Complications

Complication
Timeframe
Likelihood
variable
medium

Most common (with an incidence of approximately 7%) complication after surgery in adults.[35]​ Most will reabsorb spontaneously over weeks, but some require operative drainage.

variable
low

Inguinal hernia may be classified as reducible or incarcerated.

Patients with incarcerated hernias usually present with vomiting and abdominal pain. On physical examination, there will be a non-reducible inguinal mass.

Manual reduction, usually facilitated by sedation to relax the abdomen, is the first step. Urgent surgical repair should be performed once the hernia is reduced. If it is not possible to reduce the hernia, immediate surgical repair is indicated.[7]

variable
low

A rare complication of untreated abdominoscrotal hydrocele.

variable
low

A rare complication of untreated abdominoscrotal hydrocele.

variable
low

A complication of late treatment of an incarcerated or strangulated hernia due to vascular obstruction.

variable
low

A very rare complication of untreated abdominoscrotal hydrocele.

variable
low

As hydroceles are usually unilateral infertility is not usually a complication, although it should be considered in people with bilateral hydroceles.[36]​ It may be caused by injury to the epididymis and vas deferens during surgery. Infertility may be more common after sclerotherapy.[37]​​

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