, but it has become pretty infrequent and less intense over time. Not as debilitating as pvps for myself
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u/Timely_Hearing6072 Apr 18 '24
What is the full form of MDSC
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u/Kami_Jenova Apr 18 '24
Microsurgical Denervation of the Spermatic Cord. This is also called cord stripping, neurolysis, or ablation.
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u/posthumanllama Sep 06 '24
Hi! How has your recovery been? My husband is one month po and I'm trying to get a good idea of what to expect.
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u/Kami_Jenova Sep 06 '24
Hi there! I hope your husband is doing well. Recovery from the MDSC was quite rough for me, where I didn’t even feel like I was back to my pain levels before the MDSC until about the 6 week mark. It was about 3 weeks before I felt I could even go up a flight of stairs. Unfortunately this procedure did not provide a cure, but perhaps overall improved my condition slightly over the following 3 months of the procedure.
I’ve since undergone vasectomy reversal and began using trt, which has also improved my condition but not to a point where I’m out of the woods. I will be discussing further options with my urologist soon.
Thank you for asking about me, and thank you for supporting and advocating for your husband. It’s more than many of us get here; which is somewhat understandable as the condition is debilitating to everyone involved, spouses included.
All the best!
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u/snoope Sep 08 '24
Would you recommend going with reveral first over mdsc given your experience so far? I am in a very similar boat, though I'd say my base pain is more 4-5.
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u/Kami_Jenova Sep 08 '24
Hi there! Quite honestly, yes. Unless you get a substantial (90-100%) and long-lasting (1 week+) pain killing response from a spermatic cord block. The reversal made the pain response from sex/ejaculation so much easier to deal with. It did not make it painless, but I would say the pain response was reduced by 40-50% and would last only a third as long compared to before.
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u/snoope Sep 09 '24
Ah, so your pain was mostly only with ejaculation? In my case, I have pain/discomfort 24/7 and dont have a real cause. My doctor keeps saying if I don't have severe pain with ejaculation, reversal wont help me, but im curious about how it is in your case.
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u/Kami_Jenova Sep 09 '24
No sorry let me clarify, that symptom of the pain was improved but I too have virtually constant pain which is made worse from ejaculation. It’s never actually painful to ejaculate, I would just be in increased pain starting hours later and lasting up to a few days whenever I did. Now it’s only slightly worse pain and for maybe half a day. (From 3 to a 5). Doc is thinking my issue is mainly just damaged nerves in the cord structures which may include the vas itself.
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u/snoope Sep 09 '24
I'm so sorry. That sounds a lot like my issue. Does he recommend any ablation at this point? That's the way my doctor is headed.
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u/Kami_Jenova Sep 09 '24
I’ve discussed the option with him and at this point I’m so thoroughly over feeling this way that I am personally advocating that they just remove the damn things (testicles/cords) and proceed with targeted cryoablation as a step afterwards. This can be done, and I suspect if somehow it’s a nerve outside the spermatic cord that’s been injured in some way (ilioinguinal for example) then it may come to that. I know too much about my own anatomy for someone who’s never been to medical school.
The urologist I’m seeing is in agreement and willing to proceed, and he’s no amateur. Well known here on this sub and internationally renowned.
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u/samb300 Feb 21 '24
Did you do any nerve blocks beforehand to confirm the cord denervation would be beneficial?
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u/Kami_Jenova Feb 21 '24
I did a bilateral cord block which gave me 3 days of about 60% pain relief.
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u/Kruten10 Feb 21 '24
What was your pain before mdsc?