Role of orchiectomy in severe testicular pain after inguinal hernia surgery: audit of the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre

Surgical management of chronic orchialgia after inguinal hernia repair

BACKGROUND

Orchialgia is a rare but significant complication experienced after open and minimally invasive inguinal hernia repairs with or without mesh. Causes have been theorized to include trauma to the spermatic cord, mesh-induced inflammation, vascular insult, fibrosis or mesh scarring of the cord, and neuropathic injury to the autonomic paravasal nerve fibers supplying the testicle. Though less frequently described than inguinodynia, orchialgia can be severely debilitating.

METHODS

Retrospective review of consecutive adult patients who underwent surgical intervention for inguinodynia with coexisting orchialgia between September 2011 and April 2023. Primary outcome was percent improvement of orchialgia, reported by patients in postoperative follow up. Secondary outcomes included surgical approach, type of neurectomy performed, the need for orchiectomy, and remedial operations.

RESULTS

A total of 173 patients were identified. Of this cohort, 89.6% (155) underwent paravasal neurectomy, 96% (166) underwent inguinal neurectomy, 14% (24) underwent orchiectomy, and 5.2% (9) underwent vasectomy. These operations were conducted via an open approach in 18% (31) and via hybrid approach in 62% (108). Improvement was noted in 99% (173) of cases, with greater than 50% improvement in pain in 64% (111).

CONCLUSION

Orchialgia is less common than inguinodynia but is encountered in approximately 10% of patients with chronic pain after inguinal hernia repair resulting from all variants of operative repairs. Utilization of a patient-tailored surgical approach to address the likely mechanisms of testicular pain after prior inguinal hernia repair allows for favorable surgical results. A careful examination and assessment of the potential mechanisms of orchialgia after inguinal hernia repair allows for identification of specific causes and potential options for remediation.

Current trends and therapies in orchialgia management

The management of pain is a complex condition that will be encountered by most practicing clinicians. In the genitourinary community, testicular pain may be classified as acute or chronic. Initial evaluation of chronic groin and scrotal content pain (CGSCP) begins with a detailed history and physical examination to elucidate the presenting pathology. Multiple therapy algorithms have been proposed with no definitive consensus; however, most begin with conservative intervention and medical management prior to advancing to more invasive procedures. Surgical approaches may range from reconstruction, as in vasovasostomy for post-vasectomy pain syndrome, to excision of the offending agent, as in epididymectomy. This review seeks to focus on chronic pain in the genitourinary community and review techniques of pain management in the current intervention for orchialgia, as well as identify future methods of treatment.

Chronic Scrotal Content Pain: a Review of the Literature and Management Schemes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Chronic scrotal content pain (CSCP) is a complex condition with multiple etiologies that requires a thorough understanding of its pathophysiology, workup, and treatment options. We performed a comprehensive and contemporary review to augment our current understanding of CSCP.

RECENT FINDINGS

We discuss new advances in CSCP-specific pain questionnaires, modern studies of microscopic spermatic cord denervation and its variations, and novel techniques including electric nerve stimulation and cryoablation in addition to randomized control trials with significant negative findings. We also present literature focusing on the prevention of CSCP secondary to surgical iatrogenic causes. The constantly evolving literature of CSCP has led to the significant evolution in its diagnosis and treatment, from oral medications to salvage options after microscopic spermatic cord denervation. With each advance, we come closer to developing a more thorough, evidence-based algorithm to guide urologists in treatment of CSCP.

Management of Chronic Orchialgia: Challenges and Solutions - The Current Standard of Care

INTRODUCTION

Chronic scrotal content pain (CSP) or chronic orchialgia can be debilitating for patients and difficult to treat. There is a paucity of structured treatment algorithms to approach this difficult condition.

METHODS

A review of the literature was performed. Conservative treatment options are presented and then targeted surgical interventions that the urologist may perform are then presented in a structured algorithm format. Many of these patients may obtain a significant reduction in pain with some of these treatments.

RESULTS

This review presents the pathophysiology, a new assessment tool, and various treatment options available for CSP patients, such as targeted spermatic cord blocks, targeted and standard microsurgical denervation of the spermatic cord (77-100% success rates), ultrasound-guided peri-spermatic cord and ilioinguinal cryoablation (59-75% success rates), scrotox (botox) (56-72% success rates), targeted ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric peripheral nerve stimulation (72% success rate), radical orchiectomy (20-75% success rate), targeted robotic-assisted intra-abdominal denervation (71% success rate) and vasectomy reversal (69-100% success rates).

CONCLUSION

A structured and evidence-based approach to help urologists manage patients with chronic orchialgia or scrotal content pain is presented.

Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology, Chapter 19. Testicular Torsion, Testicular Appendix Torsion, and Other Forms of Testicular Infarction

Among the most frequent specimens at the pediatric surgical pathology bench, orchiectomy performed after testicular torsion deserves significant attention. Multiple implications, including fertility, legal complications, possibility of occult lesion, and others, need to be considered. Furthermore, torsion of testicular and other appendices represents common urological emergencies frequently encountered in surgical pathology. Here we present a review of testicular torsion and infarction, including theories about their pathogenesis and the appropriate handling by the diagnostic pathologist.

Extirpative surgery for chronic orchialgia: is there a role?

Chronic orchialgia is a difficult and frustrating condition for both the patient and clinician. Determining appropriate course of therapy should require extensive conservative measures and consideration of alternative surgical options prior to concluding an orchiectomy is warranted. This manuscript aims to provide the clinician with the information currently available to determine if the anticipated success rate is warranted to consider extirpative surgery for idiopathic chronic orchialgia.

Chronic scrotal pain and microsurgical spermatic cord denervation: tricks of the trade

Every practicing urologist encounters patients complaining of chronic scrotal content pain (CSCP). This condition can be equally frustrating for both patients and clinicians as there are no clear treatment guidelines, or pathways, for urologists to follow. As a result, most patients typically seek out multiple providers without improvements in their symptoms. Fortunately, microsurgical spermatic cord denervation (MSCD) is becoming an accepted, reliable and reproducible technique for definitively addressing CSCP in select patients. This manuscript reviews the background, effectiveness and current practice guidelines for scrotal pain in general, and MSCD in particular. Technical insights into how this technique can be performed both safely, and efficaciously, are provided. Finally, the manuscript presents a simple, yet detailed, easy to follow treatment algorithm to aid all urologists in the management of patients presenting with chronic pain.

Successful treatment for patients with chronic orchialgia following inguinal hernia repair by means of meshoma removal, orchiectomy and triple-neurectomy

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Refractory orchialgia following inguinal hernia repair is challenging complication.

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There has been no established surgical treatment for orchialgia.

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We report a case treated by aggressive surgical intervention for orchialgia.

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The detailed preoperative assessment is important to distinguish the sort of pain.

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Triple neurectomy should be considered in patients with neuropathic orchialgia.

Introduction

Orchialgia following inguinal hernia repair is rare complication and still challenging since there has been no established surgical treatment because of complexity of nerve innervation to the testicular area. Herein we report a case of postoperative orchialgia following Lichtenstein repair, which was successfully treated by mesh removal, orchiectomy and triple neurectomy.

Case presentation

A 65-year-old man was referred to our department because of chronic right orchialgia following Lichtenstein hernia repair. He walked with a limp and was unable to walk a long distance. Physical examination revealed the presence of meshoma in the groin area and hypoesthesia in the anterior skin of the right scrotum. His right testis was completely atrophic and located not in the scrotum but in the subcutaneous regions of right groin. He was diagnosed as both neuropathic and nociceptive orchialgia and underwent meshoma removal, triple-neurectomy, and orchiectomy to address these issues. Pathological examination revealed that meshoma was integrated with the structures of the spermatic cord, leading to foreign-body reaction and fibrosis around the genital branch of genitofemoral nerve. The resected right testis was completely-scarred without ischemic changes. Orchialgia disappeared immediately after operation and he was able to walk without a limp.

Discussions

It is important to distinguish between nociceptive and neuropathic orchialgia. Neuroanatomic understanding is essential to guide treatment options. Orchiectomy is an option but should be reserved for refractory cases with evidence of nociceptive pain accompanied by anatomical changes.

Conclusions

Triple neurectomy should be considered in patients with neuropathic orchialgia.

[Diagnostics and therapy of chronic pain following hernia operation]

The frequency of chronic pain after hernia repair is currently much higher than the recurrence rate. For inguinal hernias it has been shown that mesh-based techniques are comparable to mesh-free techniques concerning chronic pain. Risk factors could be clearly identified for inguinal hernia repair and include open repair, meshes with small pores, mesh fixation with sutures or tacks, pre-existing pain and severe pain during the early postoperative period. The last two risk factors are also important for incisional hernias. For laparoscopic incisional hernia repair, the width (> 10 cm) of the gap seems to correlate with chronic pain. The diagnostic measures are restricted to the identification of a segmental problem in terms of nerve entrapment which can be blocked by local anesthesia or definite neurectomy. In some cases of chronic pain after inguinal hernia repair removal of the mesh will be advisable. After incisional hernia repair a segmental involvement is rarely seen. Localized pain may be induced by stay sutures which can be removed. Mesh removal is, however, a complex procedure especially after open repair resulting in hernia recurrence and therefore represents a salvage technique. The prophylaxis of chronic pain is therefore of utmost importance as is the identification of patients at risk which is now possible. These patients for example with inguinal hernias should be treated laparoscopically with an adequate technique including meshes with big pores and without fixation or fixation with glue only.