• Reference Number: HEY1089/2024
• Departments: Day Surgery (DSU), Paediatrics
• Last Updated: 31 January 2024

Introduction

This advice sheet has been produced to give you information and advice following a Hydrocele Repair PPV Ligation. It is not meant to replace discussion between you and your child’s doctor. If after reading it, you require further explanation please discuss this with the relevant person who has been caring for your child.

Should you need any further help or advice please telephone:

Paediatric Day Surgery Unit, CHH – Tel: 01482 624780 – Monday to Wednesday 08:00 to 18:00

Acorn Ward, Women and Children’s Hospital, HRI Tel: 01482 382703 / tel: 01482 382679

OR contact the Paediatric Community Team, Tel: 01482 344077

Follow-up

The Community Children’s Team have been contacted and may visit you at home in the weeks following surgery.  They may also contact you by phone following your child’s discharge from the Day Surgery Unit.

School/Nursery

Your child can return to school in approximately 1 to 2 weeks. If you feel your child needs a little longer to recover we are happy for you to use your own judgement. However they should not take part in any physical education (PE), games or swimming for approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

 After surgery

• The stitches are ‘dissolvable’ (do not need removing).
• A small dressing has been used to cover the wound.
• There may be some a small amount of blood on the dressing. This is normal, but if you are concerned please contact us.
• The dressing should be left to ‘fall off’ in its own time.
• Tomorrow your child may have a shower.
• They may have a bath after 5 days (do not add anything to the bath water).
• There may be some swelling and bruising in the scrotal area. This is not uncommon and will gradually settle.
• It may help if your child wears loose clothing until they feel more comfortable.

Pain relief

During the surgery it is usual for some local anaesthetic to be used which will help with pain relief after the surgery. The anaesthetist will discuss with you other pain relief options we may use during surgery.

We recommend that for the first 24 to 48 hrs you have paracetamol and Ibuprofen syrup available at home following discharge. (Ibuprofen may not be suitable for asthmatics).

After your child’s operation

The Day Surgery Unit is continually striving to improve patient information and we would be pleased to hear from you should you have any comments or concerns.

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this advice sheet, please do not hesitate to contact the Acorn Ward.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats your child, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to your child. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your child’s condition, the alternatives available for your child, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about your child

We collect and use your child’s information to provide your child with care and treatment. As part of your child’s care, information about your child will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your child’s information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide your child with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your child’s doctor, or the person caring for your child.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about your child. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you need information about your child’s (or a child you care for) health and wellbeing and their care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.