Local infiltration and spermatic cord block for inguinal, scrotal and testicular surgery.

This was a prospective study involving 372 male patients. Surgical procedures including simple inguinal hernia repair, inguinal lymph node biopsy, hydrocelectomy, testicular biopsy, testicular fixation, orchidectomy and scrotal exploration were performed under local anaesthesia using various quantities of 0.5% xylocaine with adrenaline depending on the procedure, in the form of spermatic cord block and local infiltration nerve blocks. No premedication was given to any patient and only five patients (1.34%) were given intraoperative sedation due to anxiety. No complication directly attributed to the anaesthetic agent used or the technique of spermatic cord and nerve blocks were reported during the study. Three hundred and sixty patients (96.77%) were operated on as outpatients and were happy and satisfied to return home on the same day. This experience confirms that spermatic cord block accompanied by local infiltration with 0.5% xylocaine with adrenaline is simple, safe and effective technique that should be used more widely in outpatient urological and general surgical settings in this locality. It provides excellent intra-scrotal and inguinal anaesthesia. Furthermore, the technique is cost effective, and personnel effective since no anaesthetist is required for the procedure which is usually carried out by the surgeon. This would enable many more people to afford the surgical procedures.

The incidence of post-vasectomy chronic testicular pain and the role of nerve stripping (denervation) of the spermatic cord in its management.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of chronic postvasectomy testicular pain (CPTP) and evaluate the use of denervation of the spermatic cord in its management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective postal survey of 560 patients (mean age 36 years, range 25-55; mean time since vasectomy 19 months, range 8-39) who underwent vasectomy between July 1992 and December 1994 was carried out to determine the incidence of CPTP. A prospective study was conducted in a further group of 17 patients (mean age 43 years, range 34-60), who had had CPTP for at least one year, to evaluate the effectiveness of nerve stripping of the spermatic cord in relieving pain. RESULTS: Of 396 replies, 108 (27.2%) patients complained of some testicular pain following their vasectomy operation. In 88 (82%) of these 108 patients the pain was brief and was not defined as CPTP, while 20 (19%) patients had pain for > 3 months; 33 (31%) patients required analgesics to control the pain. Of the 17 patients who underwent spermatic cord denervation, 13 reported complete relief of pain at their first follow-up visit and were discharged. Four patients had a significant improvement in the symptom score and were satisfied with the results. CONCLUSIONS: There is a small but significant incidence of CPTP and patients should be warned of this possibility when counselled before operation. Denervation of the spermatic cord seems to be a viable surgical option for patients with CPTP who fail to respond to conservative measures.