Men's Health

Testicular Injuries

Diagnosing Testicular Injuries continued...

Quick medical treatment may also help you feel better and get you back to your usual activities faster.

Your doctor will likely get your medical history. The doctor will want to know about the accident, as well as other information. Be prepared to discuss:

• When the injury occurred.
• How it happened.
• How you felt after the injury.
• How you feel now.
• If you've ever had other problems with your penis, scrotum, or testicles.

Even if you're embarrassed about how the injury occurred, be sure to answer your doctor's questions honestly.

The doctor will also check your scrotum for signs of injury. And the doctor may examine your penis and other body parts that could be injured.

In some cases, you may also need:

Ultrasound imaging. A health care provider will hold an ultrasound device against your scrotum. This uses painless sound waves to create an image of the testicle and other tissues on a viewing screen.

MRI. This creates detailed images of your testicle and other structures inside your scrotum.

Exploratory surgery. In some cases, a surgeon will need to make an incision (cut) in your scrotum to look inside it. The surgeon can see which structures are injured, and if needed, treat them during the procedure.

Treating Testicular Trauma

Depending on how seriously you're injured, you may be able to treat testicular injuries on your own. However, severe testicular trauma requires treatment from a surgeon or other doctor.

Treatment for testicular trauma includes:

• Placing an ice pack against your scrotum.
• Resting and avoiding strenuous activity.
• Medication to treat pain and inflammation.
• Antibiotics to prevent or treat infection.
• Wearing a jockstrap to support your testicles.

In the case of torsion, treatment involves turning the testicle back to its proper place by rotating it while holding the scrotum. This is a job that a health care provider must do.

If the accident has dislocated your testicle out of its usual place, a doctor may be able to press it back into position.

Sometimes surgery is needed. The type of procedure depends on the exact injury.

Surgery is typically needed for cases of torsion, even if a doctor has turned the testicle back into place.

Surgery may also be needed to put a dislocated testicle back in its right place.

Other types of surgery include opening the scrotum to stitch the covering of your testicle back together. In some cases, the surgeon will need to remove part or all of the testicle. If your scrotum has been badly damaged in an accident, the surgeon may need to move skin from another part of your body to fix it.

Sometimes your doctor may recommend an ultrasound of your testicles after your injury has healed to make sure there are no other abnormalities.